When To Call Your Vet

With so much going on with Coronavirus, the last thing anyone wants is for their pet to get sick. But they do. Pets that seem fine the night before can suddenly start vomiting or limping, develop a rash or a hot spot. Before you try to remedy it yourself, stop and call your vet. They can tell you if your pet needs to be seen right away and most will offer suggestions on what you might try at home first (especially if your vet has seen your pet in the recent past). There is no cost to make the call and you can choose to go or not. If you don’t call, you run the risk of your pet getting worse and an unexpected emergency visit.

For more pet health tips, please visit our online pet health center which has a comprehensive library of holistic care treatments for cats and dogs.

When You Must Call Your Vet

The past two weeks we have received quite a few emails from concerned pet owners who are on vacation and their pet is displaying some type of unusual symptom that concerns them. While we are happy to help, our response is always the same "Please contact your vet right away".  While we all wish someone could quickly tell us over the phone or via email what's wrong with our pet and not to worry.....unfortunately it doesn't work that way.

Some of the concerns expressed: vomiting, hot spots, limping, diarrhea, urinating more frequently, etc. Unfortunately these things can come up at some of the most inconvenient times and it creates a lot of stress for you and your pet. It's hard to stop what you are doing (e.g. may have a fun activity planned) but at the very least, call your vet! Your vet will tell you if this is something serious where your pet needs to be seen right away or perhaps it can wait until you get back. If it is after hours, call an emergency clinic. But make the call. Yes it can cost money, mess up plans and create extra stress. But not calling can have dire consequences and leave you with regret and guilt. There is no cost to making the call and then once you have the facts, you can figure out the next best step. When in doubt, knowledge is power!