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As an emergency critical care veterinary specialist<\/a>, I see a lot of dogs and cats coming into the animal ER<\/a>. Some are true emergencies, and could have died without coming in, and others are more stable but the pet owner wasn\u2019t able to get into their veterinarian. First off, it\u2019s important to have some things at home to deal with emergencies, like a pet first aid kit<\/a>.<\/p>\n So, when do you really need to get to the ER? As a pet owner, it\u2019s hard to know whether your dog\u2019s or cat\u2019s (or other family small mammals!) condition is a true medical emergency or not\u2026 or more importantly, if it warrants getting up in the middle of the night to seek medical attention from our staff at Animal Emergency & Referral Center of Minnesota<\/a>.<\/p>\n As an emergency critical care veterinary specialist, I\u2019ll be honest in saying that some emergencies can wait to see your regular veterinarian the following morning (like diarrhea, midnight health certificates, itchy skin, even urinary tract infections, etc.). However, if you are worried, you are always safest getting to the veterinarian or ER veterinarian \u2013 regardless of what time it is. Not only will this give you peace of mind, but your vet can make sure nothing more significant is being masked by your pet!<\/p>\n Below, I\u2019ve listed a few signs where it is imperative that your pet goes in to the animal ER. Without treatment, these situations can potentially be fatal!<\/p>\n While this list isn\u2019t all-inclusive, it gives you a good general idea to work with. When in doubt, call your veterinarian or emergency veterinarian, as the receptionist or veterinary technician may be able to help guide you and \u201cphone triage\u201d you (although they are obviously always going to err on the side of caution). When in doubt, you can also call the non-profit ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center (APCC)<\/a>, as they can provide life-saving poisoning advice and determine if you even need to go into the veterinarian or not! (Please be aware there is a $65 fee for the call, but this also helps with management at your veterinary clinic for poisoning advice).<\/p>\n If you do bring your pet in to the ER, make sure to bring a book or computer; just like a human ER, there could be a wait of several hours. Please know that pets are always seen based on \u201ctriage\u201d \u2013 the sicker ones are seen first, as we need to address their life-threatening problems. <\/p>\n![\"\"](\"\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/08\/black-cat-fear-free-clinic-Minnesota-emergency-vet-AERC.png\")
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\nWhen in doubt, if you\u2019re concerned, contact Animal Emergency & Referral Center of Minnesota<\/a>. You know your pet the best, and we want to make sure we keep them healthy and happy.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/08\/Author-Block-Justine-Lee-board-certified-veterinarain-AERC.png\")
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