Daily Paws

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Posts Tagged ‘pet emergency’

Pet Emergency Tips: Emergency Kit For Our Pets – What would you add to the list?

Friday, November 15th, 2013

Recent natural disasters happening around the world highlight the need to have emergency procedures in place for our own families. emergency-kit-for-pets

Disaster emergencies can require being prepared to evacuate our homes from a short absence to a permanent relocation.

It’s disorienting enough for people to have to evacuate, however when pets have to leave, it is very disrupting.

Today, I came across an ASPCA article which lists helpful pet preparedness information. Below are some ideas from the ASPCA for an emergency kit to keep on hand for your pet. Remember, food and medications need to be rotated out of your emergency kit every two months—otherwise they may spoil or become useless.

 

  • A traveling bag, crate or sturdy carrier, ideally one for each pet (Pet Grab-n-Go Crate)
  • Pet first-aid kit and
  • 3-7 days’ worth of canned (pop-top) or dry food
  • Bottled water, at least 7 days’ worth for each person and pet
  • Flashlight
  • Disposable litter trays (aluminum roasting pans are perfect)
  • Litter or paper toweling
  • Liquid dish soap and disinfectant
  • Pet feeding dishes
  • Extra harness and leash (harnesses are recommended for safety and security)
  • Photocopies of medical records and a waterproof container with a two-week supply of any medicine your pet requires
  • Blanket (for scooping up a fearful pet)
  • Your pet’s favorite toy
  • Disposable garbage bags for clean-up
  • Recent photos of your pets (in case you are separated and need to make “Lost” posters)

 

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Posted in Pet Pictures, Picture of the Day, VetLocator | No Comments »

Pet CPR – When To Use It To Save Your Pet’s Life

Friday, March 30th, 2012

Pet CPR & First Aid Taken from Rescue Critters, www.rescuecritters.com, makers of animal training mannequins.

The following is a simple breakdown of dog & cat CPR. It’s written for the average pet owner and in plain language. It uses the common accepted approach to pet cardiopulmonary resuscitation according to excepted standards of Pet First Aid courses throughout the United States. Pet First Aid is not intended to take the place of professional veterinary care. It is recommended that you take a Pet First Aid course from a certified instructor.

ABC’s (Airway, Breathing, Circulation)

Airway: Probably one of the most important things you can do after SAFETY is to make sure your dog or cat is breathing. To do this, you want to gently tap your dog or cat and call out their name to see if they move. Then (being careful not to get bitten or scratched) lean down close and LOOK, LISTEN AND FEEL for breathing.

  • Look: at the chest of the animal to see if it’s moving.
  • Listen: to see if you can hear them breathing.
  • Feel: on your cheek or back of your hand for a breath.

Breathing: If your dog or cat is not breathing, pull their tongue just a little bit, close the mouth and tilt their head just a little to open their Airway. Give them 4 -5 breaths from your (guess what?) mouth to their nose! This is Mouth-to-Snout resuscitation. You’ll want to give them just enough air to make the chest rise. Big dogs need more – little dogs or cats much less. Remember not to give too much air! You don’t want to hurt them.

Circulation: This means you’re checking to see if their heart is working OK. To do that you must check for a heart beat which is called a pulse. There are pulse points located in various areas on your dog or cat. For a dog the best place to find the pulse is on the inside of the rear leg, towards the top of the leg. This is called the Femoral Pulse. For a cat the best place to find the pulse is on the outside of the left front leg, just behind the shoulder. This is called an Apical Pulse.

Rescue Breathing

Rescue Breathing is when you have to breath for your dog or cat because they are not breathing on their own. You do this when your dog or cat has a pulse but is not breathing.

  • Step 1: First do your ABC’s, don’t forget to LOOK, LISTEN, and FEEL for breathing.
  • Step 2: If not breathing, give 4-5 breaths using Mouth-to-Snout resuscitation.
  • Step 3: Check for pulse on the Femoral Artery for dogs or check the Apical Pulse for cats or really small dogs.
  • Step 4: If there is a pulse, but no breathing start Mouth-to-Snout resuscitation giving 1 breath every 3 seconds. For cats or really small dogs, give 1 breath every 2 seconds.

CPR (cardiopulmonary resuscitation)

CPR: First do your ABC’s, don’t forget to LOOK, LISTEN, and FEEL for breathing. CPR can only be performed if your dog or cat is not breathing and has no pulse. Follow Steps 1,2,3 same as in Rescue Breathing. If there is no Pulse, start CPR

Dog = Place the dog on the ground or other hard surface with its right side down. Take it’s left front leg and bend at the elbow, rotating at the shoulder. The point where the elbow of the dog touches the body is where you place your hands for compressions. Put one hand on top of the other and clasp your fingers together. Lock your elbows and start performing compressions. Push approximately 2-3 inches deep. Give compressions first then a breath. After 1 minute check for a pulse. repeat if there’s no response.

