Every good pet owner knows that taking care of their pet requires more than simply feedings and potty clean up. Animals require regular check ups at the veterinarian’s office for starters. Depending on how long the pet lives, it is also likely that an emergency of some sort will crop up.
Would Pet Owners Really Need 24 Hour Animal Hospitals For Their Pet?
Vet offices keep regular hours. While some offices try to accommodate emergencies, these are few and far between. Emergencies rarely adhere to regular business hours. This is when 24 hour animal hospitals can literally be life-saving.
These Are Some of the Signs of a Pet Emergency.
Animals cannot tell their owners when something is wrong. There will however be clues. For example, most animals will refuse to eat when they are not well. Skipping a meal is not cause for major concern. It is simply the first and usually most obvious clue in many circumstances. There could be a problem with the animal’s digestive system.
Other problems are more obvious. An injury may or may not be immediately apparent. For example, if your dog was in a fight you would likely notice immediately if they were injured. If however the dog hurt themselves while you were away, it might be more difficult to discern. Usually an animal will try to hide from people when they are hurt. So if your dog or cat is making themselves scarce, they might be trying to hide something from you.
How to Prepare For a Pet Emergency.
If you do ascertain that your pet needs to be seen by a vet, you’ll need to decide where to go. Clearly, if your pet’s vet office is open they should be seen by someone familiar. But all too often the illness or injury is discovered after hours.
Try to make your pet as comfortable as possible. Offer them fresh water, and cuddle them in a familiar blanket. Remember to bring any paperwork on their health history with you to the animal hospital.
If it is after their vet’s hours, you’ll have a few options. Check if there are any 24 hour animal hospitals affiliated with your vet’s office first. If not, check for the earliest opening time of nearby pet hospitals. It is best to know ahead of time what the plan will be if your pet becomes ill or injured. Talk to your vet to create the best plan for the health of your pet.
