Many of the diseases our hospice pets face have overlapping symptoms. One of those symptoms, which can be scary for pet parents and a possible emergency, is a collapsing episode.

What is a Collapsing Episode?

A collapse or collapsing episode is a sudden occurrence in which a pet falls to the ground. Just like in humans, an episode of collapse indicates that something is seriously wrong and requires emergency care. The cause of the collapse and treatment options can vary.

First, you want to perform a quick check of your pet. Is your pet breathing? Watch for the rise and fall of their chest, or place your hand in front of their mouth and nose to feel air expelled on exhale. Place your hand over their heart to check for a heartbeat. The heart is located over the left ribcage, where the elbow touches the chest when bent.

Breathing and Heart Problems

Your pet may or may not have a diagnosis of heart disease before a collapsing episode. Pets with heart disease tend to show signs of coughing, exercise intolerance, or a heart murmur noted on physical examination by your veterinarian. The heart is a “plumbing” and an “electric” system. If there are issues impacting the electric activity of the heart, then you may see collapsing episodes, also known as syncope. These episodes don’t tend to last long but do indicate urgent care should be sought.  Keep your pet in a safe place, and once it recovers, keep it calm and cool until you can seek medical attention.

The causes of non-cardiac syncope can vary, but they are often related to existing breathing problems. A syncopal episode can occur if your pet gets too hot and pants more than usual or gets overexcited. If this happens, it’s best to get your pet in a cool environment and keep them calm. You can use a fan blowing on them to help with cooling while seeking care.

Syncope can also occur with vomiting or coughing. Similar to humans, these episodes occur due to a vasovagal reaction. Since we don’t always know the inciting cause of these episodes, it’s best to seek urgent care. In these cases, we may need to adjust our treatment plan to control these symptoms better or reevaluate with our quality of life scale.

Abdominal Tumors

Further back in the body, complications with abdominal tumors can also cause collapsing episodes. Most commonly, this is related to a sudden bleed or rupture of the tumor. In these cases, monitoring your pet’s breathing and heart rate can be helpful, but you should also look at your pet’s gum color. White or pale gums indicate your pet’s blood volume in circulation is low because the tumor releases blood into the abdomen rather than circulating it.

In these cases, seek medical attention immediately. Handle your pet carefully, and don’t put additional pressure on the abdomen if you have to pick your pet up. If you’ve been prescribed emergency medications for this situation, give those while seeking care. Having a plan for an emergency situation ahead of time can take much of the fear and worry out of the problem; you can discuss and create this emergency plan with your veterinarian.

Collapsing episodes are sudden and unexpected and can be stressful for pet owners. They are an emergent situation but can be less scary with a plan. You can always contact our telehospice service to speak with one of our veterinarians about this. If your pet shows signs of distress, you should immediately go to an urgent care facility for pets.