Prioritizing

[ladysprite]

Okay - given that I'm stuck home sick today, and have nothing better to do, and that this has been on my mind for a while and has become more and more of a challenge I'm facing at work, y'all get Advice From Dr. B today. Namely, When Should I Bring My Pet To The Vet?

I think this falls into the category of something it never occurred to me that I would need to explain to people, but that in retrospect seems completely reasonable. For someone who's not a trained medical professional, it can be hard to figure out what's important, what's urgent, and what's emergency. So, here goes - what should you bring your pet in for, and on what kind of time scale?



Things that don't really need to be seen:
-my dog eats poop (gross, but normal)
-there is a tick on my dog
-I pulled a tick off my dog but I think the head is still in there
-my cat has whiskers
-my cat makes a weird rumbling noise when I pet it
-my pet is in heat

You should make an appointment within the next few days to week if....
-Your pet is limping slightly (still weight-bearing)
-Your pet has diarrhea
-Your pet is losing weight
-Your pet has a change in appetite or thirst
-Your pet is coughing or sneezing
-Your pet is itchy, or has a skin rash
-You think your pet has an ear infection (shaking its head, scratching)
-You notice a significant behavior change
-Your pet smells funny (yes, this is a thing that happens, and can be a sign of health problems)
-You notice a lump or bump on your pet

You should make an appointment within 24 hours if....
Your pet is vomiting (ie, more than once)
Your pet is having diarrhea with blood
Your pet has anything wrong with its eyes (eyes are NOT something that can wait)
Your pet has a hot spot
Your pet is limping severely (not weight-bearing)
Your pet is displaying any of the signs from the "few days" category, but they're getting worse instead of better.
Your pet is urinating in the house, urinating frequently, or straining to urinate (but still passing urine)

Your pet should be seen the same day (either as an appointment or, if that's not possible, as an emergency if...
Your pet has any kind of wound. (I don't care if it doesn't look bad. I don't care if it stops bleeding. Wounds are an emergency.)
Your pet has a seizure.
Your pet is showing any signs of difficulty breathing.
Your pet ingests anything toxic.
Your pet is straining to urinate or defecate non-productively
Your pet has suffered physical trauma (hit by car/baseball bat/fell off the deck/etc - even if it seems mild, there can be non-obvious problems)
Your pet collapses and has trouble getting back up.
Your pet is showing signs of extreme weakness or paralysis

You should always bring your pet in....
Once a year for their annual checkup. I don't care if they're indoors only, I don't care if they seem fine to you. Having a healthy baseline is important for us when an animal comes in sick, so we have a point of comparison. Also, routine checkups let us detect early and mild health problems before they become serious concerns.

So - any questions? Other vets, anything I'm missing here?

Comments

[dreda.livejournal.com]

This is an excellent list, and I confess I am still going back to the top where it says "my cat makes a weird rumbling noise when I pet it."

I would have to *live* in the vet's office. ;)

[ladysprite.livejournal.com]

For serious, someone once brought their pet in for that. It was the same person with the 'my cat has these weird whiskery things on its face' concern.

[dreda.livejournal.com]

I think the world is a very magical place for some people...

[vettecat.livejournal.com]

Words fail me...

[rickvs.livejournal.com]

That whole first section, the voice in my head reading it was Boo from _Monsters, Inc._

[spiritdancer]

I've actually bring a cat in for that. At the emergency clinic where I was working *facepalm* (IIRC, it was around 11 pm, to boot)

[mermaidlady]

Thanks! You've reminded me to remind new_man that it's time for Albert's annual checkup.

[kittyblue.livejournal.com]

This is helpful. Thank you! Our dogs have a myriad list of issues (Pekes - eye problems, breathing problems, etc) and I think we spend more on them now (they're getting old and have regular appointments with specialty vets) than ever. We're probably more lax at this point about some things, like the vomiting*, but... :P

* One of them gets wound up easily and has trouble breathing, which is a *delightful* combination if she's just eaten, so it's not really a red flag until it happens more than twice in a day.

Also, the 'my cat makes a rumbly noise' is HILARIOUS.

[vettecat.livejournal.com]

Thanks for the great public service announcement!

[corwyn-ap.livejournal.com]

We brought our cat in (same day) because he asked to go out, and instead lay down on the threshold, panting. Not sure if that fits in the 'trouble breathing' category or 'behavior changes' category. I think we did the right thing as he ended up having a urinary tract infection.

