Daytime Emergency

When to call the veterinarian:

• Uncontrolled bleeding
• Foreign objects protuding from the body (don't remove them!)
• Lacerations
• Injury to the eye or eyelids
• Aggressive or unusual behavior

• Neurologic signs (tripping, walking into objects)
• Lameness
• Mares which are actively in labor for more than 20 minutes without progress
• Difficulty breathing
• Multiple animals getting sick at once

Be prepared to provide the following specific information:

• Pulse rate
• Respiratory rate (breathing)
• Rectal temperature
• Color of mucous membranes
• Capillary refill time (tested by pressing on gums adjacent to teeth, releasing, then counting the seconds it takes for color to return)
• Behavioral signs, such as pawing, kicking, rolling, depression, etc.
• Digestive noises or lack of them