13 animal emergencies that should receive immediate veterinary consultation and/or care

• Severe bleeding or bleeding that doesn't stop within 5 minutes
• Choking, difficulty breathing or nonstop coughing and gagging
• Bleeding from nose, mouth, rectum, coughing up blood, or blood in urine
• Inability to urinate or pass feces (stool), or obvious pain associated with urinating or passing stool
• Injuries to your pet's eye(s)
• You suspect or know your pet has eaten something poisonous (such as antifreeze, xylitol, chocolate, rodent poison, etc.)
• Seizures and/or staggering
• Fractured bones, severe lameness or inability to move leg(s)
• Obvious signs of pain or extreme anxiety
• Heat stress or heatstroke
• Severe vomiting or diarrhea – more than 2 episodes in a 24-hour period, or either of these combined with obvious illness or any of the other problems listed here
• Refusal to drink for 24 hours or more
• Unconsciousness

The bottom line is that ANY concern about your pet's health warrants, at minimum, a call to your veterinarian at Tampa Bay Pet Hospital.

Brought to you by Tampa Bay Pet Hospital and American Veterinary Medical Association.