When you bring a pet home, you’re bringing home a new family member. Your pet will provide years of joy and friendship if it’s cared for properly. Choosing a vet is an important decision for a pet owner. According to the World Animal Foundation, there are currently more than 49,000 vets working in the United States. When it’s time to choose a vet, you need to consider a lot of factors such as the different types of services they provide. One service you should look for in quality veterinarians is emergency services. Let’s look at why this service is so important.

1. Extreme Illnesses

It’s not uncommon for a pet to vomit occasionally, but when vomiting is excessive or your pet seems to be in distress, you need veterinarian intervention. This also applies to excessive diarrhea. These types of emergency digestive issues can be an indicator of a serious underlying problem such as poisoning, foreign objects lodged in the GI tract, parasites, kidney or liver disease, or other conditions. If your pet can’t stop throwing up, you need to visit an emergency veterinarian.

2. Toxic Substances

There are many substances that are toxic to animals but not to people. When pet owners aren’t fully aware of what substances should be avoided, your pet could accidentally ingest one of these substances. Even if you are aware of what to stay away from and you try to protect your animal from these items, ingestion can still happen by accident.

If a pet ingests a toxic substance, it will need immediate medical help from veterinarians. This is why it’s a good idea to have an emergency vet on call. This could be the difference between life and death for a pet. If you can get your pet to the vet quickly enough, you should be able to get the toxic substance pumped out of their stomach before it does any harm.

3. Traumatic Injuries/Car Accidents

Another instance in which you’ll need emergency services will be if your pet has a traumatic injury or is hit by a car. As troubling as it is, it’s not uncommon for pets to get hit by vehicles. When this happens, time is of the essence. You need to get your pet to an emergency vet quickly. Many pets can be saved if they receive treatment quickly enough.

These are just a few examples of times you’ll need an emergency vet. If you’re looking for veterinarians locally who provide emergency services, please call West Toledo Animal Hospital today. We look forward to helping you!