By Carrie Hyde | July 23, 2022
Across the country, numerous industries are experiencing staff and labor shortages. One area that has not gone unaffected by these shortages is the veterinary care industry.
Short staffing, illness, and an increase in pets finding homes during the pandemic have led to a pet care crisis. Many pet owners are finding it nearly impossible to schedule an appointment for their pet within a month of calling. Those suffering more urgent needs are often faced with the undesirable option of heading to the local emergency vet where the cost of care is two to three times that of the already inflated costs of traditional vet care.
This crisis has led many owners to have to make the tough decision to pay exorbitant bills, drive long distances to find a vet with availability, or skip the visit altogether. When those are your only choices, it’s good to know if your pet is truly in need of vet intervention or not.
Below we’ll outline some of the most common issues pet owners schedule vet appointments for and help you determine if a vet visit is truly necessary. We’ll also give you some helpful tips for things you can do during those minor ailments to help your pet feel better without expert intervention.
Distinguishing an Emergency from a Non-Critical Health Crises
There are things that pets experience that are obvious emergencies. But the vast majority of vet visits are scheduled for ailments, injuries, and illnesses that may get better on their own. Being able to identify the difference between an emergency that needs immediate intervention, an issue that needs vet help at some point, and a problem that can be dealt with at home, can save you a lot of time and money.
Here are some of the most common problems that bring pets to the vet and the signs to look for to determine if a visit is worth pursuing.
Temperature
Both dogs and cats have higher normal body temperatures than humans. Dogs’ temperatures should sit between 101 and 102.5. Cats have a slightly wider range of 100.5 and 102.5.
Any temperature over 103 in cats and dogs is considered a fever. However, just like with people, having a fever is not an emergent condition in and of itself. As long as your pet’s temperature stays below 106 and there are no other emergent symptoms, then your pet is likely fine to stay home.
Continue to monitor your pet over the next few days. You can use cold, wet rags on their ear flaps, paws, and belly to help decrease their body temperature. Fans and lots of fresh, cold water to drink will also help.
If your dog or cat still has a fever after 3 days or their fever worsens or additional symptoms develop, then it’s time to talk to a veterinarian.
Gastrointestinal Symptoms
The most common reasons dogs are brought to the vet are diarrhea and vomiting. Understanding if your pet’s gastrointestinal upset represents an emergency requires taking stalk of their behavior and other symptoms.
If your pet is acting normal, that is a good sign they’re just experiencing some minor stomach upset. If their stool and/or vomit is free from blood, foreign objects, and free of unnatural colors, that’s another great sign.
If your pet has been experiencing frequent diarrhea for a day or two, you may notice some streaks of red in the stool. This is likely just from irritation caused by the frequency of going and doesn’t represent an emergency.
On the other hand, if your pet’s diarrhea or vomiting is accompanied by a sudden mood change such as lethargy, hyperactivity, trembling, or pain, then get them to the vet right away.
Other signs your pet may need to see a professional include vomiting or diarrhea that does not improve after two or three days, black coloring (dried blood) in the stool or red blood in vomit, and sunken eyes or other signs of dehydration.
Mobility Issues
When your pet starts showing mobility issues, such as limping, stiffness, and range of motion problems, but you didn’t see what caused the injury, it can be tough to know if you should take them to the vet. Luckily, doing a quick exam can usually help you decide.
Start by gently feeling the area in question. Swelling or noticeable heat in areas can indicate inflammation or pooling blood. If you see this, it is important to keep an eye on your pet’s behavior and to check their gums for signs of shock. If their gums are pale or they become listless, you could have a bad internal injury on your hands, in which case, get them to the vet right away.
If they seem otherwise okay, continue your exam by gently putting pressure on the area or flexing and straightening the associated joints. Any mild to moderate reaction from your pet likely indicates a minor strain, sprain, or bruise. Watch your pet carefully over the next few days to see if they improve.
Major pain reactions indicate a more serious injury. Or a more sensitive patient. Only you will be able to make the call on which is more likely.
Mobility issues that come with no pain or affect more than one limb, may indicate a spine or neck injury. Or possibly, a neurological problem. Because worst-case scenarios in this realm can cause long-term damage, it’s best to get your pet to a vet if you suspect the spinal cord or brain is involved.
Seizures
Seizures are one of those things that often look a lot more serious than they are. At least, that’s the case if your pet experiences a short seizure that lasts less than four minutes and they act normal once they have recovered.
These types of seizures are known as idiopathic seizures and can strike any pet at any time. If your pet begins to have these seizures more often, they will likely be diagnosed with some form of epilepsy. Even with this diagnosis, as long as these seizures happen infrequently, your vet isn’t likely to recommend medications or in-depth testing.
