grovercentervetDog Emergency Symptoms: A Guide from Your Gaithersburg Emergency Vet
Few things are more terrifying to a pet parent than when their dog suddenly falls sick. Since dogs hide their pain and discomfort well, it can be very difficult to determine if it is a mild stomach ache or a medical emergency. It’s important to be able to identify these serious dog emergency symptoms, as knowing what they are can save your pet’s life.
In the event of a medical emergency, you can’t spare a second. We hope to give you, as a pet owner in Gaithersburg, Montgomery Village and the rest of Montgomery County, the knowledge to take action quickly at Grove Center Veterinary Hospital.
This comprehensive guide provides information on the red flag dog emergency symptoms that need medical attention right away, what to do during an emergency, and how to locate an emergency veterinarian in your area.
Difficulty Breathing (Respiratory Distress)
The difficulty in breathing is a time-sensitive symptom that a pet owner may face in a dog emergency. In minutes, enough oxygen may not reach your dog’s brain and vital organs, resulting in permanent damage.
- Labored breathing: Your dog is breathing heavily, deeply or rapidly.
- Leading with the neck: Straining the neck forward to try and inhale more air.
- Unusual noises: wheezing, high-pitched whistling (stridor), choking or heavy rasping noise.
- Abnormal gum color: Pale, blue, gray, or white gums indicate dangerously low oxygen levels.
Common causes: blockage of the airways (choking), severe allergic reactions (anaphylaxis), pneumonia, heart failure or asthma. If you notice any of these signs of emergencies in dogs, take your pet to an emergency veterinarian right away.
Unproductive Retching and Bloat (GDV)
Gastric Dilatation-Volvulus (GDV), or “bloat” as it’s more commonly known, is a catastrophic, rapid onset emergency which primarily affects large deep chested breeds (Great Dane, German Shepherd and Labradors are examples) but can affect any dog. GDV is caused by the stomach becoming full of gas and twisting around on its axis, which prevents blood from reaching the heart and stomach tissue.
What to Watch For:
- Unproductive retching: Your dog attempts to vomit multiple times, but only spits up a little foam or saliva.
- Hard, tight abdomen: A hard, tight abdomen, and/or a “bloated” appearance.
- Excessive motor activity such as pacing, whining and being unable to rest comfortably or being panicked.
- Drooling: If saliva collects in large drools that fall from the mouth.
ALERT: GDV may be deadly within two hours. Tight abdomen and unproductive retching are a deadly serious emergency. Don’t wait to see if it improves. Go to an emergency veterinary hospital immediately.
Sudden Collapse or Severe Weakness
If you see your dog walking normally one day then collapsing or becoming suddenly unable to stand the next, you know it’s a big problem.
What to Watch For:
- Loss of consciousness: Your dog collapses or is totally unconscious.
- Sudden hind-limb paralysis: The hind legs suddenly stop working or limp.
- Loss of coordination: Drunk-like walking, staggering, imbalance and walking in circles.
- Abnormal posture: Trembling, struggling to stand, or being unable to bear weight.
Internal bleeding (usually due to a ruptured splenic tumor), significant toxicity, heart failure, stroke, advanced heat stroke, or acute neurological problems. One of the most clear-cut indications of a dog emergency is weakness.
4 Seizures and Neurological Episodes
One seizure can be a very upsetting experience to watch. A seizure may not always be immediately fatal, but it is always a symptom of a serious underlying disease and one that must be quickly evaluated by a veterinarian for the underlying cause.
Things to look out for:
- Grand mal seizures: Shaking, paddling of the legs, foaming at the mouth, and an inability to control bladder or bowel movements.
- Cluster seizures: Several seizures in a 24 hour period that are going on top of each other without a full recovery between them.
- Status Epilepticus: An uninterrupted seizure of more than five minutes.
A dog can become dangerously hot during a prolonged (3-5 minutes) seizure or if it has multiple cluster seizures, putting its brain at risk for permanent damage. Do not let your dog come into contact with sharp objects or become too hot, and call your Gaithersburg emergency vet on the way.
Severe Vomiting and Diarrhea
An episode or two of diarrhea or a single episode of vomiting due to grass ingestion could be nothing to panic about. But if your dog cannot keep food or water down, your dog can quickly become dehydrated and upset his electrolytes very rapidly.
What to Watch For:
- Frequency: Vomiting or diarrhea that happens more than 3-4 times in a couple of hours.
- Blood: bright red blood, dark coffee ground vomit or dark, black and tarry stools (digested blood).
- Symptoms: a dog is extremely lethargic, will not drink, or will vocalize when someone touches the abdomen.
Canine parvovirus is a highly contagious and fatal disease that mainly affects young puppies and is characterized by vomiting and diarrhea, which must be noted immediately and treated with intense fluid therapy.
