Checked against official sources on 2 November 2026. Rules change: always check the linked source. This guide is for information only and does not replace the legal text or what your town hall or region says.
First: find an emergency vet
On hotelesconperros.com you will find, by province, the veterinary clinics near dog-friendly accommodation, with 24-hour clinics listed first (Vets section). Save the number of the nearest one when you arrive, before you need it.
If you cannot find a clinic, the Consejo General de Colegios Veterinarios de España (General Council of Spanish Veterinary Associations) publishes the directory of the 52 veterinary associations, with the address and phone number of each one and, for almost all of them, their website and email address [1]. The directory does not mention emergency services: call the association for the province you are in and ask about emergency vets in the area.
112 is the European emergency number, available everywhere in the EU and free of charge. According to the European Commission, it is used to contact any emergency service: an ambulance, the fire brigade or the police, and its operators respond only to real emergencies [11]. The Commission does not mention veterinary services and we have not found any official indication that 112 handles veterinary emergencies: use it if people are in danger and, for your dog, call a vet.
- Phone number of the nearest veterinary clinic (your province's page on hotelesconperros.com).
- Directory of provincial veterinary associations [1].
- Servicio de Información Toxicológica (Toxicology Information Service): 91 562 04 20, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year [2].
Poisoning: the Toxicology Information Service also handles cases involving animals
The Servicio de Información Toxicológica (SIT), part of the Instituto Nacional de Toxicología y Ciencias Forenses (National Institute of Toxicology and Forensic Sciences, Ministerio de Justicia), answers phone enquiries about poisoning from all over Spain 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, on 91 562 04 20 [2]. Enquiries are answered by doctors (medical and forensic doctors) [2], but the SIT itself explains that it is also called by members of the public with animals and by veterinary staff, and its advice is: in the event of any toxic exposure of an animal, call the SIT or go to a veterinary centre [3].
According to the SIT's 2023 annual report, that year it received 1,561 enquiries about poisoning in animals (2.1% of the total); 53.4% were made by members of the public and 45.2% by veterinary clinics, and the products most often involved were biocides (34.5%), medicines (28.9%) and cleaning products (11.5%) [12]. That report does not break enquiries down by species. The data by species that the SIT publishes on its website are from 2006: at that time 80.6% of enquiries about animals concerned dogs, the route of exposure was oral in 92% of cases and most occurred in the home [3]. In holiday accommodation, check that no cleaning products, medicines or poisons are left within the dog's reach.
Heatstroke
In recommendations from May 2023 that the Consejo General de Colegios Veterinarios still keeps published, the Colegio de Veterinarios de Madrid (Madrid Veterinary Association) points out that prevention is the best measure and that, if heatstroke has already occurred, urgent veterinary care is key to the animal's survival [4]. It recommends reducing exercise, walking first thing in the morning and last thing at night, always having water available and never leaving the dog in the sun, whether in a vehicle or in a room [4].
The symptoms it lists are weakness, seizures, a rapid pulse, vomiting, excessive drooling, glassy eyes and red or purple gums and tongue [4]. What it advises doing as soon as they appear: offer lukewarm water, take the dog to a cool place, cover it with towels soaked in water that is not too cold, place it near a draught or a fan and call the vet [4].
Pine processionary caterpillar
The Colegio de Veterinarios de la Región de Murcia (Murcia Veterinary Association) warns that contact with the processionary caterpillar can cause serious inflammatory reactions, especially in dogs, and that it is a veterinary emergency: go to the nearest centre without waiting [5]. In 2026 it brought its warnings forward to January because the wind had blown caterpillars out of their nests, so the risk may appear earlier than usual [5].
Warning signs it lists: swelling or redness of the muzzle, tongue or paws; excessive salivation; compulsive scratching of the muzzle; difficulty breathing; conjunctivitis or eye discomfort; ulcers on the tongue or in the mouth, and a bluish tongue [5]. As first aid, if you can, pour lukewarm water over the area, never rubbing (neither with your hands nor with gauze), and stop the dog from scratching [5]. To prevent it: a short lead in areas with pine trees, watch the ground, do not touch or step on the caterpillars and do not remove nests yourself [5].
Grass seeds (awns)
We have not found an official clinical guide on grass seeds. In July 2026 the Colegio de Veterinarios de Madrid reproduced information from an industry company (Livisto) according to which the shape of grass seeds makes them penetrate tissue and keep moving forward, so they rarely come out on their own [9]. As compatible signs it cites persistent licking of a paw, vigorous head shaking, repeated sneezing, heavy tear production or sudden lameness, and recommends checking paws, ears and long fur after walks [9]. If you see any of those signs, call the vet.
Viper bite
We have not found an official Spanish first-aid protocol for dogs bitten by a viper, so we do not give treatment guidance: go to the vet as an emergency and, if you would like guidance in the meantime, call the SIT. The Instituto Nacional de Toxicología points out that accidents with venomous animals are concentrated in summer and that many bites develop worse because of actions taken out of fear or mistaken beliefs (it says this with people in mind) [10]. In its data on animals, the SIT includes bites and stings from other animals among the recorded causes of death [3].
