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Pet Health Issues
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Problems That Need Help FAST!
The trouble with dogs and cats is that they can't speak a
language, other than the body type. Many symptoms are common
to both serious diseases as well as innocuous passing
ailments. These symptoms could mean your pet's life is
literally on the line. Call your veterinarian immediately
for advice.
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Blood in the stool, bleeding from mouth and rectum or
vomiting and bloody diarrhea can be a sign of many things,
including internal hemorrhage from poisoning.
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Copious diarrhea that comes on every half hour or hour, with
no eating or drinking can cause shock.
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Difficulty in breathing, especially with blue gums, can be a
sign of heart failure.
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Abdominal swelling with attempts to vomit, especially in the
deep-chest dog breeds, is a symptom of bloat and "a serious
emergency" often requiring immediate surgery.
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Frequent drinking and urination, accompanied by depression,
vomiting, diarrhea and discharge of reddish mucus, six to
eight weeks after heat in an unspayed, intact (virgin)
female dog or cat are signs of pyometra, which is very
common and very deadly. It comes on slowly over months or
years and is also marked by irregular heat periods.
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Difficulty in giving birth is an emergency. Some strain is
involved in a normal birth, but if there is continuous labor
without results, it could be life threatening.
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Seizures should be reported to a vet immediately. The cause
could be poisoning. Don't try to restrain the animal during
convulsions.
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PLEASE Read This and Send it to Family &
Friends!
Written by:
Laurinda Morris, DVM
Danville Veterinary Clinic
Danville , Ohio
This week I had the first case in history of raisin toxicity ever
seen at MedVet. My patient was a 56-pound, 5 yr old male neutered
lab mix that ate half a canister of raisins sometime between 7:30 AM
and 4:30 PM on Tuesday. He started with vomiting, diarrhea and
shaking about 1AM on Wednesday but the owner didn't call my
emergency service until 7AM.
I had heard somewhere about raisins AND grapes causing acute Renal
failure but hadn't seen any formal paper on the subject. We had her
bring the dog in immediately. In the meantime, I called the ER
service at MedVet and the doctor there was like me - had heard
something about it, but.... Anyway, we contacted the
ASPCA National Animal Poison Control Center and they said to give IV
fluids at 1 ½ times maintenance and watch the kidney values for the
next 48-72 hours.
The dog's BUN (blood urea nitrogen level) was already at 32 (normal
less than 27) and creatinine over 5 (1.9 is the high end of normal).
Both are monitors of kidney function in the bloodstream. We placed
an IV catheter
and started the fluids. Rechecked the renal values at 5 PM and the
BUN was over 40 and creatinine over 7 with no urine production after
a liter of fluids. At the point I felt the dog was in acute renal
failure and sent him on to MedVet for a urinary catheter to monitor
urine output overnight as well as overnight care.
He started vomiting again overnight at MedVet and his renal values
have continued to increase daily. He produced urine when given lasix
as a diuretic. He was on 3 different anti-vomiting medications and
they still couldn't control his vomiting. Today his urine output
decreased again, his BUN was over 120, his creatinine was at 10, his
phosphorus was very elevated and his blood pressure, which had been
staying around 150, skyrocketed to 220.. He continued to vomit and
the owners elected to euthanize.
This is a very sad case - great dog, great owners who had no idea
raisins could be a toxin. Please alert everyone you know who has a
dog of this very serious risk. Poison control said as few as 7
raisins or grapes could be toxic. Many people I know give their dogs
grapes or raisins as treats including our ex-handler's. Any exposure
should give rise to immediate concern.
Even if you don't have a dog, you might have friends who do. This is
worth passing on to them.
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Your dog’s normal temperature is 100.5 to 102.5 degrees
Fahrenheit. Higher temperatures may necessitate a trip to your veterinarian,
depending on other symptoms. Feeling the ears, nose or head is not
considered a reliable method; you have to determine the internal dog
temperature to find out for certain. This is done using an oral or
rectal thermometer, either digital or mercury. Ear thermometers can
also be used in dogs. They are generally fast and easy but it is
essential to use a proper technique to obtain an accurate
temperature reading.
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SCENTED CANDLES CAN SOMETIMES KILL BIRDS:
It has been reported that certain scented candles have caused the
deaths of birds. Better to not use any and be safe rather than
sorry. Many candles also contain lead wicks which emit poisonous
fumes
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Poisonous plants: Make sure to keep your cat or dog away from these
denarius plants:
Amaryllis, Azalea, Caladium, Calla or arum lily, Daffodil,
Delphinium, Elephant’s ear, English holly, Foxglove, Ivy, Jade
plant, Jerusalem cherry, Morning glory, Mums, Privet, Wisteria
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Lyme Disease: Lyme is a bacterial disease spread by ticks. Symptoms in dogs
include lethargy, joint pain, lack of appetite, lymph node
enlargement and fever. Some dogs have antibodies to the disease,
indicating that they have been exposed, but they show no
symptoms.
