Like it or not, pet owners, it’s best to plan ahead for those difficult days. Here’s how

From discovering the best route for walks to discovering their favorite toys are your favorite shoes, owning a pet has its ups and downs. Knowing what to do in an emergency can help pet owners prepare for the difficult moments in their pets’ lives. Bellingham offers many services, from 24-hour emergency pet clinics to in-home euthanasia providers for compassionate end-of-life care.

Pets can undergo sudden health changes, and recognizing the signs can ensure they get the proper care in time. While there are obvious signs like coughing and trouble breathing, changes in behavior can indicate it’s time to visit a veterinarian, said Dr. Hope Dunbar, DVM, of Maplewood Animal Hospital at 2869 W Maplewood Ave.

“I think one of the biggest telltale signs is if your pet stops eating suddenly,” Dunbar said. “Minimal appetite, vomiting multiple times, not acting themselves, just like aloof, hiding, not wanting to play or interact.”

After-hour emergencies

If an emergency occurs outside of your vet’s standard operating hours, Boundary Bay Veterinary Specialty Hospital, 4176 Meridian St., in collaboration with Animal Emergency Care (AEC), 4176 Meridian St., offers 24/7 care. No referrals are needed, and walk-ins are welcome for emergencies.

Veterinary Partner, an online resource of animal medical information by vets, can help pet owners assess how critical their pet’s condition is, according to Denise Petryk, an emergency veterinarian at Boundary Bay Veterinary Specialty Hospital.

“The other main resource is to go and talk to our receptionists,” Petryk said. “They’re highly trained, very informative and they can help a person make a good decision as to whether they need to come in right away.”

While taking your furry friend to the vet is the safest solution, life-saving care, like CPR for pets, can be used when transportation is not available.

“We call it the ABCs,” Dunbar said. “You check their airway, you check if they’re breathing and you check a pulse. If there’s none of those, then you can start CPR. You literally do it, just like with humans, where you count based on the song — like “Stayin’ Alive” and stuff — and then you also give breaths in their nose every six seconds.”

The American Red Cross offers instructions on pet CPR, which can be administered on the way to a veterinary professional.

“In Bellingham, everyone’s really outdoorsy,” Dunbar said. “It is not a bad idea if you are going out into the wilderness or somewhere that you will not be near a veterinarian to pack a first-aid kit for your dog.”

Dunbar recommends including bandage supplies and something to carry a pet with a broken limb. The American Red Cross has a list of recommended pet first-aid kit supplies.

Establishing a regular relationship with a veterinarian can help prepare pet owners for issues specific to their breed or pets’ personality, Petryk said.

“Let’s say a person has a purebred Manx cat, and the Manx cat really has no tail, and at certain parts of its life, it may be prone to constipation. Well, what do you watch for?” Petryk said. “If you had that conversation with your vet or done your own research about things specific to your breed, you can just be much more prepared.”

Final days

Losing a furry friend causes disruptions in owners’ routines that are jarring for many people, said Bobbie Ruth Langley, founder of Radiant Heart, 801 W. Orchard Drive, Suite 3, in Bellingham, which offers afterlife care for pets. Pre-planning for the inevitable can reduce stress for the owner and their pet.

“We do get calls frequently of ‘I’ve never had a pet die before. I’ve never had to put a pet down. What do I do? Where do I go?’” Langley said. “The first thing is to say, ‘Look, if you have the option, in-home euthanasia is the best option because your pet gets to be at home, surrounded by you, surrounded by familiar smells.’”

Other local businesses offering in-home euthanasia include Whatcom Mobile Vet, Madrona Veterinary Housecalls and Bell Veterinary Care.

“If you don’t have the luxury of time and of getting that set up, the animal emergency care here in Bellingham is probably one of the best there is,” Langley said. “So the worst-case scenario for people who have this emergency, the absolute worst-case scenario, is they have to take their pet to AEC, and that, my friend, is a very, very good scenario.”

Where a pet’s remains will go is another aspect of end-of-life care an owner may overlook. Many people assume their pets will go to a Bellingham provider. However some veterinary services use nonlocal providers, Langley said.

“If they’re using a vet clinic that goes with (West Coast Pet Memorial Service), they have to make a decision right then and there at the vet’s office,” Langley said. “They either need to pre-plan or they need time to decipher and then decide ‘OK, what do we really want?’ You know? Instead of being rushed into it, I just feel that so many people are rushed into having to make a decision right then and there.”

Planning ahead gives pet owners time to pick the process that works best for them. Radiant Heart offers traditional flame cremation, eco-friendly water cremation, also called Aquamation, and a variety of pet memorials.

Both types of cremation provide a similar end product, Langley said. Aquamation leaves behind 20% more remains, which look white instead of gray, like in traditional cremation.

Traditional flame cremation of a 50- to 75-pound dog generates carbon dioxide equivalent to a 500-mile car ride, Langley said. However, it has a faster turnaround, which appeals to people wanting to be involved in the entire process.

“They don’t want to go anywhere without their pets, without that physical piece of their pet,” Langley said. “The only way to do that is with flame, so that’s really the only reason we continue to do flame crematorium cremation.”

At the end of the day, pet owners best know their animals. It’s always better to be safe than sorry when caring for their furry friends, Dunbar said.

“Dogs and cats can’t tell us what’s going on, so we have to be their best advocate,” Dunbar said.