Ticks and leishmaniasis depending on the area
The Comunidad de Madrid (Madrid regional government) places the period of greatest tick activity between April and October, although they can bite all year round, especially in warm areas; they live on the ground, in grass or in shrubs in woodland, dehesa (wooded pasture) or scrubland [7]. It recommends also checking pets on returning from the countryside and asking the vet about external parasite treatments [7]. The official instructions it publishes for removing a tick refer to people; for your dog, ask the vet.
Leishmaniasis is transmitted by the bite of the sandfly, an insect of 2 to 3 mm that is active from May to October, especially at dusk and in the first hours of the night, according to the Comunidad de Madrid [6]. A 2012 report by the Ministerio de Sanidad (Ministry of Health) states that the sandfly can be active for longer in southern Spain (from late February to early December) than in the north (from May to early November), that the dog is the main reservoir of the disease and that seropositive dogs are found throughout Spain [13]. In Spain the highest incidence is in the Mediterranean area and the central plateau [6], and the Govern balear (Balearic Government) highlights the high prevalence of Leishmania in the Balearic Islands [8]. To prevent it, the Comunidad de Madrid advises effective antiparasitic collars and spot-on treatments (after consulting the vet), not letting the dog sleep outdoors and treating kennels with long-acting insecticides [6]. See the vet if you notice hair loss, claws growing abnormally, wounds on the nose or paws that do not heal, eye inflammation, loss of facial muscle, tiredness or weight loss [6].
Quick summary
In every case: call a vet. What follows is what the sources advise while you get there.
| Problem | What the sources advise | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Poisoning | Call the SIT (91 562 04 20, 24 h) or go to a veterinary centre | [2][3] |
| Heatstroke | Cool place, lukewarm water, towels with water that is not too cold, ventilation and call the vet | [4] |
| Processionary caterpillar | Veterinary emergency; pour lukewarm water over the area, never rub | [5] |
| Grass seeds | Check paws, ears and long fur; if there are signs, see a vet (no official guidance) | [9] |
| Viper | No official protocol for dogs: emergency vet; SIT for guidance | [3][10] |
| Ticks | Check the dog after the countryside; parasite treatments as advised by the vet | [7] |
| Leishmaniasis | Prevent sandfly bites (May-October in Madrid; longer in the south), especially at dusk; see a vet if there are symptoms | [6][8][13] |
Frequently asked questions
Does the Toxicology Information Service handle enquiries about dogs?
Yes. The SIT (91 562 04 20, 24 hours) explains that, although enquiries are answered by medical staff, it is also consulted by members of the public with animals and by vets, and it asks you to call the SIT or go to a veterinary centre in the event of any toxic exposure of an animal.
Can I call 112 if my dog has an emergency?
112 is the European emergency number and, according to the European Commission, it is used to contact an ambulance, the fire brigade or the police. We have not found any official indication that it handles veterinary emergencies. Use it if people are in danger; for your dog, call a vet or the provincial veterinary association.
How do I find an on-call vet in a province I do not know?
Each province's page on hotelesconperros.com lists the clinics near the accommodation. You can also call the provincial veterinary association, whose contact details are published by the Consejo General de Colegios Veterinarios.
My dog has touched a processionary caterpillar: what should I do?
It is a veterinary emergency: go to the nearest centre. In the meantime, according to the Colegio de Veterinarios de Murcia, pour lukewarm water over the area without rubbing and stop the dog from scratching.
Sources
- Colegios (directorio de colegios veterinarios provinciales) · Consejo General de Colegios Veterinarios de España
- ¿Qué es el Servicio de Información Toxicológica (SIT)? · Instituto Nacional de Toxicología y Ciencias Forenses (Ministerio de Justicia)
- Intoxicaciones más frecuentes: veterinarias · Instituto Nacional de Toxicología y Ciencias Forenses (Ministerio de Justicia)
- El Colegio de Madrid ofrece una serie de recomendaciones para prevenir golpes de calor en perros (03/05/2023) · Consejo General de Colegios Veterinarios de España
- Los veterinarios de Murcia adelantan las recomendaciones ante la presencia de procesionaria por episodios de viento (29/01/2026) · Consejo General de Colegios Veterinarios de España
- Leishmaniasis · Community of Madrid
- Garrapatas · Community of Madrid
- Medidas de control, prevención y vigilancia epidemiológica de la rabia en animales (Decreto 21/2015) · Govern de les Illes Balears
- Cómo proteger a los perros durante las vacaciones: claves para combatir el calor y prevenir riesgos ocultos (17/07/2026) · Colegio Oficial de Veterinarios de Madrid (reproduces information from AnimalsHealth and from the company Livisto)
- Prevención de intoxicaciones por animales venenosos · Instituto Nacional de Toxicología y Ciencias Forenses (Ministerio de Justicia)
- 112 - the EU's emergency phone number · European Commission
- Memoria 2023. Servicio de Información Toxicológica · Instituto Nacional de Toxicología y Ciencias Forenses (Ministerio de Justicia)
- Evaluación del riesgo de transmisión de Leishmania infantum en España (informe de situación, 23/10/2012) · Centro de Coordinación de Alertas y Emergencias Sanitarias (Ministerio de Sanidad)