Pet Emergency Services
in New Orleans, LA

If your pet is having an emergency, please call us now. Emergency care is available after hours, on weekends and holidays. Please call ahead to let us know you’re on the way.

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Avenue Animal Wellness - pet emergency

Pet Emergency Services

Are you prepared for a pet emergency? Like people, pets can experience accidents and injuries requiring emergency care. However, sometimes it may be challenging to determine if your pet is experiencing a trauma that warrants a visit to urgent care or if their symptoms are those of something less serious. If you are unsure whether your pet requires veterinary trauma services in New Orleans, here are the most common reasons to seek emergency care for pets:

Breathing Problems
Watching your pet struggle to breathe can be terrifying for both you and your pet. If your pet has difficulty breathing, something is going on, which can be classified as an emergency. Breathing problems can be caused by a wide range of things, such as heart failure, an allergic reaction, a blockage in the lung, and a variety of other serious problems. In this situation, you should seek emergency pet services immediately.
Seizures
If your pet has had seizures in the past or has just had their first seizure, you need to take them to an animal hospital for emergency veterinary services as quickly as possible. Seizures occur as a result of abnormal electrical activity in the brain. Seizures can sometimes be isolated, whereas other times, they occur in groups, but either way, several things may cause your pet to have seizures, so you must seek medical attention for them as soon as possible.
Trauma
There are many types of trauma that your pet can experience. If your pet has experienced any strike or blow, such as being hit by a car, that causes injury or damage to any part of their body, they should be seen by a veterinarian as soon as possible. If you aren’t sure how to transport your pet to the animal hospital following trauma or if you have questions about what to do during transportation, such as covering a wound or bracing a broken bone, contact your veterinarian for recommendations while you are in route or just before going to the emergency room.

Suppose you notice your pet acting differently or exhibiting strange behaviors, such as withdrawing from you or suddenly fatigued. In that case, you must take them for an examination as soon as possible. Many injuries and illnesses will not show symptoms immediately, such as if your pet has eaten something toxic. The safest thing to do is take them in for an exam at the first sign of anything different in their behavior.

Foreign Body
Pets eat the weirdest things. Unfortunately, these things often cause obstructions (blockages) in the intestinal tract. When this occurs, it is life-threatening, and emergency care should be sought right away. Common symptoms include (but are not limited to): acute vomiting, straining to defecate, lethargy, and loss of appetite.
Urinary Emergency
Bladder stones, kidney stones, internal lesions, and other obstacles in the urinary tract may cause dangerous urinary blockages, causing toxins to build up in the blood. Catheterization to remove the blockage, combined with fluids to dilute the toxins, can save your pet’s life.

What to do in an emergency?

Step 1: Remain Calm. This may be a scary, stressful, or painful event. To help your pet, please remain calm.

Step 2: Be Safe. If your pet is in pain, it may be scared and lash out. During a seizure or certain toxicities, your pet may bite without meaning to. Please get your pet to a safe location (off the couch, away from stairs, away from the pool). Do not put your hand or anything else near the mouth, and be careful to prevent injury when helping your pet. Large dogs can be placed on a blanket to be moved safely.

Step 3: Contact Help. Call us anytime for assistance or contact one of the facilities listed above, depending on your location.

Step 4: Do not give any medications unless directed by a veterinary professional.

Step 5: Bring your pet’s records. If it is reasonable to take the time to do so and have them at hand, bring any relevant records, including vaccine history, with you.

Step 6: Be prepared to wait. Emergency hospitals may have long wait times depending on what other critical cases are handled simultaneously. Please be patient with our staff and communicate your pet’s status if it changes.