When your beloved pet is experiencing a health emergency, we want you to know that we are fully equipped and prepared at Island Life Animal Hospital to help both your pet and you when faced with these circumstances. Our veterinary team will first ensure that your pet is stable or not by quickly assessing how your pet presents to us.

We will observe to see if your pet is lethargic, weak, responsive, alert, or painful. We also assess pulse rate and strength, respiratory rate and effort, gum color, and overall behavior. These indications can help us determine how quickly we need to respond. A detailed history will be taken.

We will be asking a series of questions such what led up to the emergency, has there been any history of vomiting or diarrhea? Has there been any urinary frequency or accidents?  We will also want to know how the urine appears and/or is there any blood in the urine or stool.  We will also want to ask about the recent history of your pet’s water intake and eating regime. Depending on your answers we may ask if your dog or cat has gotten into anything or has a history of eating anything it shouldn’t.

Emergency Veterinarian

During a Pet Emergency, Diagnostics Will Be Tailored to Your Pet’s Needs

This includes taking vitals immediately (temperature, blood pressure, checking capillary refill), performing in-house bloodwork, radiographs, and/or ultrasonography. Pending results of our diagnostics profile, together, we will discuss differential diagnoses and treatment plan for your pet.  In some cases, we may refer your pet to an area veterinary specialty practice such as Blue Pearl Veterinary Partners, Tampa Bay Veterinary Specialists, or Specialist in Companion Animal Neurology (SCAN).