The Top 5 Cases We See At Our ER Hospital

Our veterinary emergency hospital sees many interesting and heartbreaking cases. We see animals who come in unconscious and non-responsive and animals who simply have an ear infection. Our doctors are super quick on their feet and are ready for any emergency. Some of the most popular cases we see at Evolution Vet are: 

1. Lacerations

We are constantly seeing dogs that have cut themselves on something. Usually, the paws or legs have been cut, but just last week a doodle was impaled just through the skin layer with a giant splinter 8 inches long. We do see cats for laceration repairs but not nearly as often. Cat lacerations are normally found on outdoor cats that may have gotten into a fight with another animal outside. The best thing to prevent a cut is to carefully monitor your animal: do not let them outside off-leash unattended. Dog booties may also be helpful for extremely athletic dogs who injury their paws often. 

2. Vomiting & Diarrhea 

Many dogs and cats present with vomiting and diarrhea due to their general vet being closed, no appointments available, or initial treatments haven’t worked. It is important for us to run diagnostics, in this case, to narrow down the issue. Getting a history is also important to make sure they didn’t eat something they weren’t supposed to or recently have a change in food. Supportive care such as fluids and anti-nausea medication helps many times in cases where there isn’t an obvious answer after diagnostics. 

3. Respiratory Distress

These are the scary ones. Some come in limp and some come in gasping for air. But respiratory distress is very serious and the most severe triage, we drop everything and focus on keeping this animal alive. Our team is amazing at CPR and they coordinate all the necessary vitals very well. Many times these patients will have to stay in our oxygen cages where they can finally catch their breath and relax. One way to catch this issue early is to regularly check their respiratory rate. Count how many times your pet breathes in 1 minute and compare when they may be in distress. Many times it is obvious and you will need to bring them in straight away, so make sure to call our team beforehand so we can be as prepared as possible for this emergency. 

4. Foreign Bodies

It usually starts off with “My dog ate…”, not often do we get a cat that ate something they weren’t supposed to. Foreign bodies could be anything from toxins to diapers to string. We have a list of things each week that usually are documented on social media! The best way to prevent this hefty vet bill is to keep things out of reach that they might be interested in. Don’t leave them alone if you know they are destructive or have pica. Kennel train your dogs and create a cat room for your cat. Find alternatives to rat poison and keep marijuana in a closed drawer or container away from ALL pets. 

5. Urethral Blockages 

Cats are notorious for getting blocked and it is male cats 99% of the time. This could be due to stones/crystals in their urinary tracks or stress and cystitis/urethral swelling. Dogs may also have this issue, but we see far too many cats with this problem. This is why it is very important to track your feline’s litter box habits. If you don’t see urine in the box after a couple of days, urine outside the box, see blood, or catch your cat straining, it is time to come in for sure. But, cats are hard to catch in the act, and many times they have been blocked for days before they see us!

Always prepare for an emergency by saving up for funds and having pet insurance. Many cover issues that are not pre-existing problems! If you need to give us a call, please reach out to our team at (720) 510-7707.