Are You Prepared?

Did you know?
My perspective on emergencies is probably a bit skewed since I see clients responding with animals in an 'emergent' situation almost every day. But think with me for a moment about how you might respond should a hazardous situation suddenly face your family (and yes, family includes the furry four-footed felines or canines).

Since the attacks of 9-11 rocked our world in 2001 and Hurricane Katrina devastatingly hit Louisiana and Mississippi in 2005 federal, state, and local agencies have taken a hard look at their disaster plans. They all want to use the lessons learned from the terrifying days surrounding those two horrific events to be well prepared should a similar disaster hit somewhere else in our country. The reassuring part for pet owners is that companion animals and household pets now have a much more prominent place in the planning. But the planning can't be left at the government or agency level. Pet owners must think about, and take action to implement, their own disaster plan for themselves and their pets.

Let me tell you why!
Remember the Y2K scare? So many people gathered non-perishable food, created shelters, obtained generators and overall prepared for the end of the world as we knew it. Thankfully none of that materialized and the world buzzed on with clocks still ticking and computer programs working splendidly. The irony is that not many people make much effort to prepare for the seemingly mundane emergency situations that are far more likely to occur in our world at anytime, but without a specific date attached.

Colorado has its fair share of hazards that have and most likely will occur in our beautiful state. Events such as tornado, drought, counter-terrorism, avalanche, earthquake, extreme heat, flood, hail storm, landslide, lightning strike, winter storm, or wildfire are listed on the Colorado Division of Emergency Management website. The beauty of this website is that it provides information on how to respond and lists of items to have ready in case one of these disasters strikes.

There are also special websites for disaster preparedness for animals. The following is a list of resources with great information and things to think about when planning for your four footed family member.

American Veterinary Medical Association
Colorado Division of Emergency Management
State Animal Response Team
Larimer Humane Society
CDC Emergency Preparedness

So take a few moments and do your family a favor by preparing your kit, making a plan, and practicing a few drills so if, heaven forbid, a disaster comes your way you'll be as prepared as you can be and even the furriest family member will be cared for.

The moral of the story...planning and preparing prevents predicaments.

My Dog (or Cat) Ate My....

Did you know?
Animals "eat" the strangest things. We've seen it all in our ER. From fishing line and hook, to golf balls, nylons, rocks, sticks, bones, batteries, underwear, string, toys, a knife, and even a GI Joe action figure.
(X-ray of a rock)
Dogs and cats are much like toddlers in their curiosity and desire to put everything in their mouths. Many times everything passes through with time and the animal is fine. But then there are the other times when "Lucky" gets far more than indigestion from the choice of snack for the day.

Let me tell you why!
In veterinary lingo anything ingested by an animal and stuck inside is called a "foreign body". It means just that, some object foreign to the animals body is inside where it doesn't belong and needs to come out. Foreign bodies can be dangerous depending on the object and where it is stuck. For instance, something like a pair of nylons stuck in the small intestine can cause the intestine to fold up on itself which in turn causes loss of blood supply and death of the tissue. The medical term for this tissue death is necrosis. This type of foreign body would require surgery to remove the nylons.

An obstruction anywhere in the intestinal tract can cause severe pain so that the abdomen is tense and rigid. "Lucky" might also have some vomiting or diarrhea. Or you might notice "Lucky" straining to defecate with nothing coming out. Any of these signs require immediate veterinary care. It is important to tell the veterinarian about any possible ingestion of a foreign body. The veterinarian will take x-rays or perform an ultrasound to look for the obstruction.

Most foreign body obstructions require surgery to remove the offending object. The surgeon will also inspect the surrounding area, remove any of the necrotic tissue and sew the healthy sections back together. Pets recovering from surgery for an intestinal obstruction usually need to be hospitalized for several days. Intravenous fluids are needed to keep the pet hydrated and to correct any metabolic imbalances. Follow-up home care includes small feedings with a bland diet for several days while the digestive tract heals and gradually returns to normal. Full recovery is good in uncomplicated cases, but the outcome may not be as favorable if the intestinal tract has been severely damaged.

The moral of the story...sometimes pets eat the darndest things and there isn't anything owners can do about it.

Darnitall That Xylitol

Did you know?
Dogs and Xylitol do not mix. Picture this. You come home to find that "Lucky" discovered your pack of Trident gum sitting on the coffee table and couldn't resist that minty fresh smell. Strewn across the floor are multiple gum wrappers and as "Lucky" comes over to give you a welcome home lick you realize her breath never smelled so good. Unfortunately, "Lucky" has just earned an immediate trip to the Vet.

