Emergency vet

Most emergencies in animals are treated with medication (drugs and other non-surgical procedures), but there are also certain conditions that require urgent surgical intervention.

Some of them are:

• removal of a foreign body
• splenectomy
• obstruction
• gastric torsion
• diaphragmatic hernia
• pyometra
• Cesarean section
• cystotomy (removal of urinary stones)
• wound and burn therapy

If a patient shows symptoms of any of the above conditions, our team will immediately receive the patient and place him in the intensive care unit. The procedure also includes filling in the forms by the owner, which gives consent for the introduction of anesthesia and surgical treatment of the patient.

We will briefly describe some of the most common emergency surgical interventions.

GDV – gastric dilatation and volvulus (stomach torsion)

Gastric torsion or bloating involves the accumulation of gas and fluid in the stomach, which causes it to expand and spontaneously rotate or torsion. The most common symptoms of gastric torsion are a sore and swollen abdomen, the urge to vomit with or without expelling the contents from the stomach, increased pain, panting, and anxiety.

To diagnose this condition, it is necessary to report an ultrasound examination of the abdomen, but an even more important procedure is radiological imaging of the animal. If GDV is found in a patient, urgent stabilization and preparation for surgery are started.

This disease most often occurs in breeds of dogs with a deep chest, such as Great Dane, Dogo Argentino, German Shepherd, Doberman, but it is possible to occur in any other breed of dog, even in cats.

GDV is an urgent health condition that, if left untreated, can lead to the death of the animal.

Hemoabdomen – bleeding into the abdominal cavity

The abdominal cavity is a space that contains many organs such as the liver, spleen, intestines, pancreas, kidneys, bladder, female reproductive organs. If there is free blood in the abdominal cavity, this condition is called a hemoabdomen.

The most common reasons for the development of this condition are ruptured tumor changes in the liver and spleen. Also, trauma such as a car crash or a fall from a great height, poisoning with rodenticides (poison for mice and rats), and coagulopathy (blood coagulation disorders) can lead to this condition.

Symptoms of the disease include pale visible mucous membranes, cold extremities, rapid pulse, weakness, loss of consciousness. Accelerated and difficult breathing may be present, as well as a tense and bloated abdomen. A patient with a hemoabdomen is in a state of hemodynamic shock and urgent stabilization, frequent transfusions, and surgical cessation of bleeding are required.