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Vaccinations are a safe and effective
way to protect your pet from acquiring dangerous and
debilitating diseases such as distemper, parvo-virus,
rabies, kennel cough, feline leukemia, FPV, and many other
diseases.
Puppies and kittens require more
frequent boosters because the immunity the received from
their mothers may interfere with their ability to build
immunity through their response to vaccinations. Also, their
immune systems are not yet mature enough to mount a full
response.
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Typical Puppy Vaccination
Schedule |
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Age |
Vaccine |
| 6-8 weeks |
Distemper, ardenovirus (CAV-I),
canine parainfluenza virus (CPiV), canine parvovirus
(CPV). |
| 9-12 weeks |
Distemper, CAV-I, CPiV, CPV,
leptospirosis, coronavirus (CoV), intranasal
Bordetella and CPiV. |
| 14 weeks |
Distemper, CAV-I, CPiV, CPV,
leptosperosis, CoV, Lyme disease. |
| 16-18 weeks |
Rabies, distemper, CPiV, CPV,
leptospirosis, Lyme disease. |
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Typical Kitten Vaccination
Schedule |
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Age |
Vaccine |
| 6-8 weeks |
Panleukopenia (FPV), Rhinotrachetis
(FVR), Calicivirus (FCV) |
| 12 weeks |
2nd FPV, FVR, FCV; Draw ELISA test
for Feline Leukemia (FeLV); If ELISA is negative,
give 1st FeLV. |
| 16 weeks |
1st Rabies, 2nd FeLV, 3rd FPV, FVR,
FCV |
| 15-16 months & Annually |
FPV, FVR, FCV, FeLV, Rabies (rabies
will be repeated according to type of vaccine
initially employed). |
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Heatstroke
Summertime can be dangerous time to travel with your pet, as the
risk of heatstroke is increased. Pets should never be left alone in a
completely enclosed car for ANY period of time. Here are some common signs
of heatstroke to look out for:
If you think your pet is suffering from heatstroke, take steps to
cool him down immediately. Apply a cool, wet towel to his body and keep
him out of sunlight. Give him small doses of water. Even if you pet
appears to recover, take him to a veterinarian immediately. A qualified
doctor will take the necessary steps to make sure your pet is fully
recovered. |
Protecting Pets
from Poison
There are some of those that are under the impression that animals
know instinctively to avoid poisons. This is false. They don't, no more
than a small child. It is up to us to ensure their safety.
Plants: Many common plants, including houseplants, can be deadly.
For example, Philodendron is extremely dangerous to cats. Crocus,
daffodil and hyacinth bulbs are poisonous as are tomato plants and the
berries of mistletoe.
Some of the symptoms of poisoning are:
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Cats will immediately lose interest in their food
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Both cats and dogs may become lethargic
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They may drool an unnatural amount
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Have trouble walking
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Ultimately they will go into convulsions
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Depression, unaccountable excitability, diarrhea and shock are
also symptoms.
You can tell an animal is going into shock by pressing the
animal's gum with your finger. The pink will turn grayish white; when
more than a coup of seconds pass before normal color returns, it usually
means the onset of shock. An animal in shock will have a weak, rapid
pulse and dilated pupils. Under these conditions, do not give anything
by mouth. Start artificial respiration if necessary, keep the victim
warm and rush him to the veterinarian. Below is a list of common poisons and the first-aid steps to take
until professional help is available. Let's hope you never need to
use it.
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Corrosive acid: Do not induce vomiting. Give milk or water to
dilute poison, even if you must force it on the pet. Give orally
baking soda, milk of magnesia or some other mild alkaline
substance. Finish the treatment by getting as much edible oil
(salad oil, olive oil) and/or egg white into the animal as you
can. (at least one ounce of oil per 20 pounds of body weight).
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Corrosive Alkali: Do not induce vomiting. Give water or milk to
dilute poison. Give a mild acid--Vinegar, lemon, lime or even orange
juice. As above, finish the treatment with edible oil or egg whites.
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Fungicides, herbicides, Insecticides, Most Household Cleaning
Agents, Medicines, Lead, Moth balls, Rodenticides, Turpentine,
Poisonous Plants and when in doubt as long as you're sure it wasn't
a petroleum product, or an acid or an alkali of corrosive
strength: Dilute with milk or water. Induce vomiting with hydrogen
peroxide, ipecac syrup or table salt (use salt for adult animals
only). Read the labels, if available and use the recommended
antidotes.
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