  • Giant Dogs = Give 1 breath every 10 compressions.
  • Medium to large dogs = Give 1 breath every 5 compressions.
  • Small Dogs = Give 1 breath every 5 compressions.

Cats or really small dogs = Place the animal flat on the ground. Then put your hands on either side of the animal’s chest, right behind the shoulder blades with your palms over the heart (sandwiching the animal’s chest between both hands). Compress approximately ½ – 1 inch deep. After 1 minute, check for a pulse again.

  • Cats or really small dogs = Give 1 breath every 3 compressions.

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Posted in Emergency dog care, Pet Emergency, Pet Tips, VetLocator news | 2 Comments »

How to be a good pet owner guest and 5 reasons to leave your pet at home

Friday, December 4th, 2009

christmaspupTonight our community is having a holiday tree lighting ceremony and downtown stroll.  I’m bringing my dog with me.

Then our neighbors are having get together after the performance of the Nutcracker their daughter is performing in.  That’s tomorrow and the dog gets to make a brief appearance there.

And then there’s a casual get together for our vendors and some clients of VetLocator.com and of course we’re all about pets so the office cats make an appearance there.  The rest of our month is pretty full of such gatherings and events.

And we’re not even leaving town.

I’ll bet you’re experiencing something similar too.  Its as if with the economy and the other stresses of life, there’s a need to remind us what is real and what matters.

Family, pets, friends, business and community are real.  They are what matters (and I personally have a much longer list of what matters most to me) and it is a good time to focus on what matters.

So for this holiday season I am focusing on what matters as much as I can.  So I’m sharing time and having my pets accompany me when it makes sense and I can safely include them in my activities.

In the event that you and your pets are able to accept holiday invites together too I thought I’d share some petiquette tips you might find handy.

1.  The very first thing you’ll want to do is to make sure it’s ok with your host that you bring your pet with you.
2.  Next make sure he/she has a collar with an ID and that the ID has correct information on it.  These days it’s an excellent idea to use a cell number rather than a home phone number since your cell phone is usually with you and you can be reached quickly in an emergency.
3.  Put your vet’s phone number and an emergency vet hospital number into your cell phone to have it handy in the event you need it.
4.  Try to find out who’ll be at the party in case you need to make plan changes (for example people with babies, small kids or other pets can change things, including whether you should bring your pet with you).
5.  Bring along pet essentials like food and water bowls, a leash, handi wipes and cleaning stuff and pet waste bags.
6.  I like to bring some special treats with me.  Folks like to feed my dog, so I give them some of his healthy treats to make sure he’s not getting junk.
7.  Pets can make a mess sometimes so I keep a couple of baggies handy for the expected and unexpected messes and also have a lint roller in my pet kit because my dog has been known to shed.
8.  It’s not a bad idea to have a crate handy so your pet can be safely secure if things get crazy.
9.  If you notice your pet becoming tired or agitated, secure him in a closed room or his crate if you aren’t able to take him home.
10.  Don’t let pets wander around cooking food. Not only can it be a problem for the cook, but your pet might accidentally eat something thats not good for him.
11.  Always be aware of where your pet is during any event.  Pets can become nervous and bolt in unfamiliar surroundings.  Also, like children, there are times when they’ve had enough and it’s time to go home.

Now for some personal peeves I’ve experienced attending events where certain pets should not be.  I’m titling this short list ****If your dog has any of the following problems, please leave him/her at home.

1.  Incessantly barks at other people, dogs, birds, cats, etc.  A barking dog that won’t quiet is distracting and the owners that won’t remove the dog are just plain rude.
2.  An aggressive animal.  If you know your dog – or cat – is aggressive, LEAVE THEM AT HOME.  Period.
3.  Your pet is ill or has not been feeling well.  Besides the obvious point of an ill pet might be a contagious pet, outings can be stressful and can make your pet’s health worse.  Leave an ill pet at home with a sitter and not in a kennel.
4.  The event will have people who are fearful or allergic to pets – See #1 above.
5.  Your pet is having a bad day – everyone does and our pets are no exception.  If you see that your pet is having a bad day, give him/her a break and let them stay home.

If you decide to leave your pet at home while you attend a party or other event, consider the best options for him while you’re gone.

