To the vet or not?

We took Amber to the vet right away when she caught her
leg on something and had an inch-long tear, even though
it didn't bleed. Or when she scratched her eye and needed
to wear the dreaded cone of shame for a few days...

Each kind of animal has as many ways to get hurt or sick as humans do—and the treatments may be very different, especially with regard to medication. I’m not a veterinarian, and I know vets spend just as long, study just as hard, and specialize just like doctors for human ailments. So this is not a “how to treat everything” treatise. Let’s face it, I don’t have room to post something like that—and you don’t have time to read it.

But you do need to know a few basic principles. One is that animals are a lot like human babies and toddlers in a very important way: they may not let you know they’re feeling unwell until they’re really sick. Sometimes really, really sick. And, as if that weren’t trouble enough, some animals, especially smaller ones, may have very little reserves with which to fight off infection or recover from injury.

So how do you keep your pets healthy and happy? Again, as with babies, you need to stay alert to changes in behavior or appearance that flag possible distress. A perky animal that seems listless or a calm, even-tempered animal showing signs of short temper or general restlessness could be feverish or in pain.

Do you need to head to the vet’s office any time you see these changes? Maybe not, but you should at least call for advice if

• your pet is very young (babies can go critical fast)
• the animal stays lethargic or irritable for more than a day
• fever is present

Head directly for your vet or a local animal emergency clinic if

• symptoms quickly become more severe
• diarrhea or breathing difficulties develop

Severe injuries make themselves know quite unmistakably when open wounds or compound fractures are present, but others may take longer to recognize, such as internal injuries ... especially if you don’t see the injury occur. First aid for animals is not that different from that for people, except that you need to be careful to protect yourself from claws and teeth. Remember that, no matter how sweet your dog, cat, bird or even rabbit may normally be, he or she may well react instinctively with a snap or sharp-clawed swipe when your attempt to stop bleeding, for example, causes more pain.

As with illness, when in doubt about the severity of any injury, call your vet—or just take the animal to the clinic. Most vets would much rather have you bring your pet in early even if the illness or injury turns out to be minor, rather than try to save a seriously ill animal stressed by hours or even days of pain or illness.