Prioritizing
Okay - given that I'm stuck home sick today, and have nothing better to do, and that this has been on my mind for a while and has become more and more of a challenge I'm facing at work, y'all get Advice From Dr. B today. Namely, When Should I Bring My Pet To The Vet?
I think this falls into the category of something it never occurred to me that I would need to explain to people, but that in retrospect seems completely reasonable. For someone who's not a trained medical professional, it can be hard to figure out what's important, what's urgent, and what's emergency. So, here goes - what should you bring your pet in for, and on what kind of time scale?
Things that don't really need to be seen:
-my dog eats poop (gross, but normal)
-there is a tick on my dog
-I pulled a tick off my dog but I think the head is still in there
-my cat has whiskers
-my cat makes a weird rumbling noise when I pet it
-my pet is in heat
You should make an appointment within the next few days to week if....
-Your pet is limping slightly (still weight-bearing)
-Your pet has diarrhea
-Your pet is losing weight
-Your pet has a change in appetite or thirst
-Your pet is coughing or sneezing
-Your pet is itchy, or has a skin rash
-You think your pet has an ear infection (shaking its head, scratching)
-You notice a significant behavior change
-Your pet smells funny (yes, this is a thing that happens, and can be a sign of health problems)
-You notice a lump or bump on your pet
You should make an appointment within 24 hours if....
Your pet is vomiting (ie, more than once)
Your pet is having diarrhea with blood
Your pet has anything wrong with its eyes (eyes are NOT something that can wait)
Your pet has a hot spot
Your pet is limping severely (not weight-bearing)
Your pet is displaying any of the signs from the "few days" category, but they're getting worse instead of better.
Your pet is urinating in the house, urinating frequently, or straining to urinate (but still passing urine)
Your pet should be seen the same day (either as an appointment or, if that's not possible, as an emergency if...
Your pet has any kind of wound. (I don't care if it doesn't look bad. I don't care if it stops bleeding. Wounds are an emergency.)
Your pet has a seizure.
Your pet is showing any signs of difficulty breathing.
Your pet ingests anything toxic.
Your pet is straining to urinate or defecate non-productively
Your pet has suffered physical trauma (hit by car/baseball bat/fell off the deck/etc - even if it seems mild, there can be non-obvious problems)
Your pet collapses and has trouble getting back up.
Your pet is showing signs of extreme weakness or paralysis
You should always bring your pet in....
Once a year for their annual checkup. I don't care if they're indoors only, I don't care if they seem fine to you. Having a healthy baseline is important for us when an animal comes in sick, so we have a point of comparison. Also, routine checkups let us detect early and mild health problems before they become serious concerns.
So - any questions? Other vets, anything I'm missing here?
I think this falls into the category of something it never occurred to me that I would need to explain to people, but that in retrospect seems completely reasonable. For someone who's not a trained medical professional, it can be hard to figure out what's important, what's urgent, and what's emergency. So, here goes - what should you bring your pet in for, and on what kind of time scale?
Things that don't really need to be seen:
-my dog eats poop (gross, but normal)
-there is a tick on my dog
-I pulled a tick off my dog but I think the head is still in there
-my cat has whiskers
-my cat makes a weird rumbling noise when I pet it
-my pet is in heat
You should make an appointment within the next few days to week if....
-Your pet is limping slightly (still weight-bearing)
-Your pet has diarrhea
-Your pet is losing weight
-Your pet has a change in appetite or thirst
-Your pet is coughing or sneezing
-Your pet is itchy, or has a skin rash
-You think your pet has an ear infection (shaking its head, scratching)
-You notice a significant behavior change
-Your pet smells funny (yes, this is a thing that happens, and can be a sign of health problems)
-You notice a lump or bump on your pet
You should make an appointment within 24 hours if....
Your pet is vomiting (ie, more than once)
Your pet is having diarrhea with blood
Your pet has anything wrong with its eyes (eyes are NOT something that can wait)
Your pet has a hot spot
Your pet is limping severely (not weight-bearing)
Your pet is displaying any of the signs from the "few days" category, but they're getting worse instead of better.
Your pet is urinating in the house, urinating frequently, or straining to urinate (but still passing urine)
Your pet should be seen the same day (either as an appointment or, if that's not possible, as an emergency if...
Your pet has any kind of wound. (I don't care if it doesn't look bad. I don't care if it stops bleeding. Wounds are an emergency.)
Your pet has a seizure.
Your pet is showing any signs of difficulty breathing.
Your pet ingests anything toxic.
Your pet is straining to urinate or defecate non-productively
Your pet has suffered physical trauma (hit by car/baseball bat/fell off the deck/etc - even if it seems mild, there can be non-obvious problems)
Your pet collapses and has trouble getting back up.
Your pet is showing signs of extreme weakness or paralysis
You should always bring your pet in....
Once a year for their annual checkup. I don't care if they're indoors only, I don't care if they seem fine to you. Having a healthy baseline is important for us when an animal comes in sick, so we have a point of comparison. Also, routine checkups let us detect early and mild health problems before they become serious concerns.
So - any questions? Other vets, anything I'm missing here?