What are Pet Medical Emergencies?

Pets speak to us all the time in their unique way. They communicate effectively when they want to tell us they are hungry, need to go to the bathroom, or just want to say, "I love you." But they can't tell us what is wrong when they feel bad. Pet owners often notice changes in their pet’s daily routine, like uneaten food or the age-old poop-monitoring technique.
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At the beginning of a veterinary emergency, pet owners often don't know what they are getting into. The owner can see something is significantly wrong but cannot afford an emergency veterinary visit, and most veterinary hospitals will not examine a pet without a deposit.

If the pet owner can afford the initial exam fee, they often discover that their pet needs additional diagnostic testing, which could cost hundreds of dollars.
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Some of the pets we helped recently with their veterinary emergencies:

‍Trauma
Max escaped from home. When he returned, his tongue was swollen, and blood came from his nose and mouth. X-rays revealed Max’s jaw was fractured in two places from blunt-force trauma to his head and needed surgery ASAP!
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Urinary Obstruction
Yubari was hospitalized in critical care with a life-threatening urinary blockage. Urine had backed up into his kidneys, and bloodwork showed elevated Creatine and Bun levels.

Intestinal Obstruction
Moon had eaten something he shouldn’t have. X-rays showed he had a foreign object in his intestines and needed Emergency surgery. Moon had swallowed five pieces of a silicone bracelet.

Chronic illness
Khaleesi had lost a lot of weight over a few months. Diagnostic bloodwork revealed that Khaleesi is diabetic. Khaleesi needs insulin and a diabetic diet to manage her chronic illness.
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‍Birth Defects
Finn was diagnosed with a congenital disability called Entropion, a painful condition where the eyelid margin rolls inward, causing eyelashes and fur to rub on the eye's surface, causing irritation to the eye membranes and damage to the cornea.

Major Surgery
Gizmo needed corrective surgery for a severe Patellar Hyperplasia condition that had progressed with age. Without surgery, Gizmo would live a life in pain.

Mass Removal
Mia needed a considerable mass removed from her shoulder that proliferated and robbed her of a good quality of life.
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Serious Infections
Sir Snuggles had a small growth removed from his foot, but a few weeks later, it became severely infected and developed into Necrosis (gangrene) down to the bone. Sir Snuggles’ foot needed amputation to save his life.

We meet pet parents at various stages of their journey to get their pets the necessary medical care. Sometimes the owner has already spent hundreds or thousands of dollars on diagnostic testing and treatment before they find us. In other situations, the owner is at square one with nowhere to turn. In every case, the pet needs help quickly. Funding much-needed treatment is how your donations save lives.

Please donate today to help pets needing emergency veterinary care and their families.