Skip NavigationSkip to Primary Content
How to Tell if Your Pet is Having an Emergency
Not all pet injuries and illnesses require immediate medical attention. However, if your pet is experiencing any one of the below pet health emergency symptoms, please call or visit our animal hospital right away:
Not breathing or visibly struggling to breathe
Unresponsive or unable to rouse
Obvious broken bone
A visible, deep, open wound with excessive bleeding or visible bone
Anaphylactic shock
Heatstroke
Unable to get up after collapsing
Gums or tongue are either bright red or blue
Bite or sting from a venomous snake or insect or that is causing a severe reaction
Bite from a stray animal or any animal whose vaccination history is unknown
Sudden paralysis of the back legs, particularly in cats
Seizures that last longer than a couple of minutes or multiple seizures in a row, or the first seizure in your pet
This list is not exhaustive and does not cover all possible emergency symptoms. If you have questions about your pet’s symptoms or are concerned that they may be experiencing an emergency, please call us at (561) 691-9999. The emergency care team at Pet Emergency & Referral Center is available to assist you 24/7. We have a team of emergency veterinarians on staff to make sure your pet gets the best possible critical care in Palm Beach Garden, FL.
What to do in a Pet Emergency
If your pet is currently experiencing an emergency, follow these steps to keep your pet safe and give them the best possible chance at a full recovery:
Remain as calm as possible. If you panic, you may forget something or even cause your pet to feel more stressed and scared than they probably already are.
If your pet is in an unsafe location, such as on the road or near a dangerous animal, carefully move them to a safe spot. Try not to move your pet more than is absolutely necessary, as too much movement may worsen their injuries.
Contact us at (561) 691-9999 right away. Let us know what is going on with your pet so that we know what to expect when you arrive.
Load your pet into your vehicle as carefully as possible. If necessary, use towels as a makeshift stretcher. Animals in severe pain may become aggressive, so you may need to loosely drape a soft cloth over your pet’s eyes to help them calm down.
Drive quickly and carefully to us and follow all instructions upon arrival.
When in doubt, take your pet straight to the emergency vet. We can help you assess the situation and make sure that your pet gets the care they need.
Pet Emergency & Referral Center is open 24 hours every day of the year and offers full emergency medical and surgical services all of the time. We have everything needed for any emergency situation that your pet requires. We have a full hospital for 24-hour advanced medical care that is always staffed with knowledgeable medical personnel. While we do not offer preventative care such as vaccines or dental services on an emergency basis, there is no problem too big or too small for us to handle. Therefore, even if you are not sure if your pet's illness or injury constitutes an emergency, call us or come in and we can help.
An important note regarding primary and general care: We do not offer routine preventative care services such as boarding, vaccines, long-term flea and tick prevention, health certificates, microchipping, neutering, spaying, etc. Think of us as the veterinary equivalent of an emergency room or urgent care center. We are here for those deep cuts, tummy aches, and ear infections that just can't wait for your vet to open, as well as the very serious illnesses and injuries that are life-threatening.
