Staff of BAH Blog
Blog Series: Medical Emergencies for Pets
PT 2: Trauma and Shock
Euraysia Duhaime: BA, Veterinary Assistant BAH
“Be honest and be kind.”
Pets are prone to a wide variety of illnesses, and it can be difficult to sort out which symptoms are emergencies. I’ve written a series of short blogs to help you determine when your fur-baby needs immediate medical attention. Today, we’re discussing trauma and shock.
Trauma encompasses a wide range of injuries. Common trauma cases include traffic accidents (Hit By Car), falls, bites, gunshot wounds, etc. Dogs and cats can be very quick and curious; despite our best efforts sometimes these incidents happen even when we’re at our most diligent in watching our pets.
It can be difficult to assess the severity of internal trauma so we recommend bringing your pet in ASAP. Some injuries can be invisible and by the time symptoms arise it may be very serious indeed. Wounds can also be deeper than they appear and infection can develop if treatment is delayed. Most trauma cases will cause varying degrees of pain to your pet, and as animals are quite stoic, it can be difficult to tell how much pain your pet is experiencing. But, your Vet is trained to know the subtle signs of pain in your pet. Please call your vet immediately so they can run the proper diagnostics early and offer the most appropriate intervention and treatment. Trauma causes should never wait to be seen, so please seek medical attention immediately.
Shock connected to trauma:
One important result of trauma is shock. The term shock is a chain of physiological events that can result in death without prompt and proper treatment. Shock can cause a decrease in tissue perfusion and oxygenation. Untreated, this can cause sepsis, hemorrhage, and cardiovascular or other organ complications.
The initial signs of shock are a rapid shallow pulse, and a pale, cold and clammy complexion. As shock develops you can also see grey-blue skin colour and a blue tinge to the mucous membranes (termed “cyanotic”), weakness and dizziness, nausea and vomiting, thirst, and shallow, rapid breathing. Eventually, your pet’s brain could begin struggling for oxygen, at which point they can become restless or aggressive, start yawning and gasping for air, lose consciousness and become unresponsive, and eventually they would stop breathing.
If your pet is in shock, please call your vet immediately, lie the animal on their right-hand side, put a folded blanket under their lower back to raise it (this encourages blood flow to their heart and brain), and cover them with a warm blanket to keep them warm.
If you have any questions, or would like to book an appointment, fill out the form below and we’ll get back to you within 48 hours. If you have a possible emergency during our hours of operation, please call the clinic at 519-648-9738. If you have an after hours emergency, please contact Campus Estates Animal Hospital at 519-837-1212.