Emergencies

What constitutes an emergency?

  • Trauma (vehicle strike, attack from an animal, fall)
  • Eye trauma or problems
  • Suspected broken bones
  • Trouble breathing
  • Loss of consciousness
  • Collapse, extreme weakness, or an inability to support weight
  • Seizures lasting more than 2 minutes or having more than 2 in 24 hours
  • Straining or an inability urinate
  • Straining to defecate or pain with defecation
  • Bleeding from the eyes, nose, or mouth
  • Blood in vomit, urine or feces
  • Vomiting or diarrhea (especially if present for more than 24 hours)
  • Not eating or drinking for more than 24 hours
  • Signs of pain like whining, panting, arching of the back, or restlessness
  • Distended (bloated) or hard abdomen, sometimes paired with retching
  • Ingestion of household chemicals, human or another animal’s medications, or drugs
  • Foreign object ingestion
  • Consumption of toxic foods like chocolate, sugar free gum with xylitol, grapes, raisins, garlic, onion, rodenticides, petroleum products, antifreeze, etc.
  • Heat stroke
  • Pregnant animal with active contractions and no birth in 1 hour or more than 4 hours between births

If your pet is experiencing any of the above symptoms or you are concerned about their condition, please go immediately to an emergency room.

Emergency Referral Facilities

  1. VCA Animal Referral and Emergency Center of Arizona
  2. Arizona Veterinary Emergency and Critical Care Center