Pet Pro: What to do in a pet emergency - AmericaNowNews.com

Pet Pro: What to do in a pet emergency

Would you know what to do in a life-or-death situation involving a pet? Many people don't. Our pet pro, Luciano Aguilar, has some expert advice about handling common pet emergencies.

"Many people don't know what to do if their pet has a medical emergency," says Luciano. "First things first -- do not call 911! 911 is reserved for human emergencies only. If you call for your pet, you will be denied service." 

Dr. Lepere has been a licensed veterinarian for 10 years.

"If your pet has a medical emergency, you're the ambulance, so you need to get your pet to the veterinary hospital as soon as you can. If your veterinarian isn't open, a lot of times the after-hours message will direct you where to go or where the closest emergency hospital actually is. The most common pet emergencies are caused by the ingestion of poison," says Dr. Lepere.

Toxins, like rat bait and snail bait, definitely can be fatal. They are definitely a big emergency. If you ever see your animal eating any snail bait or rat bait, you need to take him to your vet immediately.

And chemicals aren't the only things your pet might ingest -- animals swallowing foreign objects are another leading cause for pet emergencies.

It can be inanimate objects like rocks or toys that they have chewed up and a lot of times those animals can be very sick, vomiting, not eating, weight loss, and those owners will usually be bringing them in to the animal hospital.

"Probably our most common emergency is an animal being hit by a car. Cat and dog, it's pretty much even between the two of them," says Dr. Lepere. "Most emergencies can be prevented, so take a few extra minutes to make sure your home is safe for both you and your pet."

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