When you own a pet, it’s important to be aware of the signs of a health emergency so you can get them to a veterinary hospital as early as possible. Occasional vomiting or diarrhea isn’t typically an emergency, but there are times when it indicates a more serious health problem. Take a look at these situations in which vomiting and diarrhea are an emergency.
Blood in Your Pet’s Stool
When your pet has bloody stool or bloody discharge, or is vomiting up blood, it is a veterinary emergency. You should take your pet to the nearest veterinary hospital right away. Your pet could have a viral or bacterial infection, damage to their intestinal tract or colon, parvovirus, gastroenteritis, or cancer.
Straining & Watery Diarrhea
If your pet is having a hard time making a bowel movement and can only manage to pass small amounts of watery diarrhea, they might have an intestinal blockage. This is a serious medical problem, and you should take your pet to an emergency veterinary hospital immediately.
Symptoms That Last Longer Than 24 Hours
If your pet has multiple incidences of vomiting or diarrhea that last longer than 24 hours, they might be suffering from a medical emergency. If your pet has no other symptoms, you can visit your regular veterinarian. If your pet is showing other symptoms, you should take them to the emergency veterinarian.
Additional Troubling Symptoms
If your pet has other symptoms along with diarrhea and/or vomiting, they may have a serious illness, infection, or medical condition. Certain symptoms may indicate poisoning, toxicity, parasites, cancer, or disease. Watch out for these symptoms and if your pet has them along with vomiting or diarrhea, take them to a veterinary hospital right away:
- Unusual amounts of drool.
- No appetite.
- Symptoms of dehydration.
- Extreme weakness
Keep the phone number for the closest emergency veterinarian in your phone or posted on your refrigerator so everyone in your household has access to it. Call your veterinarian if your pet is ill and you aren’t sure if it’s an emergency.