Poisoning and Toxic Ingestion
Dogs are inquisitive and like to munch on inappropriate items. Most household products are extremely toxic for dogs.
What to Watch For:
- Human foods: Chocolate (especially dark or baker’s chocolate), grapes, raisins, onions, garlic and foods containing Xylitol (sugar substitute in sugar-free gum and peanut butter).
- Household hazards include antifreeze, rat poison, human prescription drugs, some house plants (such as sago palms) and household cleaners.
- Symptoms of poisoning include sudden muscle tremors, hyperventilation, pinpoint or widely dilated pupils, bleeding from the gums or sudden foaming at the mouth.
If you know or strongly suspect your pet has eaten poison, record the type of poison and how much. Call Grove Center Veterinary Hospital (301) 963-0400 or directly to your local veterinary clinic.
7. Major Physical Trauma and Severe Bleeding
Even if your dog appears fine on the outside, if a dog is hit by a vehicle, falls from a high place or fights with another animal badly, they need medical help from a veterinarian.
What to Watch For:
- Arterial bleeding: Wounds that actively spurt blood or blood that does not stop after putting firm pressure on the wound for 5 minutes.
- Internal injuries, internal bleeding, or ruptured organs, not showing cuts on the outside.
- Shock: An impact with pale gums, cold paws, rapid heart rate and shallow breathing.
Have your dog checked after a traumatic experience. Over the next few hours, the shock and internal bleeding gradually worsens until the external dog emergency symptoms show up.
Inability to Urinate
The inability to urinate or strain to urinate is no minor urinary tract infection, but may be a medical emergency if your dog is straining to urinate and is producing very little or none of the urine.
Signs of trouble:
- Urine output of 0, straining continuously.
- Making a whining, crying or showing of extreme discomfort when trying to go.
- Licking the genital area and a sudden decrease in activity or vomiting.
With a urinary tract blockage, the body will not be able to flush out toxic waste products. Without treatment, a complete urinary blockage will lead to bladder rupture or acute kidney failure in 24-48 hours.
Summary Checklist: When to Call the Vet Immediately
bladder rupture or acute kidney failure in 24-48 hours.
Summary Checklist: When to Call the Vet Immediately
Urgently Drive to the Vet Monitor Closely (Call for Advice)
Difficulty breathing or blue/pale gums A single bout of vomiting with normal energy
Unproductive retching or bloated abdomen Minor limp with some crying and swelling
Seizure lasting more than 3 minutes, or cluster seizures Mild skin itching or localized redness
Known ingestion of chocolate, antifreeze or medications Skipping a single meal but drinking water normally
Unable to urinate or pass stool Small, shallow scratch that does not bleed heavily
Summary Checklist: When to Call the Vet Immediately
Urgently Drive to the Vet
Monitor Closely (Call for Advice)
Difficulty breathing or blue/pale gums
A single bout of vomiting with normal energy
Unproductive retching or bloated abdomen
Minor limp with some crying and swelling
Seizure lasting more than 3 minutes, or cluster seizures
Mild skin itching or localized redness
Known ingestion of chocolate, antifreeze or medications
Skipping a single meal but drinking water normally
Unable to urinate or pass stool
Small, shallow scratch that does not bleed heavily
What to Do During a Veterinary Emergency
When a medical crisis strikes, panic is your enemy. If you stick to a plan, you are safe and able to get your pet treatment more quickly.
- Keep Yourself Safe: Pain can cause even the gentlest dog to bite instinctively. Handle your pet gently, move slowly, and use a blanket to lift your pet safely.
- Call your veterinary hospital or emergency clinic on the way: Don’t forget to call your veterinary hospital or emergency clinic while en route. This will give your doctors time to set up a triage station, prepare the oxygen lines and get ready for your arrival.
- Collect Information: Take the packaging of the poison they ate, if available or, if not, the exact time the seizure began.
Pets are a part of the family and emergencies can be stressful at Grove Center Veterinary Hospital, located at 9033 Gaither Road in Gaithersburg, MD. The fully-equipped facility is equipped with state-of-the-art diagnostic technology, such as digital X-rays, on-site laboratory testing and advanced Ultrasound equipment to help us determine underlying medical causes quickly.
In case your dog is exhibiting life-threatening and/or distressing symptoms during normal business hours call us at (301) 963-0400 immediately. Our very well trained medical personnel will guide you by phone, determine your dog’s symptoms and also be ready for your arrival.
For emergencies requiring immediate medical attention, outside our hospital hours, please dial our main office line (301) 963-0400 and get instructions on how to route and refer to our trusted regional emergency partners who have 24-hour access. These facilities provide round the clock intensive care services, so that your loved one can get top notch care throughout the night, weekend or holiday.
