Hit By A Car

It's scary when it happens.  Your pet darts into the road at the wrong time and gets tangled with an oncoming car.  But what do you do next?  How should the pet be handled? Should you take him directly to the vet?  What if he has an open wound? Or, what if he doesn't look hurt at all?

These are all great questions, but the main one I want to answer is the last one, what if he doesn't look hurt?  Maybe your pet came out of the incident with a small cut or a slight limp and you are debating whether a trip to the veterinarian's office is required.  On the one hand "Lucky" has lived up to his name and it's great that the external injuries are minimal.  However, the potential internal injuries that can't be seen are actually still life threatening.

When a client brings an animal to the vet that has been hit by a car obviously the external injuries are easier to see and treat.  Any lacerations, penetrating injuries, or fractures need to be assessed and treated appropriately.  But the Veterinarian is also observing and evaluating the animal for appropriate gum color, breathing difficulties, bleeding from the mouth, nose, or rectum, blood in the urine, indication of pain when touched, uneven pupil dilation, staggering, or inability to stand.  All of these are indications of potential head injury or internal organ damage that, if left untreated, can be critical or even fatal.

The Veterinarian will likely recommend x-rays to view the size and shape of internal organs, silhouette of the lungs, and whether there looks like free fluid in the abdomen.  Additional diagnostics may include a blood test that might indicate internal bleeding, and an ultrasound to get a better view at the internal organs if there is suspicion of injury.

Your pet may also need treatment for shock which would include intravenous fluids and hospitalization to stabilize before heading home.

Of course, we hope for the best possible outcome; that the pet truly has sustained no more than a couple scrapes and all is well.  We also believe that it is in your pet's best interest to get checked out at the Veterinarian's office should such an unfortunate event occur.

Gorilla Glue: Apparently To Pets It's Rather Tasty

Video Courtesy of KSL.com

Resting comfortably in his cage is a one year old boxer named Wiley who had an up close and personal experience with Gorilla Glue. Fortunately he didn't eat much, but what remained in his stomach had to be surgically removed.  He'll be feeling much better in a couple days.

CVES sees about 3 to 4 cases a year of Gorilla glue ingestion and so far most of those cases have had a positive outcome.  The problem with gorilla glue is that it can actually adhere to the stomach lining and, depending on the amount of time it remains in the stomach, may require removal of some of the stomach with the gorilla glue to get it out.

This is an example of the type of mass the glue can grow into.  This was not the actual glue removed from Wiley.  You can see that about three quarters of the bottle was consumed and it grew into a size significantly larger.

On the Gorilla Glue website you'll find this statement:  Gorilla Glue is a polyurethane glue. All polyurethane glues foam when they come in contact with moisture and may cause gastro-intestinal blockage if swallowed. This is not unique to Gorilla Glue, but true of all polyurethane glues. If you think there has been a case of ingesting the glue, seek medical or veterinary advice immediately.

The primary signs of a problem after gorilla glue ingestion are vomiting, diarrhea, and poor appetite.  If you suspect your pet has ingested gorilla glue get him or her to a veterinary hospital right away.  Gorilla Glue has its place, but do your best to make sure that place in not in your pet's stomach.

Hypothermia in Pets

Winter finally hit in Colorado.  With temperatures in the teens and 20s and overnight lows dropping below zero it is important to take some extra precautions to keep you pets warm.  Some dogs are more sensitive to the cold than others. Small breeds, short haired dogs, puppies and geriatric dogs, dogs that are normally "indoor" pets, and those with heart or other medical conditions are all more sensitive to colder temperatures. A dog's normal body temperature is between 99.5 and 102.5. When a dog fitting one of the above descriptions is exposed to colder temperatures he or she often has a difficult time keeping his/her core body temperature within the normal range. When the temperature dips below the normal range hypothermia sets in. Hypothermia means that your dog is loosing body heat faster than it can be replaced.

Signs of hypothermia:
- shivering
- lethargy
- stiff muscles
- pale or gray gums
- stumbling or lack of coordination
- fixed and dilated pupils
- low heart and breathing rates
- collapse
- or even coma

With mild hypothermia your dog is likely to be shivering and appear lethargic. As the hypothermia increases in severity the other symptoms become evident.  Your dog becomes increasingly unresponsive as his body goes into heat conservation mode. At this time your dog's focus will be on keeping his vital organs working by restricting the blood flow from all other parts of the body. If it's not treated, hypothermia can be fatal.

Prevention is Key
Dogs sensitive to cold should be kept inside with quick potty breaks outside. The small dogs and short haired breeds benefit from a doggy jacket that helps to keep their core warm. Booties may also be a good idea as lots of heat escapes through a dogs foot pads.

Treatment
Mild hypothermia can be reversed by getting back in a warm environment and wrapping your dog with a blanket until the shivering stops. Hypothermia that has dropped the dogs temperature to the 90-94 degree range will require rewarming methods. Water bottles filled with warm water placed around your dog deliver a safe warm heat source. Stay away from heating pads as it is easy to burn your dog's skin. It is recommended that you take your animal to your family veterinarian or veterinary emergency service for observation and/or treatment if you need to treat for hypothermia. Severe hypothermia requires immediate veterinary intervention. Unfortunately, it may be difficult to reverse the damage at this level of hypothermia, but we can hope for the best.

Cuddle up with your four-legged friends and stay warm!