What Else You Can Do to Safely Transport Your Pet to the Hospital

How to Help Your Pet in an Emergency

• Call ahead to alert our staff about the nature of your emergency. This helps us prepare to meet you when you arrive, saving valuable treatment time when minutes can count.
  
  
• Follow our recommendations on ways to assist your pet before arriving at the clinic.
  
  
• Use Caution: Be aware that when pets are in pain or discomfort, they may try to bite. To keep your pet—and everyone else— as safe and comfortable as possible, please use a carrier if you're bringing a cat or a leash or carrier if you're bringing a dog. Let us know if you need a carrier or leash to enter the clinic, and we can provide one. Alert our staff if your pet has tried to bite.
  
  
• Medical information: Bring any medications your pet is taking, along with any medical records you have.
  
  
• Suspected poisoning: Bring the packaging of the ingested toxic substance with you to the clinic.
  
  
• Drive safely! Better yet, ask someone else to drive you or to, at least, come with you. You'll be safer and it will minimize the stress on your injured or sick pet. Most of all, breathe! We understand that it's a stressful time. We're here to do all we can to make you and your pet comfortable.

What Else You Can Do To Safely Transport Your Pet to the Emergency Clinic

Difficulty breathing – Is your pet having difficulty breathing? Pale gums? Or bluish tinge to gums? – keep your pet as calm and comfortable as possible; use minimal restraint and no neck leads (place leash around shoulders over one front leg); avoid pet walking – carry if possible or have emergency staff assist with a gurney; ensure a cool environment on your way to the emergency clinic (have a/c on high in car).

Bleeding - Use a clean cloth or towel to cover the area and apply light but firm pressure; if bleeding is on a leg – apply the cloth or towel and try and keep leg elevated when transporting to the emergency clinic.

Hit by car - Pet has been hit by a car and is not moving – could be in shock and should be covered with a blanket for warmth. Place small pets (exotics, cats, birds and small dogs) in a box or carrier for transporting. Large dogs can be transported on a flat board or by using a blanket as a hammock to avoid further injury. Transport to the emergency clinic.

Leg injuries: Pet seems to have an injury to a leg and possible fracture – handle the fractured leg as little as possible and carry pet or transport in a box or carrier. If pet is being carried, have the injured leg held to the outside away from rubbing against your body. Do not let large dogs jump in or out of car without assistance and have emergency staff assist with gurney when admitting pet to hospital.  

Possible heatstroke – Maintain the pet in a cool environment on the way to the emergency clinic (high a/c in car). Heatstroke is a very serious and life-threatening condition.

Seizures - Is pet having seizures? Stay calm and speak reassuringly to pet during the seizure and if possible place a blanket over pet to avoid injury. Never try and hold pet as they are seizing and may snap or bite unknowingly. Animals may have an altered mentality after a seizure and should be handled minimally and carefully.  Transport to the emergency clinic.