A practical, no-nonsense guide to the first 10 minutes of a pet emergency in Macau. What to do, what not to do, and when to head straight to the clinic.
The first ten minutes of a pet emergency are when owners most often either save a life or lose one. Knowing what to do — and what not to do — in those minutes before you can get to the clinic is one of the most important things you can learn as a Macau pet owner. This guide covers the situations we see most often at Royal Veterinary Center: bleeding, choking, collapse, heatstroke, poisoning, and road accidents. It is not a substitute for veterinary care — every one of these situations needs a vet — but it will tell you what to do in the time it takes to get there.
Before anything else: prepare to act fast
Print this guide and keep it on your fridge. Save our number (+853 6677 6611) in your phone under a name you will recognise in panic, like 'RVC VET EMERGENCY'. The 24-hour clinic is at the Royal Veterinary Center, and the fastest route from any Macau address is via the Cotai bridge or the Taipa tunnel depending on traffic. If you are alone with the pet and panicking, calling us on speakerphone while you work is fine — we will walk you through what to do. Keep a small pet first-aid kit ready: gauze pads, a clean towel, saline wash, a digital thermometer, and your pet's recent medical record. None of this is fancy. It is enough.
Bleeding: direct pressure first, always
For any bleeding wound, your first move is direct pressure with a clean gauze pad or towel pressed firmly onto the wound. Do not peek to see if it has stopped — every time you lift the dressing you restart the bleeding. Maintain firm pressure for at least 3 minutes before checking. If blood soaks through, add more layers on top rather than removing the soaked ones. For limb bleeding that does not slow with pressure, you can elevate the limb above heart level while continuing pressure. Tourniquets are a last resort and can cause severe tissue damage if left on too long — only use if bleeding is genuinely life-threatening and direct pressure has failed, and only on limbs. Head to the clinic as soon as the bleeding is controlled, even if it looks minor — puncture wounds in particular can hide deep tissue damage and infection.
Choking: look before you act, and never blindly sweep the mouth
Signs of choking include gagging, pawing at the mouth, sudden panic, blue gums, and inability to bark or meow. Stay calm and look inside the mouth — you may see a visible object. If you can see it and can grasp it easily with two fingers, remove it. If you cannot see it, or if the pet is conscious and resisting, do not blindly sweep the mouth — you can push the object deeper or get bitten. For a small dog or cat, you can lift the hind legs (gravity assist) and pat the back firmly between the shoulder blades. For a larger dog, perform a modified Heimlich: stand behind the pet, place a fist just below the ribcage, and give 3 to 5 firm inward-and-upward thrusts. If the pet collapses, begin CPR (see below) and head to the clinic immediately — someone should drive while you work.
Collapse and CPR basics
If your pet collapses and is unresponsive, check for breathing and a pulse (the femoral pulse, on the inside of the back leg in the groin, is the easiest). If there is no breathing and no pulse, begin CPR. For cats and small dogs under 7kg, wrap your hand around the chest just behind the elbows and compress one-third to one-half of the chest width at a rate of 100 to 120 compressions per minute, with 2 breaths for every 30 compressions. For medium and large dogs, compress directly over the widest part of the chest at the same rate. CPR is rarely successful without veterinary follow-up, but it can buy the 5 to 10 minutes it takes to reach the clinic. Have someone drive while you perform CPR, and call ahead so the team is ready when you arrive.
Poisoning: do not induce vomiting unless we tell you to
Macau households see several common poisonings: human medications (paracetamol is highly toxic to cats; ibuprofen and naproxen to dogs), chocolate, grapes and raisins, xylitol (in sugar-free gum and peanut butter), lilies (highly toxic to cats — even pollen), rodenticides, and antifreeze. If you suspect ingestion, call us immediately at +853 6677 6611 with the substance name, the estimated amount, and the time of ingestion. Do not induce vomiting unless we tell you to — for caustic substances, vomiting causes more damage on the way back up; for some toxins, it is ineffective after a certain window. Bring the packaging or a photo of the plant. If your pet collapses, seizures, or stops breathing, go straight to the clinic and call on the way.
Road accidents: even if they look fine, come in
A pet that has been hit by a car or fallen from a height can look completely normal for the first 30 to 60 minutes — adrenaline and shock mask pain and internal bleeding. The most common delayed sign is laboured breathing, pale gums, or sudden collapse, often 1 to 6 hours later. Always bring a road-accident pet in, even if they walk away seeming fine. For transport, lay them on a flat surface (a board or a folded blanket works as a stretcher) to minimise spinal movement. Cover them with a light blanket to reduce stress and shock, and keep them warm but not overheated. Phone ahead so we can prepare trauma supplies on your arrival.
How Royal Veterinary Center can help, 24/7
Our clinic is open 24 hours, every day, including public holidays. The 24-hour emergency number is +853 6677 6611. When you call, the on-call vet will triage the situation over the phone, give you immediate first-aid guidance, and prepare the clinic for your arrival so we are not catching up when you walk in. For any of the situations above — bleeding that does not stop, choking, collapse, suspected poisoning, road accidents, heatstroke, seizures, or any sudden change in behaviour — treat it as an emergency, call us on the way, and come in. What you do in the first ten minutes genuinely changes outcomes.
Key Takeaways
- Save +853 6677 6611 in your phone under a name you will recognise in panic.
- For bleeding: direct pressure, do not peek, get to the clinic within 15 minutes.
- For choking: look first, sweep only if you can see the object, never blindly.
- For collapse: check pulse and breathing, start CPR if absent, drive to the clinic.
- For poisoning: call us first, do not induce vomiting unless told to.
- For road accidents: always come in, even if the pet looks normal.
- For everything: call ahead so the team is ready for your arrival.