Skip to content
newpuppy.vet
Emergency
Menu

If something's wrong right now

Is this an emergency? Go now, call today, or watch

Three doors, from most urgent to least. Start at the first one. If anything on its list fits, stop there and go.

The Three Doors, all on one page

Start at the first door. If anything on its list fits, stop there and go. If you're not sure which door you're at, call your vet.

Three doors in watercolor. GO NOW: an animal emergency hospital's glass doors at night. CALL TODAY: a yellow front door in the morning with a wall phone. WATCH: a porch door open at noon, Meatball the Beagle puppy asleep in his bed.
  1. GO NOW badge: a white plus on a dark blue circle

    Step 1

    GO NOW

    Do you see any of these?

    • Trouble breathing, or blue or gray gums
    • Collapse, or can't stand
    • A seizure
    • A swollen, hard belly with retching that brings nothing up
    • Vomiting or diarrhea (bloody or not) in a puppy who's tired and flat
    • Ate a poison, or swallowed an object and has any symptoms
    • Heatstroke signs
    • Any injury: dropped, stepped on, hit by a car
    • Face swelling or collapse after a shot
    • Straining to pee with nothing coming out
    • Bad pain or an eye injury
    • A toy puppy who's weak, wobbly or "out of it"

    What to do: Head to your vet, if they're open and can see him right away, or to the nearest emergency clinic. Call on the way so they're ready for you.

  2. CALL TODAY badge: a phone handset on a golden square

    Step 2

    CALL TODAY

    Worried, or just not sure?

    • Vomiting more than once in a day
    • Diarrhea for more than 24 hours in a puppy who's otherwise bright and eating
    • Mucus or a little blood in the poop of a bright puppy
    • Swallowed an object but seems completely fine
    • Worms you can see
    • A limp that isn't getting better
    • A sense that something's off. Your instinct counts.

    What to do: Call your vet's office today, or their after-hours line if it's night, and let them help you decide. Not sure which door you're at? That alone puts you here.

  3. WATCH badge: an eye on a sage green arch

    Step 3

    WATCH

    Mild, and he's acting like himself?

    • One soft stool after a food change
    • One vomit, then back to normal
    • Mild sleepiness the day after shots

    Acting like himself means bright, playful, eating and drinking.

    What to do: Keep an eye on him, write down what you see, and call during office hours if it hasn't cleared up.

The shorter clock

If your puppy is under 16 weeks, a toy breed, or isn't done with his shots, move everything one door closer.

Toy breeds: err on the side of caution. A toy-breed puppy who skips even one meal and seems quiet: call your vet and head in. Weak, wobbly, trembling or "out of it": go now. On the way, rub a little corn syrup or honey on his gums. Never pour liquid into the mouth of a puppy who can't swallow. The sugar is for the drive, not instead of the vet.

Overheated? Start cooling right away, before you get in the car. Soak him with cool or cold water (any water that's cooler than he is) and get air moving over him with a fan, the AC or open windows. Keep cooling on the drive in. Skip ice.

Poison control (open 24 hours a day, every day)

Have the package or a photo of what he ate, and his weight, when you call.

Don't give human medicines, and don't try to make him throw up, unless your vet or poison control tells you to.

This is a quick guide, not a diagnosis. If you're not sure which door you're at, call your vet.

Questions I get every day

Can I wait until my vet opens in the morning?

Sometimes, yes. That's what the WATCH door is for. But not if anything on the Go Now list fits, not if he's a tiny puppy who's quiet and not eating, and not if he's getting worse. If you're asking at 2 a.m., call the after-hours line and let them help you decide.

What if I take my puppy to the ER and it turns out to be nothing?

Then you found out it was nothing, and you get to sleep. Emergency vets would much rather see ten puppies who were fine than miss the one who wasn't. Nobody there thinks you overreacted, and you can't tell a very full belly from a twisted stomach at home.

Should I make my puppy throw up?

Not unless your vet or poison control tells you to. Some things do more damage coming back up than going down, and the methods people find online can hurt dogs. Call first. If you know what he ate, have the package or a photo and his weight ready.

Why do young and tiny puppies get a shorter clock?

They have much less in the tank. A grown dog has fat and sugar stored up; a 9-week-old or a 2-pound toy puppy has very little. Skipping a meal, vomiting or diarrhea can drain them in hours, not days. So if he's under 16 weeks, a toy breed or not done with his shots, move everything one door closer.

What do I do on the way if I think it's heatstroke?

Start cooling before you get in the car. Soak him with cool or cold water, anything cooler than he is, and get air moving over him with a fan, the AC or open windows. Keep cooling on the drive in, skip ice, and call ahead so they're ready.

What color should my puppy's gums be?

Pink, like the inside of your own lip. Blue or gray gums mean he isn't getting enough oxygen, and that's go now. Lift his lip this week while he's healthy so you know his normal pink. Some dogs have dark patches, so look at a pink spot.

Set up your 2 a.m. plan now

Put your vet's after-hours plan, the nearest 24-hour emergency clinic plus a backup, and the poison-control numbers in your phone this week, before you need them. Wondering if something's normal? Look it up in the Finder.

General education, not veterinary advice. Your vet's plan for your puppy comes first.