Whether you’re a first-time or a longtime pet owner, it’s never easy to tell when it’s time take your beloved pet to the vet. It goes without saying that animals get rougher, messier, and have a lot less self-control than humans do, so when it comes to bruises, cuts, and other issues, the rule book is a little different.
So, when is it ok to let your pet walk it off, and how can you tell when they actually need medical care?
According to this article by Dr. Patty Khuly, VMD, it’s typically a good idea to take the “better safe than sorry” approach. After all, your pet can’t tell you exactly what’s wrong. However, there are a few times that you can save time and money on meds and vet visits.
You can prevent your animal getting sick by watching them closely and making sure they’re always up-to-date on vaccines! Don’t let your pet near any animals that might be sick or aren’t vaccinated, and watch what they put in their mouth. It can be a challenge, especially with teething puppies, but you’d be glad you kept your eye on them when you save the cost of a trip to the vet - and your pet will be much happier, too!
If your pet is bleeding, you can stop it on your own at home, just like you would on your own body. Using cohesive wraps as compression bandages can be helpful in stopping the bleeding. However, bear in mind that the cause of a pet’s bleeding can be very different from human cuts and scrapes. A scratch from another animal or a cut that gets infected with debris can be life-threatening.
If pets are walking on gravel or rough surfaces, it can be easy for them to hurt their paws, so it’s important to care for and protect them. Our Arrow-Vet cohesive wrap is perfect for this.
We think this article from AAHA might help you out with some more tips for when you can’t decide if you might just be worrying too much.
And for those times when it’s ok to take care of your pet at home, Arrowhead Animal Health here is here to help! Please click here to learn more about Arrowhead Animal Health and to sample some of our adhesive and cohesive tapes and wraps.