National Poison Prevention Awareness Week

Happy first day of Spring! Couldn't tell by looking outside. 

This week is National Poison Prevention Awareness Week. At Small Animal Veterinary Emergency Services, we see a lot of pet poisoning every week. Trust me, it happens so easily. I can't tell the difference between a good mushroom and a bad one! My family loves chocolate... how come they can eat it and I can't! Come on, now I have to be careful with what types of sticks I chew on. You humans have your job cut out for you trying to keep us healthy.

So here are the most common poisons to keep away from us.

Top 10 Pet Toxins 

1. Prescription Human Medications: top three, heart medications, anti-depressants, and pain medications

2. Insecticides used in and around your house

3. Over-The-Counter-Medications: acetaminophen, ibuprofen, and naproxen to name a few.

4. Veterinary Products: flavored tabs especially.

5. Household toxins: fire logs to cleaning products.

6. People food: garlic, onions, avocado, macadamia nuts to name a few. Don't forget Xylitol in candy.

7. Chocolate: baking being the most toxic (check out my chocolate toxicity calculator at the top of the page.)

8. Plants: inside and outside!

9. Rodenticides: don't forget about the newest Bromethalin.

10. Lawn and garden products: snail mouse and rat baits and fertilizer to name a few.

If you suspect your pet has been poisoned please call your veterinarian immediately. Remember, always bring the container of the suspected poison to the hospital with you!

To find out more about poisons that could be harmful to your pet, check out the ASPCA site.

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stick.... stuck

This post is for all of you dogs out there who have the luxury of being "leash-free". That's right, you know who you are, those of us that fly through the woods at an amazing speed, throwing caution to the wind, sniffing out every strange smelling smell that enters our noses. We jump and leap, weave in and out, leave no rock unturned, no stream un-splashed!

Apart from the common danger of getting lost, encountering a porcupine, or even stepping on glass,  our speed and agility puts us in a very vulnerable position.

Sticks. That's right, sticks! We love sticks, we love to lay in the yard and chew them, beg for you to throw them, we love sticks.

At least once a week a poor friend comes through the door of Small Animal Veterinary Emergency Services with a stick wound. Sometimes it is simply cuts or bruises, but even more common are the penetrating wounds. We see sticks lodged through the back of the throat (we always run with our mouths open and tongue hanging out) sticks through legs and feet, and most seriously, sticks impaled in the chest.

If your dog is impaled by a stick in the chest, do not remove it. Carefully get him to the emergency hospital as quickly as possible. STAY CALM! We sense your anxiety which in turn upsets us even more.

If the stick falls out, you will probably hear air leaking from your dog, it may bubble and bloody. This is a true emergency,  I call it  a "sucking chest wound" (there are fancier names but I'm a dog).

So whats a little more air? Well the chest is pressurized, and in order for the lungs to expand and contract this pressure must remain constant. When air enters the chest through a hole from the outside, this changes the pressure in the chest and the lungs will then collapse. Collapsed lungs are a serious situation, suffocation becomes a real danger.

You must seal the wound to stop the air from entering the chest. This can be accomplished with a small piece of plastic such as a sandwich baggie or clean piece of a garbage bag. You want to place the plastic over the hole and tape it on three sides leaving the fourth side so that air can escape if need be. This will help restore the pressure in the chest, help keep the lungs inflated, and ease your pet's breathing until you can get veterinary help.

This is a real situation and it happens so much more frequently then you could imagine. If you are interested in learning more about first aid and emergency care for your pet, for those crucial moments before you can get him to the veterinarian, please contact S.A.V.E.S. or watch for future posts on free classes that are going to be held at the beginning of 2013 on pet first aid.
Tata for now,

Pet CPR and First Aid and the Lebanon Fire Department

Wow what a great weekend! The weather was perfect (from a black lab that loves the sun but also loves a cool breeze blowing on my black sundrenched hair) for our outdoor event with the Lebanon and surrounding town fire departments.

Brutus's Saviors

These two lovely ladies were the ambulance personnel that brought Brutus (our namesake for our emergency pet fund) to S.A.V.E.S. on that sad day. They were trained for human CPR but came to the event to find out about pet CPR.

