If you're a pet owner, you may be wondering what intensive veterinary care is, and when an injury can qualify as an emergency for your companion. In this article, our veterinarians in San Diego explain what intensive animal care is and what constitutes a pet emergency.
What is animal critical care?
Just like humans, pets have access to emergency hospital services in the event of trauma or serious injury. In some veterinary clinics, intensive care for animals is a service similar to the emergency wing of a hospital where ambulances take patients.
Intensive care is generally available 24 hours a day in animal emergency hospitals. A pet emergency can be very distressing, so owners must be aware of their options in this situation.
Who can offer critical care to pets?
Veterinary intensive care is a specialized service requiring special qualifications. Intensive-care veterinarians can care for seriously ill or injured pets in some hospitals in an emergency.
At , our qualified veterinarians have the knowledge and tools needed to care for animals requiring intensive care. Depending on the animal's condition, your veterinarian can provide overnight care and/or detailed instructions on how to care for your pet when you take it home.
Because intensive animal care requires specialization, not all animal hospitals offer emergency services. That's why, if your pet has a medical emergency, knowing which emergency and animal hospitals are open 24 hours a day near you is important. Even if you know of a 24-hour emergency hospital, always call ahead to make sure the veterinarian is available to take care of your pet when you arrive.
What to Expect in the ICU
The animal intensive care unit (ICU) is a caring and compassionate environment for critically ill animals that provides advanced monitoring and treatment of injury and ailment.
While in critical care, there are a number of services that can be offered to your pet, depending on their condition. Some of these services include:
- CPR
- Arterial Blood Gas Test
- Multimodal Analgesia
- Continuous Chest Drainage
- Long-term Mechanical Ventilation
- Status Epilepticus Treatments
- Transfusion Therapy
- Vasopressor Therapy
- Parenteral Nutrition
- Peritoneal Dialysis
Our critical care team at San Diego Bay Animal Hospital in San Diego will take care to choose the best treatment method for your pet.
Note: The advice provided in this post is intended for informational purposes and does not constitute medical advice regarding pets. For an accurate diagnosis of your pet's condition, please make an appointment with your vet.