Animal Emergency & Specialty Hospital - Byron Center
How to Tell if Your Pet is Having an Emergency
Not all pet injuries and illnesses require immediate medical attention. However, if your pet is experiencing any one of the below pet health emergency symptoms, please call us or visit our animal hospital right away:
Not breathing or visibly struggling to breathe
Unresponsive or unable to rouse
Obvious broken bone
Open wounds or active bleeding
Anaphylactic shock
Heatstroke
Collapse
Gums or tongue are pale (white) or blue
Bite or sting from a venomous snake or insect or that is causing a severe reaction
Bite wounds
Sudden paralysis of the back legs
Seizures that last longer than five minutes, multiple seizures in a row, or the first seizure in your pet
Severe abdominal distension
This list is not exhaustive and does not cover all possible emergency symptoms. If you have questions about your pet’s symptoms or are concerned that they may be experiencing an emergency, please call us at (616) 537-1402. The emergency care team at Animal Emergency and Specialty Hospital is available to assist you 24/7. We have 15 skilled veterinarians on staff to make sure your pet gets the best possible critical care in the Grand Rapids area.
What to do in a Pet Emergency
If your pet is currently experiencing an emergency, follow these steps to keep your pet safe and give them the best possible chance at a full recovery:
Remain as calm as possible. If you panic, you may forget something or even cause your pet to feel more stressed and scared than they probably already are.
If your pet is in an unsafe location, such as in the road or near a dangerous animal, carefully move them to a safe spot. Try not to move your pet more than is absolutely necessary, as too much movement may worsen their injuries.
Contact us at (616) 537-1402 right away. Let us know what is going on with your pet so that we know what to expect when you arrive.
Load your pet into your vehicle as carefully as possible. If necessary, use towels as a makeshift stretcher. Animals in severe pain may become aggressive, so you may need to loosely drape a soft cloth over your pet’s eyes to help them calm down.
Drive quickly and carefully to us and follow all instructions upon arrival.
When in doubt, take your pet straight to the emergency vet. We can help you assess the situation and make sure that your pet gets the care they need.
Our ER Services Include:
Emergency Intervention - A triage of your pet’s condition to prioritize treatment.
Fluid Therapy - To correct dehydration and electrolyte disturbances.
Emergency Surgeries - Dedicated operating room for critical and emergent patients.
Shock and Pain Management - Immediate intervention to regain adequate blood flow and relieve pain.
Oxygen Therapy - Supplemental oxygen provided for pets in respiratory distress.
Blood Chemistry Analysis - Tests organ function to help find abnormalities.
Transfusions - We supply red blood cells and fresh frozen plasma for dogs and cats.
Pharmacy - Fully stocked with effective and safe drug therapy.
Digital Imaging - Ultrasound, Radiographs, Echocardiogram, and Computerized Tomography (CT).
In-House Laboratory - Allows us to diagnose your pet 24 hours a day in most cases.
Hospitalization - Advanced treatment with a fully equipped ICU monitoring 24/7.
Feline Friendly - Dedicated feline only waiting area, exam room, and hospitalization ward.
Endoscopy - A minimally invasive non-surgical procedure to assist in the removal of foreign objects, obtain biopsies and gain additional diagnostic information while under sedation.
Skilled Support Staff - All registered technicians on our nursing team are Recover BLS and ALS Certified.
Avian & Exotic Care – we are able to see a wide variety of species for emergency care including, but not limited to birds, small mammals, and reptiles. We can also see zoological companion animals on a case-by-case basis.
