When Should You Take Your Dog To The Vet During The Pandemic?
Veterinarians, despite a world on lockdown, are open. It comes as no surprise – any animal lover will tell you that they’re absolutely essential. However, not all vets are business as usual. Some are asking that any routine appointment be postponed while others are allowing in pets but requesting the owners remain in their cars.
Whether your local vet has several restrictions or none at all, visiting isn’t necessarily something you should do just because you can. Rather, you should weigh your personal risk, the rules effective in your state, and, most importantly, the condition of your pooch.
If your dog is suffering, in pain, or experiencing an emergency, you should not hesitate to take them in. Some of the conditions that might require this urgent action include:
Breathing issues: These may present as rapid breathing, loud or exceptionally heavy breathing, heavy abdominal breathing, neck extension while breathing, or shallow breathing where it appears that the dog can’t catch its breath.
Mobility issues: Some mobility issues might be easily explained. An arthritic dog, for instance, might be more rigid than usual if they’re being walked more often or let out in the yard to run. Other mobility issues are emergencies, including marked weakness or collapse, walking as if drunk, acting disoriented, shaking uncontrollably, or a continuous restlessness where the dog appears unable to get comfortable.
Prolonged vomiting or diarrhea: While dogs are prone to GI upset, particularly if they eat things they shouldn’t, anything that continues puts them at risk for dehydration, ultimately requiring medical intervention. An extended abdomen or diarrhea that is bloody typically requires quicker action and a wait-and-see-approach might be risky. If you suspect that they got into a toxin, such as rat poison, the situation also becomes
more urgent.
Bleeding: In people, bleeding isn’t always serious – we don’t call the doctor for a paper cut or when we nick ourselves shaving. In dogs, this is true as well – minor wounds can be taken care of at home. Wounds that are gaping or spurting require a vet visit, especially puncture wounds in the neck, abdomen, or chest. If the dog experienced trauma (such as falling out of a car window), go to the puppy ER.
Repeated crying: Though dogs get excited about walks or whine at squirrels romping across the yard, they’re not prone to crying unless there is a reason. A crying dog is a dog that’s trying to communicate with you. Since it doesn’t have the capacity to tell you its stomach is hurt or its back leg is painful, a vet must translate. If you can’t find a reasonable explanation for their discomfort (such as a thorn in their paw), bring them in. Even if the underlying issue isn’t serious, you don’t want your furry friend to ever be in pain.
A good rule of thumb as a dog owner is if you think it requires veterinary care, it probably does. Even with a pandemic, our precious pets never stop needing our attention.
JJ Keeler lives in Colorado with a house full of pets. She owns three dogs, two cats, and a hamster she bought as a bribe to get her daughter to ride the school bus. She has a BA in English Literature from the University of Colorado and has worked as a professional writer for fifteen years. Her clothes are perpetually covered in pet hair.