  • If he’s not used to being home alone, you should leave for short periods of time to prepare him/her to being by themselves.
  • If you’ll be gone for any length of time you may want to consider keeping your pet at a kennel.  This is a good option for social animals that don’t stress about being away from home.
  • Additionally, for animals that are going to a kennel and may not be used to small spaces, consider getting a crate ahead of time to prepare the pet.
  • Arrange play dates for pets who might not be used to having other animals around. Send along an item that smells like home for a pet’s stay at the kennel.
  • Kennel spots should be reserved early for the holidays. If you’ve not used a particular kennel before, check into their safety measures, such as video surveillance, fire alarms and sprinkler systems.
  • Make sure your pets are up-to-date on their vaccines, and find out if any others are required for their kennel stay as most kennels will request proof before allowing your pet to stay.

Pet sitters are a good option for animals that do better at home or if you have several pets that you’ll be leaving.  If you decide to hire a pet sitter, here are a few tips:

  • Ask for references, find out what services the sitter provides and do your standard due dilligence before hiring.
  • Prepare an emergency card with all of the information the sitter might need including Vet, Emergency Vet, your contact info and a close neighbors contact info, medications your pet needs along with their dosages.
  • Don’t wait till the last minute to introduce your pet to the sitter. Pet sitters should meet the pet ahead of time and be introduced to see if there are any personality issues between pet and sitter.
  • Then, while you are away, make sure to check in with the sitter during a time you know he/she will be there and let your pet hear your voice.

And with all this advice, here is one more for you.

Have a wonderful, happy holiday season that is shared it with family pets and great friends!

Adam
VetLocator.com

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Posted in cats, dogs, Pet Tips | No Comments »

Veterinary Hospital refuses to treat dying dog

Friday, August 28th, 2009

chi_injure

A Chihuahua lay dying in the arms of its owners……………………….

Recently Delaware boutique owner Liza Orlando finished work for the day and got ready to take a walk with her husband and two small dogs.

As they exited the shop their 4 year old Chihuahua, Fabio, ran outside and started barking at a larger dog that was passing by.

A dog fight ensued and Fabio was severely injured.

When the couple managed to get Fabio away from the bigger dog, he lay on his side, motionless and bleeding, but still alive. Fabio’s owners knew they needed to find a veterinarian ASAP.

As her husband frantically called 911 to locate the nearest emergency vet clinic, Orlando tended to Fabio, stemming the flow of blood from his wound and getting him ready to go to the vet. Orlando’s husband located a nearby veterinary hospital that offered 24-hour on-call care, they quickly made their way to the car and headed for the hospital.

But not all was working out the way it should.

24-hour on-call care usually means that there is a veterinarian on call 24-hours a day, but is not necessarily in the hospital.

And that’s what the Orlando’s discovered when they arrived at the veterinary hospital. The doors were locked and no one was there. There was, however, a number they could call for emergencies.

They called.

The only connection they could make was to the hospital’s answering service but not to a veterinarian.

Frustrated and panicked and they raced to a local human emergency room to see what help they could get for their dog. One of the nurses there gave them a warm blanket for Fabio in case he was suffering from shock. Someone from the human hospital then called the veterinary hospital and this time got the answering service to get the on-call vet on the phone.

The Orlando’s were relieved to reach the hospital’s vet until they learned that the on-call vet was at least 30 minutes away and was only on call for emergencies for EXISTING CLIENTS.

Despite Mr. Orlando offering to pay triple the veterinarian fees to get their dog help, the veterinarian would not see them at all because they weren’t clients, instead referring them to another emergency hospital in a nearby town, another hour away.

The Orlandos quickly left to get their dog help at the new veterinary hospital.

But Fabio didn’t make it to the next hospital. He died enroute in Mrs. Orlando’s arms.

THE AFTERMATH

The Orlandos say they are “absolutely disgusted” with the doctors and practices at the veterinary hospital and have filed complaints with every agency and newspaper in their area.

“Did not being a patient make Fabio less deserving of treatment as he was dying in my arms? These doctors are not animal lovers and they certainly aren’t veterinarians,” she said. “They are running some kind of exclusive members-only club. It’s repulsive to find that they allowed this to happen. Our Fabio would have been saved if they had not refused him treatment.”

The veterinary hospital says they don’t have enough manpower to maintain a 24-hour practice and feel they did their job by referring the Orlando’s to the closest 24-hour facility.

They don’t feel they did anything wrong.

“Any doctor who refuses treatment to an animal, or human, for that matter should be severely punished,” Orlando said. “The last thing this country needs is soulless businessmen and women masquerading as animal lovers.”

And the head of a local pet organization stated that she believes veterinarians should be forced to take a similar oath as doctors, which would require them to help pets in distress.

“It’s outrageous to make a grieving pet owner drive an hour to get emergency care for their animal,” she said. “The DVMA should be policing their own licensed veterinarians.”

dog_hosp_gown

How do you feel about this? Do you think the veterinarian should have been REQUIRED to treat Fabio or do you feel the Orlando’s should have confirmed the emergency vet status before taking their dog to the closed hospital?

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Posted in Emergency dog care | 13 Comments »