Home and emergency readiness

Pet emergency preparation: contacts and transport before a crisis

Keep your veterinary contacts, emergency destination, transport equipment and current pet information ready. During an emergency, call the veterinary team and follow their instructions.

By Paw Handbook editorial team · Updated October 11, 2026 · Not clinically reviewed

Build a contact card today

AVMA’s first-aid brochure includes a place for the regular veterinarian, emergency hospital and current pet information. Copy your own verified phone numbers and addresses onto a card. Call ahead to check emergency arrangements and keep a second destination if the first cannot receive patients. Store the card with the carrier or leash and give a copy to anyone responsible for your pet.

Check transport before you need it

Find the carrier or restraint equipment and check that it is intact. Know who can drive and where the keys are. Ask your veterinary team about safe transport for your individual pet. The useful preparation here is removing a practical delay. This article does not teach restraint, CPR or injury treatment, and a planning tool cannot decide how serious an emergency is.

Prepare information that is easy to read

Keep the pet’s name, your reachable number and current medication information together. Add the clinic’s instructions and any relevant records. If you suspect an exposure, have the product name or container available when you call. AVMA advises contacting a veterinarian or poison service immediately for a suspected harmful exposure and avoiding induced vomiting or medication unless directed by a professional.

Keep urgent action outside the planner

Breathing difficulty, collapse, major bleeding or suspected poisoning calls for urgent veterinary help, not a seven-day routine. The AVMA brochure explains that first aid is not a substitute for veterinary care. Keep that document available as a reference and ask your clinic about appropriate training. Review contacts after a move and before leaving your pet with someone new.

Source and scope

AVMA pet first aid provides the veterinary context. The checklists and organizational examples here are editorial suggestions. This article does not diagnose, prescribe or replace advice from your veterinarian.

If your pet has trouble breathing, collapses, has major bleeding or may have been poisoned, contact an emergency veterinary hospital now. Do not wait to complete a planner or log.

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