Episode 14 – Pet Emergencies … What Can and Can’t Wait? in Veterinary Medicine

If you’re a pet owner, you’ve likely experienced a time when your pet has been sick. Perhaps you’ve questioned whether their illness is an emergency or not. In this episode, we chat about this topic with Dr. Miriah Wilson, the Lead ER Veterinarian in our Frederick hospital. Dr. Wilson discusses some of the more emergent needs that can’t wait vs. illnesses that might not be as dire as we expect.

What You’ll Learn?

The Top 5 emergencies that cannot wait.
What signs owners should look for and how to recognize when it’s an emergency that can’t wait.
Common emergencies that can wait, and what owners should do in such cases.
How Partner’s Triage chart works.
What owners can expect when they arrive with a sick pet.

[Music]

Narrator:

Welcome back to “Did You Know?”, a podcast by Partner Veterinary. In this series, we explore all things veterinary medicine and all things Partner. In each episode, we answer some of the most common questions we are asked—from HR to emergencies and everything in between. If it happens at Partner, we’ll cover it.

As pet owners, we’ve all been there. It’s late at night, your dog is acting strange, or your cat won’t eat, and you find yourself panicking: “Is this an emergency? Should I rush to the vet now, or can this wait until morning?” Today, we’re diving into one of the most stressful situations pet owners face—figuring out what really counts as a pet emergency.

Joining us is Dr. Miriah Wilson, the lead emergency veterinarian at our Frederick hospital. She sees these critical decisions play out every single day. Dr. Wilson will walk us through the top five emergencies that absolutely cannot wait. She’ll help you recognize the warning signs that demand immediate action and, just as importantly, talk about those common situations that feel scary but can actually wait for your regular vet. We’ll also explain how emergency triage works so you’ll know what to expect if you ever find yourself rushing through our clinic doors with a sick pet. Whether you’re a new pet parent or a seasoned pro, this episode could literally be a lifesaver for your furry family member.

Let’s get started.

Miriah Wilson:

My name is Miriah Wilson. I’m the lead ER veterinarian at Partner. My role typically involves overseeing the doctor team workflow within the ER and helping to build a collaborative and cohesive environment between our ER team members and the rest of the hospital.

Jen Mellace:

Dr. Wilson, can you tell us how you got started in veterinary medicine and why you chose emergency medicine?

Miriah Wilson:

Sure. I became passionate about animals at a pretty young age, and I pretty much decided to pursue this career early in life—as you’ll hear from a lot of vets. I started working as a kennel assistant and worked my way up through the ranks. I became a vet after graduating from the University of Illinois. Pretty early on, when I became a vet assistant, I realized my love for ER medicine, and that really stuck with me through vet school. So I went straight into ER medicine after vet school and have been here ever since.

Jen Mellace:

What brought you to Partner?

Miriah Wilson:

Partner is honestly everything I’ve wanted from a vet clinic and an ER practice put together. It’s the support of the management team, and having the freedom to see the cases I want and practice medicine the way I want to, to the highest standards. They really set the bar high, and they’ve come through on that for sure.

Jen Mellace:

Today, we’re talking about emergencies—what can and cannot wait. Can you give us the top five emergencies that absolutely cannot wait?

Miriah Wilson:

Yeah. The list is definitely more extensive than this, and there’s plenty of debate over what’s most urgent, but the top five that come to mind are:

1. Any kind of labored breathing or respiratory distress.
2. Most traumatic incidents—so, for example, hit by a car, or an animal kicked in the head by a larger animal.
3. Heat stroke, which we see more often in dogs.
4. Any sort of collapse or loss of consciousness episode—those animals need to get to us right away.
5. Gastric dilatation-volvulus (GDV), also known as bloat, which is mainly seen in dogs.

Those are probably the top five that, in my opinion, need to come in immediately.

Jen Mellace:

Could you walk us through the causes, signs, symptoms, and treatments for these emergencies? What should owners look for?

Miriah Wilson:

Absolutely. Let’s start with respiratory distress. Heavy or labored breathing can happen for a number of reasons—anything from lung infections like pneumonia, to heart failure, anemia (low red blood cell counts), or even fluid around the lungs that prevents them from expanding. There are also metabolic issues that can cause a higher respiratory rate, which might require more testing to identify. You’ll notice a higher respiratory rate, abnormal breathing patterns, really short quick breaths, or difficulty with exhaling or inhaling in general. The main treatment in all these cases is oxygen therapy, which requires hospitalization. We’ll do further diagnostics to determine if we need heart medications, antibiotics, or something else.