Let me tell you why!
Multiple flavors of Trident gum contain Xylitol, a natural sugar alcohol manufactured from birch trees or other natural xylan-rich sources. Xylitol occurs naturally in many fruits and vegetables and is even produced by the human body during normal metabolism. Xylitol is used as a sugar substitute in low carbohydrate foods and sugar free candy and gum, including popular brands like Trident, Orbit, Icebreakers, and Altoids or Xylitol gum found in health food stores. Scientific studies have found this natural sweetener to have numerous health benefits for humans, but for dogs ingestion can be dangerous or even lethal.

In dogs Xylitol is absorbed extremely quickly. The immediate result is that it fools the pancreas into releasing a huge spike of insulin, which is quickly followed by a precipitous drop in blood sugar (acute hypoglycemia) since there isn't really any surplus sugar for the insulin to work on. The next problem, which isn't quite as well understood, is severe (and often fatal) liver toxicity and failure. There isn't yet clear evidence of causation and these cases may be due to late discovery and a progression of the severe hypoglycemia rather than a direct connection to the Xylitol. Either way, it isn't good. It doesn't take a whole lot of xylitol to be a toxic dose, and the effects are so rapid that the window of opportunity to treat the dog is extremely small.

Symptoms of Xylitol toxicity include weakness, uncoordinated movements, vomiting, and depression. Your veterinarian will likely induce vomiting if the ingestion is recent. Other treatments can include administration of fluids by IV and glucose supplementation based on lab tests to monitor Blood Glucose levels, plus other supportive measures to maintain proper liver function. The outcome is dependant on the amount of Xylitol ingested relative to the size of the animal and the time lapse between ingestion and treatment. The more immediate the treatment, the better.

The moral of the story...no matter how bad her breath smells don't let "Lucky" chew gum.

Grapes and Their Shriveled Cousins

Did you know?

MMMM, grapes! They were on sale at the local market this week so I got a bag each of green and red. Buying them reminded me of a recent poisoning case from the grapes shriveled cousin - the raisin. A dog had consumed an unknown number of raisins and wasn't feeling like himself. His owners called after he had vomited a few times on the kitchen floor and was advised to bring the dog to our ER for medical care right away.


Let me tell you why!

Seriously, there seems to be something in the skin or fleshy part of grapes and raisins that when ingested by some dogs and cats makes them very ill and can lead to kidney failure. It is a relatively recent toxin alert for veterinarians and there is still much to be learned. There have been very few, if any, studies about this toxin since its discovery so the amount of consumption is sketchy as well. The safest bet is to keep all grapes and raisins out of reach for the four legged people in your house.

Signs of grape or raisin toxicity include vomiting, diarrhea, not eating, increased drinking, and abdominal pain. Kidney failure can occur within 48 hours of ingestion. It's best to begin treatment very quickly after ingestion, especially since it is unknown what quantity of grapes or raisins may make your animal sick.

Your family veterinarian or emergency vet will give your dog medicine to make him vomit (much more difficult to do in cats, but they are also less likely to eat raisins). After vomiting the dog will be given activated charcoal in an attempt to block the absorption of the toxin in his intestinal tract. Additionally, he will be started on IV fluids to try to flush the toxin from the kidneys. Blood tests will help monitor BUN, creatinine, phosphorous, and calcium levels, all indicators of kidney function. The vomiting will be controlled with a medicine known as an antiemetic. The veterinarian will also be watching for the amount of urine produced by the animal - another indicator of kidney function. All of this monitoring is best done in the hospital by a trained veterinarian and should not be attempted at home.

Outcomes are best for animals that start treatment as soon as the ingestion is discovered.

The moral of the story...whether smooth or wrinkly the grapes and raisins are best left in the cupboard.

The Grass Blade

Did you know?
There could be danger lurking in your backyard. According to the calendar it is spring here in the Rocky Mountain West with summer right around the corner. Spring and summer months usually equate with landscaping projects - like getting your grass to grow in a contained space. There are many options for trying to contain those pesky blades. The danger lies with choosing metal lawn edging that sits flush, or slightly higher than your lawn.

Let me tell you why!
If your dog loves to race around your backyard and chase after the ball, no matter where it lands, there is a very good likelihood that the metal lawn edging is a blade waiting in hiding to slice at your dogs paw or leg. Veterinary Pet Insurance consistently reports that lacerations are the number one type of injury requiring a vet visit and subsequent claim submission. The seriousness of injury from metal lawn edging ranges from a minor cut needing some cleaning and a couple stitches, all the way to a slash through multiple layers of skin, tissue and tendon with a long healing process or even permanent damage and loss of mobility.

CVES strongly recommends removing the metal lawn edging from your yard and finding a more pet friendly alternative. Home stores market a plastic cap that can be pushed onto the top edge, which for a time does decrease the risk, but the plastic is fragile after freezing and heating or being hit by the weed wacker a few times. The broken edges of the plastic cap can be just as dangerous.

Here are a couple lawn edging alternatives found in a quick website search:
http://tiny.cc/y28i8
http://www.guard-n-edge.com/

The moral of the story...get the blade out of the grass.