Once your pet has come out of the seizure, check their gums for signs of shock, check their temperature for high fever, and keep a close eye on their behavior. You should also check your home for vomit and make sure they didn’t get into anything that could be poisonous. Assuming they are acting fine and have no other symptoms, an immediate trip to the vet is likely unnecessary.
If, on the other hand, the seizure is accompanied by vomiting, behavior change, fever, or other symptoms, get your dog to the vet right away. In these cases, the seizure is often a symptom of a more emergent problem.
Similarly, if the seizure lasts more than four minutes, if your dog has more than one seizure in a row, or if they are not returning to normal after the seizure, they need to be seen by a vet immediately.
Wounds
If your pet gets injured or gets into a fight and comes away with wounds, you should do a thorough evaluation of the wound before throwing your pet in the car to take them to the vet.
Surface-level wounds are those that break the skin but do not break the body wall. These wounds, whether caused by sharp objects or teeth, are not overly prone to infection assuming they are cleaned well initially. They’re also very unlikely to need stitches. Going to the vet for wounds like this is generally a waste of money.
Deeper wounds that do penetrate the body wall, whether a deep puncture or large laceration, are much more prone to infection. These will benefit from being cleaned out by a professional and may even require antibiotics.
This is also true of wounds that don’t penetrate the body wall but are severe enough to form a deep pocket under the skin.
Of course, any wound that won’t stop bleeding, exposes bone, or involves a burn, should also be looked at by a vet.
Infections
The second most common reason dogs end up at the vet is for ear infections. While these infections can get quite painful and nasty, in their initial phase they are very manageable at home. However, if you have waited to address your pet’s ear infection for some time, or your home methods aren’t working, a vet visit is best to avoid long-term hearing damage.
Other common easily identifiable infections seen at the vet include skin infections, hot spots, and foreign objects.
Some skin infections, such as sarcoptic mange, require medication to treat. Other types of mites and parasites, like fleas, can be taken care of at home. Hot spots are another common skin ailment that rarely requires vet intervention and can be treated from home.
Foreign object infections, such as embedded splinters, stickers, and grass seeds, can generally be treated at home. But do be aware that small sharp objects, like grass seeds, have been known to travel deep into the body and cause severe infection over time. If you suspect your pet has an embedded foreign object that you can’t get out, have them seen by a vet.
Caring for Your Pet at Home
Just because your pet’s condition doesn’t require immediate vet care doesn’t mean you won’t need to care for them. In fact, by taking steps to help your pet heal, you can often prevent their condition from getting to a point where vet care is needed at all.
Diarrhea and Vomiting
Diarrhea can often be traced back to stress or eating something the pet shouldn’t have. When this happens, the best thing you can do for your pet is restrict what goes into their belly so the gut has time to recover.
Start by skipping their next meal to give the stomach a chance to empty. Still provide plenty of fresh water to drink. For the following meal, feed something bland and in a portion that’s about half their normal meal. Boiled turkey, banana, and bone broth work especially well. For the third meal, mix some of this bland offering in with a bit of their normal food. Slowly increase the ratio of normal food until they are off the bland diet completely without signs of gastric upset.
The same process can also be used to soothe the stomach after a bout of vomiting. But do be aware that many dogs will throw up bile if their stomach gets too empty. If your dog is puking up only bile and the symptoms start long after they’ve last eaten, try offering them some of their regular food first to see if that settles their stomach.
Limping and Soreness
Just as in humans, it can take some time for your pet to get over a muscle or joint injury. To help them recover more quickly, you can do many of the same things you would for a person.
Apply an ice pack to reduce swelling or a heating pad to help with stiffness. Once the injury is starting to heal, some gentle stretching can help, as well.
Initially, one of the most helpful things you can do is give your pet an anti-inflammatory to reduce inflammation and pain. There are many safe over-the-counter anti-inflammatories but please check with your vet before administering any medications. Some of my favorites are Comfort aches by Herbsmith and DGP by American Biosciences.
If you don’t have any of these around from a previous vet visit, then aspirin is a safe alternative for dogs when used for a short time. Look for pet-specific aspirin sold at pet supply stores or use uncoated baby aspirin at a dose of 5 to 10mg per pound every 12 hours.
Cats are much more sensitive to drugs than dogs and should only be given NSAIDs prescribed by their veterinarian.
Minor Wounds
Minor punctures, scrapes, and cuts can easily be cared for at home. The most important thing to do is to clean the area as soon as you notice the injury.
