Emergency After Hour Veterinary Services are essential services offered by only a selected group of veterinarians in Malaysia . Emergency veterinary services provide veterinary care to pets after a sudden injury or illness which in many situations calls for immediate veterinary attention. In order to categorized and prioritise pet that need immediate attention, your pet will be triaged.
What is Triage?
Emergency vet services see pets in order of urgency and condition, not arrival time. There will be times when you have to wait and other times when your pet will see a vet right away.
This is a quick reference page for pet emergencies such as pet poisonings, common pet ailments, guidance on handling basic emergencies and considerations on when to bring your pet to the hospital.
LIMITED ESSENTIAL SERVICES DURING EMERGENCY HOURS
1) Only 1- 2 Veterinarian is available during the night shift.
2) The emergency services are limited to emergency triage, pet stabilization and essential surgery after hours.
3) Specialist services are only available during the day shift by appointment. This service is not available after hours.
It is advisable to contact us at +603 4042 6742 (24 hours) before walking in.
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Trauma
Trauma cases involving pets can be varied, from simple to complex injuries. Complex injuries often involve Motor Vehicle Accidents (MVA), High Rise Syndrome (HRS) to name a few.
Let’s look at the decision making during an emergency trauma, let us use High Rise Syndrome (HRS) as an example for discussion –
High-rise syndrome (HRS) in dogs and cats is a condition that occurs after an animal suffers a fall from a height equivalent to a second story or higher. Cats and dogs appear to react differently to the fall, and cats may suffer less serious injuries due to their small size and ability to adapt during the fall. Logically as the height increases so does the extent of trauma. Classic injuries that occur during the fall include damage to the thorax and pulmonary parenchyma, extremities, and the face; however, abdominal and spinal injuries may also occur and may affect the prognosis.
Prompt evaluation and resuscitation/ stabilization should be provided for animals that experienced a high-rise fall; continued re-evaluation is key to successful diagnosis and treatment of the syndrome.
A common misconception from the public during an emergency, would be for radiographs (radiology) and procedures to be done immediately.
However, this is not the case. We equally understand the stress and anxiety the pet’s family is going through. The attending vet would Triage your pet and advise on its need. -
Vomiting
If the pet vomits once, remove all food and water for 6 to 8 hours to give the stomach a rest. Most pets may have a self limiting vomiting episode from ie :-dietary indiscretions , excessive treats , table foods , etc etc that does not require veterinary attention.
Should your pet’s vomiting persists, quickly give us a call at our emergency line to speak to a vet on duty OR if you cant reach us come in for a quick assessment . On arrival our resident Vet will first Triage your pet and determine if your pet needs urgent medical attention or would need to be scheduled for the next available appointment for a medical workup.
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Diarrhoea
Allow your pet water only and no food for a period of 6 to 8 hours. After this time period, offer a bland diet in small amounts. A bland diet includes foods like, Hills Prescrption I/D canned food , porridge , toasted bread etc etc . By toasting the bread, you denature the yeast in it that could upset the stomach. If the pet does not respond to this treatment or if the diarrhoea worsens, please seek veterinary attention.
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Toenail Clipped Too Short & Bleeding
To stop the bleeding, hold “Quick Stop” or even a “bar of soap” on the nail for ten minutes. After the ten minutes, check if the bleeding has stopped. Most toenail clip bleeds are self limiting . If the bleeding starts again , apply preassure and hold for a minimum of 2 mins .
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Lameness or Holding Paw Up
In the event a pet is holding their paw up off the ground, make the animal rest at least for an hour. If the lameness is still evident after an hour, bring your pet in for a clinical assessment. Although some clients may panic and consider such injuries an emergency , they are often not life threatening, and so being , on arrival , your pet would be triaged by the resident vet and the urgency to be seen immediately will depend on your pets vital signs , risk of bleeding etc etc.
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Toxic Ingestion
Certain drugs (Ibuprofen, Paracetamol, Marijuana), foods (chocolate, garlic, onions, coffee beans, salt, avocado, durian, jackfruit), plants, and other toxins (anti-freeze, rat poison, snail bait, pesticides) are extremely toxic to animals.
It is essential that the pet owner take note of what was consumed by the pet. You should call the emergency pet hospital immediately and alert them of the poisoning for them to be prepared for your pet coming . Treatment options will depending on the toxic product consumed.
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Allergic Reaction
Allergic reactions can vary from swelling around the eyes, reddened skin and puffy lips to more serious reactions, such as vomiting, laboured breathing and weakness. If you are concerned that your pet is having an allergic reaction, contact a vet emergency centre immediately. Allergies can turn life threatening and the resident vet will triage and advise you on arrival.
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Snake/Cobra envenomation
Cobra bites have been known to disable and shutdown the victim’s cardiovascular system in some cases within a few hours. The greater the volume of venom inoculated the higher the risk of mortality. Ensure that the practice you are sending your pet to has stock of the snake antivenin. We strongly recommend that you identify the snake via photo if possible since, antivenoms work differently depending on the type of venomous snake involved. (Kite, Pit Viper, Cobra etc). Be prepared to leave your pet at the emergency centre for observation. Snake Antivenoms are expensive and so it important that the exposure to a venomous snake is confirmed . Specific blood evaluations and assessments will be required.
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Distended Abdomen/ Bloat
For any swelling or visible increase in the size of an animal’s abdomen, contact an emergency vet immediately. We strongly recommend for large breed dogs, with deep chests (Dobermans, German Shepherds etc to be fed 2 meals per day). Avoid feeding them before and less than an hour after exercise/outdoor activity.
Should your pet be showing signs of bloat / stomach distention , urgent medical and in cases surgical attention is required.
Will my pet be admitted? And Why?
If your pet comes in as an emergency, it probably means that there are some serious concerns. History of the pet will be taken followed by a clinical assessment. The vet on duty will advise you if hospitalisation or further test is required. If it is not an emergency case or if it does not require admission, our team will reschedule a follow-up visit if necessary.
In order to monitor your pet’s condition safely and objectively, the veterinarian on duty will advise you on a management plan during hospitalisation. This may include, intravenous fluid therapy, medications and blood tests. Your pet will be under the care of our dedicated veterinary nurses and doctors, 24 hours a day.