CPR with Wheezy

So many people tried to make my new friend Wheezy's heart to beat again. My dad helped people and kids learn the basics about life-saving resuscitation on their pets. I did a lot of demonstrations of playing dead for pieces of my favorite smokey cheese (I'm a lab, I'll do anything over and over again for food!)

Man I'm a patient dog!

One of the key things to remember (I learned this on Saturday) is if your pet is injured, approach cautiously). Even though your best friend would never think of hurting you, when we are injured instinct takes over. Before moving us place a muzzle around our muzzle, just to be safe. I know I look foolish but it is all in the name of education!

Dad is going to hold a first aid class for anyone interested in learning many of these techniques in the near future. He is going to go over what you should do if your pet is bleeding, burned, poisoned, has stopped breathing or their heart isn't beating. Give Small Animal Veterinary Emergency Services a call at 603-306-0007 if you would like to attend.

and please don't forget.... smoke detectors can save you and your pet's life! Make sure they have fresh batteries and your family has a plan for if they go off. Stop by S.A.V.E.S. in Lebanon, NH. for some stickers to put on your windows to let fire fighters know you have pet's in your house.

I'll be honest, I didn't like this "Wheezy" character when she first showed up at my house!
But once dad showed me how to do CPR and I gave it a whirl I gained a
whole lot of respect for her!

and learn first aid and CPR, both for human family as well as your pet's. I leave you with a little video of my trials and tribulations of learning to play dead.....
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Fire Safety Days-Pet First Aid

Would you know what to do if your pet had an accident? What if you were walking in the woods and he stepped on a piece of glass and severed a major blood vessel? Or perhaps your kitten chews through an electrical cord while your watching your favorite television show. The medicine cabinet is a favorite crime scene for us pets, what if your cat eats your heart medication and you find him unconscious and not breathing? All of these are common scenarios that my dad and the staff at Small Animal Veterinary Emergency Services encounters everyday.

You can make the difference between your pet surviving an emergency or not. On Saturday, September 15, 2012 Small Animal Veterinary Emergency Services will join the Lebanon Fire Department "Fire Safety Day" to bring you a very important lecture on pet first aid. The event starts at 10am at the Lebanon High School right across the road from S.A.V.E.S. Dr. Kelly will be talking about life saving techniques to help the pet owner through the toughest of emergency situations at 11:30am. Learn resuscitation and basic CPR on S.A.V.E.S. very own training dog. Pick up a first aid kit for your cat or dog and learn how to apply a pressure bandage or prevent shock. 

Don't miss this opportunity for hands-on training and valuable life-saving techniques.

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summertime thirsty, water or a lead cocktail?

So just when you thought it was safe to go back into the garden.... you stopped using slug/snail bait, and scoured the grass for sprouting mushrooms. Your best friend has his flea and tick medication on, you have your sunhat and shades, ahhhhhh summertime.

Well folks, think again. That harmless little garden hose, sure you may slip or trip on it, forget to move it when your mowing your lawn, or accidentally drag it through your Petunia patch. Guess what? That little thirst quenching fountain of fun could be harming you and your pets!

Many garden hoses made from PVC contain phthalates, a chemical used to soften plastics. Many researchers believe these could be linked to birth defects and breast cancer. The Ecology Center, a non-profit environmental organization based in Ann Arbor, Michigan tested nearly 200 garden products including hoses and found over two thirds to be over the safe limit of certain harmful chemicals such as lead and phthalates. They left a section of garden hose in the sun for several days and then tested the water inside the hose. The water exceeded the safe standards for drinking water, four times what is considered safe for phthalates and 18 times that for lead. Did you know the brass fittings on hoses are not regulated like indoor plumbing fixtures are?

So next time you think about getting a sip or letting your pet drink from the hose, think about what may be in that water. Buy lead free hoses (they are usually white with a blue stripe) found at marine stores. Don't leave your hose out in the sun and flush them through before using them to water your garden. I will thank you and so will your children and pets!

