Knowing the Signs of a Pet Emergency in Atlanta, GA

Pets will try to hide their pain but if they are showing these signs/behaviors, it means they are experiencing severe pain and should see a vet immediately.

If you see that your dog or cat hasn’t been urinating and passing stool as they usually do, they might have a bladder or bowel obstruction. With cats, an empty or mostly empty litter box (with little to no urine or stool over the last couple of days) is a sign that they are not passing urine or stool normally. With dogs, you might notice them straining to go or going through the motions but not eliminating anything.

If your pet hasn’t eaten and/or had water in over 24 hours, there could be multiple explanations. In less urgent cases, it might be due to a medication your pet is taking, or anxiety. In more serious cases, it could be due to diabetes, kidney disease, or even a urinary tract infection. For these situations, other signs may be present, such as diarrhea or lethargy. Regardless, you should let us know so we can help!

Facial swelling may be a sign of a severe allergic reaction in your pet, an abscess from a hidden bite or other wound, an oral abscess or gum disease, a tumor, or a bacterial infection. While not all instances of facial swelling are life-threatening, the only way to be sure is to see our emergency team first.

Seeing blood in your pet’s stool can be alarming. However, if it happens just once and there isn’t much blood present, you can probably save your concerns for your pet’s regular vet. But, if you’re seeing blood regularly in their stool and in a much more substantial amount, this could be a sign of something more serious. In puppies, this can indicate parvo. If the blood makes your pet’s stool appear black, it might indicate that your pet has kidney failure, inflammatory bowel disease, a tumor in their digestive tract, or they ingested something toxic.