Murdoch Veterinary Hospital: Pet owners

What to do in an emergency

The Murdoch Pet Emergency Centre (MPEC) provides a 24 hour, 7 day a week comprehensive emergency and critical care service. This ensures that, when your local vet is unavailable, you and your pets still have access to veterinary care and advice in the event of an emergency.

There’s no need for a referral or an appointment. You can bring your pet to MPEC out of hours in the confidence that they will receive care and attention from a dedicated veterinary team, backed up at all times by specialists in emergency medicine and critical care.

Knowing what to do within the first few minutes of a pet emergency can be critical in saving your pet’s life. Please if you have a pet, make sure you read through this potentially lifesaving advice – and that your family does too.

Not breathing

  • Check the mouth for any obstructions of food etc and clear the airway.
  • Hold the mouth closed and keep the neck extended.
  • Place your mouth around the nostrils and breathe until the chest wall rises.
  • Give one breath every 5 seconds.

Unconscious

  • Monitor breathing and keep the neck extended to open the airway during transport.

Bleeding

  • Apply a clean cloth or dressing and apply firm pressure during transport.

Seizure (fitting)

  • Ensure your pet is unable to harm themselves on their surroundings.
  • Do not place fingers near the mouth.
  • Keep them lying on their side (if possible) with neck extended.
  • Beware when they are recovering not to over stimulate with noise and be careful they do not bite.
  • Remember - sometimes pets are not ‘themselves’ when waking from a seizure.
  • When the seizures stop, transport them to the Murdoch Pet Emergency Centre.
  • If the seizures last longer than 3-5 minutes or repeated episodes are noted, transport them to the Murdoch Pet Emergency Centre immediately.

Snake bite

  • Bring them directly to the Murdoch Pet Emergency Centre.
  • If your pet stops breathing:
    • Keep breathing for them by holding the mouth closed and keep the neck extended.
    • Place your mouth around the nostrils and breathe until the chest wall rises.
    • Give one breath every 5 seconds

If your pet has eaten snail pellets

  • Bring them directly to the Murdoch Pet Emergency Centre.
  • All snail pellets are toxic.
  • If they start seizuring see the notes above and immediately transport them to the Murdoch Pet Emergency Centre.
  • Keep them lying on their side with their head and neck extended and slightly downwards so they don’t choke on the saliva build up.
  • Don’t cover them with blankets, they will get hot quickly from seizuring and you need to keep them cool.

If your pet has been hit by a car

  • Try not to panic them any further, keep everyone calm.
  • Warm them by wrapping in a blanket, keeping the nose and mouth exposed and carefully transport them directly to the hospital.
  • If you think there may be broken bones, keep them as still as possible and place them on a hard moveable surface such as piece of wooden board covered with a blanket.
  • Do not give any medications.

Dog attack

  • Keep them calm and warm in a blanket and keep the nose and mouth exposed.
  • Try not to handle them more than necessary as they may be very painful even if not obvious on the outside.
  • If your pet is small, place them in a wash basket or box lined with a blanket or towel.
  • If your pet is large, then place them on a large blanket for easily lifting.

If in doubt – please call 1300 652 494 for further advice