Regarding health matters, everyone tries to be best prepared to handle well-anticipated situations. Every responsible pet owner makes it a point to take their pets to the vet regularly and ensure they are up-to-date with all vaccinations. However, when a crisis strikes, you must act calmly and know what measures to take before medical help can be sought or you find an urgent vet in Marietta, Georgia. One such situation could be a holiday — when your local vet may be out of the office. When put in a situation like this, it is important to do the right thing to take care of your pet and be patient. With that said, here’s what you can do when your pet faces a health emergency, and your regular vet is closed.
Contact Your Vet Clinic
While your regular veterinary clinic may be closed, it might still be beneficial to try reaching out to them first. Keeping in mind emergencies, several vet clinics may be available on call or have a pre-recorded message that guides pet owners to take appropriate action based on the emergency. Some clinics may also list emergency contact numbers by calling your vet. Therefore, there is a good chance that you might find the help that you need by contacting your vet clinic.
Look Up Emergency Vet Clinics in Your Area
If you live in Marietta, Georgia, you might be able to find certain emergency vet clinics that operate outside of working hours, are open around the clock, and are functional on public holidays. It is very efficient to always have the contact numbers of emergency vet clinics such as UrgentVet and animal hospitals handy. However, if you don’t, all you need to do is look up emergency or 24-hour vet clinics near you online and visit the nearest animal hospital to ensure your pet receives the emergency care it needs.
Offer Appropriate First Aid
Keeping yourself well-informed on first-aid for pets can be extremely useful in moments of crisis. Besides knowing some basic first-aid steps, it is also a point to learn pet CPR. Cardiopulmonary resuscitation for pets can be life-saving until professional help is available. CPR is a technique that can help you ensure your pet is stable again by providing the immediate care they need. Under dire medical circumstances, such as when your pet ceases to breathe or chokes on something, you can handle the situation without panicking and save their life. Therefore, seeking CPR training for your pet is crucial to help you stay completely prepared for situations when your regular vet is temporarily unavailable.
Seek Telemedical Services
Telemedical services provided by vet clinics can come to your rescue when a pet emergency strikes. While these services may not replace seeking in-clinic vet assistance, they can be a suitable emergency aid. The key is to find a trusted telemedical service-providing vet clinic and ensure you seek medical assistance from a licensed professional to ensure your pet’s safety. You can talk to a licensed veterinarian to figure out what can be done to handle a health emergency for your pet before you visit your regular vet clinic when they’re open.
Contact the Pet Poison Helpline
If you suspect that your pet has ingested any substance that may be harmful to them, contacting the Pet Poison Helpline can be helpful. You can look up the emergency contact number online. These helplines are available 24/7 and assist around the clock. You can connect with an expert vet toxicologist who can guide you on the steps before taking your pet to the vet. These experts can also help you identify toxic substances and provide the best course of action for your pet to improve its symptoms.
Utilize Pet Insurance
If your pet is insured, the insurance can come in handy to ensure your pet receives timely care and medical help. You can see if your pet’s insurance has coverage options and emergency vet services listed. While one way to look at it is that pet insurance offers financial relief by covering emergency vet visits, another way to look at it is that it offers you access to emergency vet services. Further, several pet insurance companies cover specialist services if your pet requires special attention.
Taking care of pets is a huge responsibility. As a responsible pet owner, you should always be prepared for every scenario involving your pet’s health. It is crucial to display a preparedness for unforeseen circumstances. However, you should also visit your regular vet clinic occasionally to ensure you keep track of your pet’s health. This will allow you to identify and treat minor or major issues promptly. Additionally, keep yourself educated about aspects that go into the care of your pet and how to respond to a health emergency. Reviewing such information from time to time will help you act patiently and calmly, and you’re more likely to remember what needs to be done when your pet is faced with a health emergency.
Do yourself a big favor. Get some sort of pet insurance. Even with a high annual deductible of $1000 or so. Just one night in a 24 hour emergency animal hospital could cost well over $2000 . You don’t want to make a financial decision about care for your pet. ALSO… make sure there is no annual limit on the expenses.. many policies DO have a limit. I’m glad i got the insurance. 2 trips for a healthy 4 year old dog had 2600 in bills. im glad i got my insurance which cost me about 330 for the year.
Don’t take healthy animals to the vet, for starters. If you take good care of them, they shouldn’t ever need to see a vet. That goes for you too. But keep feeding them garbage and giving them shots and don’t be surprised. That goes for you too.