Thanks for doing this. it is very helpful. Do yo offer your clients 'pet 101'? Not knowing about purring would seem to indicate a need.

[spiritdancer]

There are two things I'd consider moving from "make an appointment within 24 hours" to "be seen now", but they would depend on the exact situation: the eyes, and the urination problems.

Actually, on consideration, I'd suggest changing "make an appointment" to "call your vet to schedule a visit" or "have your vet see your pet within (x)", as I can (sadly) think of owners who would look at this list and interpret "make an appointment" as wait the (x) time and call _then_. Much the same reason my rx labels say "give every (x) hours" instead of "give (x) times per day"

Yes, people are strange and complicated. Pets are MUCH easier, generally!

(and I seem to have an expired set of phone numbers for you. Drop me a note?)

[dagibbs.livejournal.com]

On the vomiting one -- cats hack up hairballs. As far as I understand, this is a normal and healthy thing for cats (if annoying and disgusting for cat owners), but not reason for a vet visit.

[ladysprite.livejournal.com]

Hacking up a hairball is not the same as vomiting - not even close.

Hairball = wad of hair. Vomiting = food. If it's food, it's not a hairball. That's also why I specified more than once.

Also, not all cats have hairballs. Also also? While the occasional hairball can be within the range of normal, continued or frequent hairballs aren't - they can be a sign of serious illness.

One of the most toxic and damaging memes I need to fight as a veterinarian is that "cats just puke, and it's just normal." It's no more normal for a cat to vomit on a regular basis than it is for a human, and it bugs the heck out of me that people believe that it is.

[dagibbs.livejournal.com]

I was just thinking that the people who think purring is a problem probably can't distinguish normal (hairball) activity from see-the-vet vomiting activity.

[asdr83.livejournal.com]

yes. i agree with you SOOOOOOO much.

[johnpalmer.livejournal.com]

Heh. In the "Cat 101" series, I've also learned that cats can throw up hairballs that look like feces. I was surprised to find that wad of cat poop was "made up of individual fibers that could easily be mistaken for cat hair... oh, I'm an idiot, aren't I?"

[blaisepascal]

For "my pet is in heat", that seems to me to be a perfectly reasonable cause for making an appointment. Or is there nothing to be done until she is no longer in heat?

[ladysprite.livejournal.com]

What in goodness's name am I supposed to do for a pet that's in heat - provide a male escort service?

If you're asking about spaying them, spaying an animal in heat is incredibly more complex and dangerous than waiting a week or so until they're out of heat. When an animal is in heat, the uterus is enlarged and inflamed, and the blood flow is more than doubled. So the surgery is messier, more complicated, involves a lot more blood loss, and a much higher risk of internal bleeding, plus a lot more postop pain and extended recovery.

Wait a week, keep her indoors, and keep her alive and healthy. Or, better yet, spay her before her first heat. :)

[blaisepascal]

OK, so immediate spaying is out. I didn't know if that was the case.

I felt that, at the very least, the pet being in heat would be a good reminder that she needed to be spayed, and calling the vet to set that up would be a good idea.

Of course, if you've never had a cat or dog in heat before, it would fall into the "you notice a significant change in behavior" category. It's been decades since I've been around cats in heat, but it might also fall into the "your pet smell funny" category.

[ladysprite.livejournal.com]

Yes, having your pet spayed is a good idea. What I meant was that being in heat does not, in and of itself, necessitate a medical exam.

[shirebound]

This is a great list. Thank you, and thanks to browngirl for the link.

Hope you're feeling better soon.

[asdr83.livejournal.com]

Anything in the first 2 categories that starts within 48 hours of the vet office being closed for a few days automatically gets an uptick in priority. Schedule the appointment, if it goes away and you cancel your Saturday at 1pm slot it will be filled or you Dr. will be happy to get a bit of down time. Calling at noon on Saturday for a same day appointment because your pet has had diarrhea for 3 days will not earn you any friends.


Also I got really confused at first when you called this list "Dr. B's" :)

[droewyn.livejournal.com]

Vienna fell out of a second story window when she was a kitten. She rolled over while curled up on the sill and the screen popped out.

We managed to get a vet appointment within the hour. She was totally fine, other than small scrape on her nose. We kind of figured she was, since when Brett and I ran downstairs and went looking for her she was already taking the opportunity to explore the yard, but it was a relief to find out for sure!