The easiest way to do this is to use warm soapy water and a clean dish rag. Once you have cleaned the area, flush it with cold water. For punctures and wounds that aren’t entirely open, use a bottle of saline to flush any pockets or flaps before cleaning with soap and water.
This initial cleaning will go a long way to preventing infection, especially if you’re careful to get all the debris out of the wound. Once clean, most wounds do best when left without anything over them so they can dry and begin to heal. But if your dog is constantly chewing or bugging the area, it may be worth using a cone or a wrap for a few days.
If you do use a wrap, be sure to change the bandages every day to keep the area clean.
Ear and Skin Infections
Ear infections are very common in dogs and rarely require the antibiotic treatments most vets so readily hand out. Many can be treated at home with a number of effective natural solutions.
One of the best ways to treat ear infections is to make a mixture of mullein and garlic oil at a three-to-one ratio. Place a few drops of the mixture into the ear canal then massage the area daily until symptoms subside.
The next best remedy is to create a half-water, half-apple cider vinegar solution. Pour the solution on a cotton ball and press it into the dog’s ear canal. Massage the ear, then remove the cotton ball. Repeat until the cotton ball comes out clean. Do this daily until symptoms subside.
You can learn about more effective home remedies for ear infections and how to prevent them from happening in this article.
Another common infection you can care for at home is a hot spot.
These inflamed, irritated patches of skin are a product of skin overreactions more so than infections, but they can become infected if not properly cared for.
One great way to care for hot spots at home is to make a tea rinse using black, echinacea, and/or calendula teas. Dab this rinse onto the spot multiple times per day to relieve inflammation and prevent infection. Another great way to care for your pet’s hotspot is a brand called Honeycure, a great all natural ointment you can apply directly on the infected area. Once the spot begins to dry, use apple cider vinegar and a cotton ball to dab the area twice a day until healed.
Like ear infections, hot spots can be prevented if you can identify the cause. This article has some great information on what causes hot spots and more natural remedies you can use to cure them at home.
Options for Getting Your Pet to the Vet
If your pet does need to get to the vet and your provider is experiencing scheduling delays due to one issue or another, you do have some options beyond waiting or driving to the next town to find availability. Depending on the urgency of your pet’s situation, one of the below options may work.
Day of Appointments
Just like doctors’ offices, many vets leave a few select appointment slots open to be scheduled the day of. If you call in the afternoon and your vet informs you they are booked out for the next few days or weeks, ask them if they have “day-of” appointments blocked out for the next day.
If they do, you should be able to call first thing the next morning to snag one of those open slots. If they don’t, call around to other care facilities in town to see if this is an option in their clinic.
This option works well for issues that require vet attention but aren’t urgent.
Urgent Care
Most vet practices will allow emergencies to come in at any time during normal business hours. These are typically referred to as urgent care appointments and take precedence over scheduled appointments happening at the same time. But they are only afforded to pets who require urgent treatment.
Some vets will charge extra for urgent care appointments, and some won’t.
Emergency Care
A select few vet clinics in each region usually offer emergency care after hours. If your pet experiences an emergency overnight or on the weekend, this is often your only choice for getting care.
Because this is a specialty service, you can expect to pay an emergency fee on top of the cost of treatment. But if your furry friend needs care immediately and there aren’t any traditional clinics open, this is your only option.
Don’t Wait Until an Emergency to Find Better Care
If you have a pet, it is best to plan ahead when it comes to vet care. Not only should you know where your nearest urgent and emergency care clinics are, but you should also take note of any scheduling delays for your primary vet.
If you go to schedule a standard check-up and are faced only with options that are weeks out, that’s a good sign your vet may not be there for you when you have a more emergent situation. If this is the case, it may be worth seeking out a different practice to take your pet to.
While many vets are suffering from understaffing issues, those with smaller customer loads or that are new to the area may be less busy and therefore better able to accommodate the needs of you and your pet in a timely fashion.
By Carrie Hyde, The Spaw Pet Life Coach | July 23, 2022 | Written for The Spaw by Sara Seitz, Professional Freelance Writer and Novelist with Pen and Post
Carrie Hyde is the founder, owner, and Pet Life Coach of The Spaw in Tustin, CA. Carrie’s extensive experience and understanding of pet nutrition and coaching enabled her to create The Spawdcast, a podcast dedicated to educating pet parents and pet industry professionals on ALL the options available to their pets. Her mission is to open pet-owner’s eyes to the questions they may not even know to ask, to shine a light on the many myths that have been part of pet care for decades, and to offer whole solutions for their pets. Carrie Hyde is a certified pet nutritionist with the goal of helping pet parents & pet professionals with a new understanding of how to care for pets in a “whole and natural” way.
