Pet Emergencies

Pet Emergencies

by Dr. Sue A. Whitman, D.V.M.

I recently had a pet owner relate an experience that had been horribly traumatic for her. She had had her older Great Dane develop a gastric torsion. This condition is a frequent cause of death in large breed dogs, and occurs when the stomach twists and cuts off the outflow tract to the intestines, as well as interrupting the blood flow from the spleen (which is attached to the stomach and rides the twist with it). It is a terribly painful event, and the blood flow changes send the dog into shock rapidly. Stabilizing the animal requires hours of emergency drugs, fluids, and then surgery. The surgery is at best a two-surgeon affair, but for better odds, a technician for on-site lab data, and an anesthesia technician would be ideal. The point here is that a gastric torsion is the granddaddy of emergencies (and the nightmare of every veterinarian). The outcome after hours of effort is often poor, due to heart damage that waits a day or two to reveal itself.

I asked the person telling the tale of her Great Dane whether her dog had survived, and she said "Yes, but no thanks to my local veterinarians. I tried to reach 4 different vets, and nobody was available. I had to drive an hour and a half to an all night emergency clinic in the city". I think I surprised her when I told her that she had been lucky that she got on the road soon rather than wasting precious time having a local vet evaluate her dog. Is a local vet going to stay up all night and still pleasantly face clients the next morning with no sleep or shower? Is the local vet going to ask his entire staff to do the same, AND ask their husbands and wives to cancel their own work the next day to get kids to daycare and adjust the morning schedule? And is the local vet going to call the local hospital lab courier at midnight to get those stat blood gases so your dog can have its acid-base levels balanced? Although all vets wish those answers could be "yes", reality says otherwise. That dog lived only because it made it to a 24-hour facility established just for that type of emergency.

Let's look at pet emergencies: Which can be handled in 2-3 hours by a devoted small-town veterinarian willing to give up some sleep and family time, and which should send you running for the city lights? Here are some guidelines:

If your pet is in shock (unable to raise its head, rapid breathing, pale gums, and possibly mental disorientation), then it will require intravenous fluids, acid-base stabilization, and an attentive veterinarian or technician by its side. Starting an IV and then leaving is generally not sufficient. If you can reach your local veterinarian and you don't live far from his/her office, an IV could be placed and fluids started, or initial emergency drugs given to improve the odds that your pet can make the trip to a 24-hour care facility. If you live 2 hours from the emergency facility, and you spend 1 hour arranging to be seen and met by your local veterinarian, then you have lost valuable time. Think about this now, and map out a plan and a route to an all-night facility. Take a practice run the next time your family takes a weekend jaunt to the bigger city.

Examples of injuries and conditions that rapidly lead to shock and may require advanced care are:

1) Hit by car
2) Extreme bleeding
3) Chest wounds (as in cat shaken by dog, etc.)
4) Poisonings (such as with antifreeze)
5) Parvovirus in puppies- vomiting and bloody diarrhea
If your pet does seem to be aware of surroundings, and is acknowledging pain by crying in reasonable outbursts (not just yipping incessantly without breaks), it is probably not in shock. Your local veterinarian can evaluate your pet to see whether it can be stabilized quickly and the problem corrected the following day, or whether you need to get it elsewhere for immediate surgery, etc.

Examples of problems that do well overnight after initial care are:

1) Fractured bones WITHOUT accompanying shock
2) Vaccine reactions or bee/bug stings
3) Seizures that are intermittent and respond well to your vet's initial injection to stop them
4) Diabetic complications
5) Obstructed urethra in male cats (unable to urinate), IF it has been caught early and shock is not a concern
6) Viral infections with fevers (common in kittens)
7) Lacerations that do not penetrate the chest or abdomen

WHAT CAN YOU DO AT HOME TO IMPROVE YOUR PET'S CHANCES?

Have someone ready the car and gather phone numbers or call the veterinarian while you stay with your pet if possible.

If dealing with a dog, apply a muzzle (UNLESS there is a facial or jaw injury that makes breathing through the nose difficult). I know this is hard to do to your dog, but mental disorientation is common after head injuries and in shock situations, and if you get badly bitten, you won't be able to help your pet. Use gauze, or if none is available, take the shoestrings out of your shoes.

If dealing with a cat, hold the loose skin just behind the ears with your left hand to protect yourself from a bite, and examine the cat carefully to find the extent of the injuries.

CHOKING: If you are able to see the object (usually a bone or ball in my experience), try to grab it with pliers or even kitchen tongs (anything but your fingers!). If you don't see the object, put your hands on each side of the animal's chest and press firmly and quickly. Repeat if necessary.

BLEEDING: Apply pressure with the palm of your hand until you can get a clean bandage or cloth, then wrap the area firmly until you can get a veterinarian located. If you must apply a tourniquet, do so only to apply a pressure wrap, then be sure to remove it. Cutting off blood flow to a limb for more than a few minutes can cause more damage.

POISONING: Find out what the poison is, then call the poison control center associated with your hospital, or call your veterinarian. Do not induce vomiting without knowing the poison, as some poisons can cause further harm when vomited. Vomiting is induced in pets with a teaspoon of salt on the back of the tongue, or hydrogen peroxide given orally. BUT remember to do this only after checking with poison control. If you see your pet take one lick of spilled ANTIFREEZE, go to a veterinarian immediately! If you wait until your pet is showing signs of antifreeze poisoning, it will be too late!

BROKEN BONES: Do not try to wrap the break, but rather, confine your pet to a small bathroom or a carrier or cage to minimize movement. Then, contact a veterinarian.

I hope this has set some ground work to have you prepared for a pet emergency. It is best to have a family meeting to outline a plan, and to have phone numbers and supplies on hand well in advance. Hopefully, nobody reading this article will ever need the information provided in it!

A SPECIAL NOTE: When you call a local vet and have them paged, remember that it takes 15 minutes for the radio tower to receive the page, page the doctor, and the vet to dial in and retrieve your phone number. If the vet is in church or a meeting, he/she may take extra time waiting for an appropriate time to get up and leave. Please stay off your phone so the line is free for a vet to call for at least 20 minutes after placing your emergency call. It is frustrating to leave a movie and spend 15 minutes trying to catch a line unbusy :-(

Sue A Whitman D.V.M.
8262 Switchboard Road
Spencer, Indiana 47460
812-876-0711
Emergencies call above number.