At Anne Arundel Veterinary Emergency Clinic, we want to make sure your pet is living its best and healthiest life, so we have provided this page to help you decide when it's time to take your pet to the vet.

Pet Emergencies that require immediate veterinary care:

• Difficulty breathing

• Bleeding from any part of the body that does not stop

• Bloated, distended, swollen or painful abdomen

• Major trauma, such as falls, hit by car, large wounds or broken bones

• Lacerations, such as bite wounds and penetrating wounds anywhere on the body (but especially if they are in the chest or abdomen)

• Collapse or loss of consciousness

• Ingestion of poison or foreign materials

• Prolonged vomiting or diarrhea (especially in young pets)

• Seizure activity

• Staggering, stumbling, head-tilting, sudden blindness

• Lameness or non-weight bearing on any limb

• Inflammation, swelling or other irritation to the eye(s)

• Severe hives or severe itching

• Inability to deliver puppies or kittens

• Inability to urinate or defecate

• Loss of balance or consciousness

• Pain

• Rapid heartbeat or breathing rate

• Dilated pupils

• Vomiting or diarrhea with blood or violent episodes