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Food Recalls

food for thought..... should humans and their companions worry about food chain safety?

A rare strain of Salmonella has been identified at Diamond Pet Foods Plant in Gaston, S.C. 

Interesting to note that so far 14 people have been fallen ill. That is correct, 14 people not pets! Pets are less likely to get sick from Salmonella according to Dr. Casey Barton Behravesh, Veterinary Epidemiologist and leader of the response team investigating the contamination.

It seems that only one manufacturing plant is affected, but this particular plant produces quite a few different brands of dry dog and cat food. The brands being investigated are Diamond, Wellness, Chicken Soup for the Dog Lover's Soul, Canidae, Natural Balance, Apex Pet Foods and Kirkland.

Pet owners are being warned to wash your hands after handling pet food, beware of big wet sloppy kisses right after a meal, watch out for excreted feces, and pets that groom themselves can pass along bugs from their saliva when a family member touches them. Symptoms of infection in people and pets are similar such as nausea, vomiting, chills and fever, cramps, and diarrhea.

My family always play a silly game with me called "Poison". The idea of the game is they run around yelling "poison, poison" and I try and catch them. Whenever I get close they scream ewwww and try not to let me touch them! It is really a fun game but now it has a whole new meaning.....

So why does this happen. Dry pet food is susceptible to bacteria because it is very rich in protein, and treated with flavoring. The flavoring is often where the contamination occurs. West Lebanon Feed and Supply is our areas largest pet food retailer, and you can find a lot of helpful information and advice on their website about all the foods that are being recalled. The people at WLFS can help you find an alternative diet during this scary time, don't hesitate to stop in at 12 Railroad Ave., West Lebanon or give them a call at 603-298-8600.

To get more information and find out how to report suspected pet food related illnesses, check out the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website. Diamond's official recall website is Diamond Pet Food Recall, and they have listed production codes for those foods suspected of contamination. They can be reached for questions at 866-918-8756. They also show a map of the U.S. and where the pet food has been distributed. Our area is listed.
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Dance With Me

Ok so I know I have talked about it before but chubbiness kills! The obesity epidemic for us four-legged types is becoming a major headline. Most pet owners think that their pet is at an ideal weight. Truth is most of the time the owners are looking through rose colored spectacles. The Association for Pet Obesity Prevention claim that approximately 20% of all cat and dog owners think their pet has a perfect body weight, when really their pet is obese!

So whats the big deal, we love to eat and we get great enjoyment out of eating! I am a Lab, I live to eat! Well what if a 12lb. Yorkshire Terrier was equivalent to a 218lb. human female? What if your 15lb. cat was equivalent to a 5'9" man weighing 254 lbs.? Check out this nifty comparison chart at the The Association for Pet Obesity Prevention's site. They have lots of useful and interesting information but please remember, always consult your veterinarian about your pet's health care.

The bottom line is we and our human friends are growing sideways at an alarming rate! So many health conditions start to rear their ugly little heads when our waists start to expand. Diabetes is a huge one! Osteoarthritis, ouch! Kidney disease, oh my aching kidneys! The worst one in my eyes, shortened life expectancy. So you get by without a major in your face disease.... but all along, silently that extra weight is stealing your precious time!

People are always saying that it is unfair that our animals only live a short time compared to their own life expectancy. Well people and pet's, lets do it! Get out there, dance the dance, have some fun, get moving!

If Petunia can do it, trust me anyone can! She has officially lost 5 lbs.!!!! PETUNIA HAS REACHED HER GOAL WEIGHT!!!

With a little help from her friends (and some BIG help from Hill's Prescription RD diet) she has reached her ideal weight. We are so proud of her and the best part is the RD diet is formulated to make her feel like she isn't getting cheated out of a big meal!
Good Work Petunia! Now let's get out there and keep it off!!! Dance anyone?


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Judy Coates and Canine Physical Therapy

Wow wait until you see what one of my best human friend has been up to. Judy Coates is a movie star!!!

I always knew she was the best and now everyone gets to see what I am talking about. I am really proud to know her!
If you would like to meet her also, she can be found at SAVES during the week!

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