Next, collapse or loss of consciousness—there are a lot of causes: severe internal bleeding that you might not see, major blood pressure problems that could lead to stroke-like events, low blood sugar, severe dehydration, or even certain heart arrhythmias. Usually, you’ll see your pet stumble, lose their balance, seem very weak, or suddenly become unresponsive. Sometimes these pets recover by the time they arrive at the hospital, but we still recommend checking blood pressure, blood work, and an ECG to look for underlying issues.

Jen Mellace:

With collapse, sometimes people wonder about seizures. Is that something different, or should people handle it the same way?

Miriah Wilson:

Seizures are a little different. A lot of times, pets recover on their own after a seizure. One seizure doesn’t necessarily mean you need to rush to the ER. It does warrant a follow-up with your primary vet, but if your pet only has one seizure (say, every six months), you don’t need to panic. If they have more than two or three seizures within 24 hours, though, we definitely want to see them.

Let’s talk about GDV or bloat.

GDV, or bloat, typically happens in large, deep-chested dog breeds—German Shepherds, Great Danes, that sort of thing. We’re not sure of the exact cause, but it usually happens when the stomach fills with gas and then twists, sometimes bringing other organs like the spleen with it. This cuts off blood flow, causing severe damage. You’ll see a large, distended stomach, heavy panting, discomfort, and sometimes major weakness. If left untreated, pets can die at home within hours. Treatment involves immediate stabilization with pain medication, IV fluids, and then we use a needle to release gas from the stomach to buy time before surgery.

Jen Mellace:

What about heat stroke?

Miriah Wilson:

We see heat stroke mostly in dogs. Cats are usually more careful in hot weather, but it can happen. You’ll know it’s likely heat stroke if your dog has been outside running around or is a brachycephalic (smush-faced) breed that can’t cool off easily. Signs are heavy panting, weakness, altered mental status, and a body temperature over 105 or 106 degrees. You might also see vomiting and diarrhea, because dogs’ GI tracts are their shock organs. Treatment includes slowly lowering their temperature, aggressive IV fluids, supporting their GI tract, and monitoring for clotting problems. Some dogs need plasma transfusions and several days in the hospital.

Jen Mellace:

And trauma?

Miriah Wilson:

Trauma is a broad category—hit by a car, falls from high places, or even abuse cases. We look for traumatic brain injuries, external and internal bleeding, and broken bones. We’ll do a quick scan of the chest and abdomen with an ultrasound, start IV fluids and pain meds, and then run bloodwork and X-rays as needed. These animals are often in shock and need immediate care.

Jen Mellace:

Those are the emergencies that can’t wait. What are some situations that might feel urgent, but actually can wait?

Miriah Wilson:

There’s always an exception to the rule, but here are a few examples:

• If your pet is limping or has been limping for a couple of days, that’s usually something your primary vet can see. Of course, sometimes it’s a fracture, but most of the time it can wait.
• Coughing, unless it’s paired with respiratory distress, usually isn’t urgent. Even if it’s productive, many causes are self-limiting or chronic.
• A single episode of vomiting or diarrhea isn’t usually an emergency. I recommend withholding food and water for 6–8 hours (unless your pet is very young), then starting a bland diet—chicken and rice for dogs, maybe canned tuna for cats. If vomiting or diarrhea becomes frequent, bloody, or is paired with heavy breathing, bring them in.
• Sneezing with clear nasal discharge is probably minor and viral. If the discharge turns thick, yellow, or green, or if there’s respiratory distress, that’s when we want to see them. As long as your pet is eating and acting normally, you can likely wait for your primary vet.

If you do come in for these less urgent issues, you may have to wait longer, especially if more critical cases come in.

Jen Mellace:

How does emergency triage work at Partner?

Miriah Wilson:

We use a triage scoring system internally, but we try to educate clients about it. The system goes from one to five. If your pet is a four or five, you’ll have a longer wait than the ones and twos. If we’re busy with multiple high-priority cases, you might wait all night. Sometimes, we’ll suggest at-home remedies if it’s something minor. During triage, our techs get a quick history and vitals, and there are certain triggers that bump a pet up in priority.

Jen Mellace:

What’s the main takeaway for clients?

Miriah Wilson:

If your animal is having trouble breathing, get them in to see us right away. That’s one of the most important signs of an acute, serious illness. And if you’re ever concerned, just call us. We don’t mind—sometimes it’s hard to tell what’s truly urgent and what isn’t. We’re here to help, and we’d rather have you call than worry at home.

Jen Mellace:

This has been super helpful. Thank you so much for your time, Dr. Wilson.

Miriah Wilson:

Absolutely. Until next time.

Narrator:

“Thank you for listening to ‘Did You Know?’ Is there something about Partner that you want to know? Email us at [email protected]. Who knows? We might turn your question into an entire episode! And you can now find us wherever you listen to all of your other favorite podcasts. Subscribe now!”