Breed Specific Ailments

Contact your primary care veterinarian or come to the hospital immediately if you notice any of the following signs or symptoms in your pet:

• Any problem that worsens over several hours or persists longer than 24 hours.
• Disorientation, lethargy, weakness, or fever.
• Body temperature less than 100 degrees Fahrenheit or over 104 degrees Fahrenheit.
• Frequent bouts of vomiting, diarrhea, and/or inability to drink or keep water down.
• Blood in urine, vomit, or stool.
• Vomiting with a suspected ingestion of foreign object or material.
• Suspected poisoning.
• Bloating (swollen, hard abdomen).
• Bleeding from the nose, mouth, anus or any uncontrollable bleeding.
• Difficulty breathing or choking.
• Fractured limbs, swollen, painful joints, lameness lasting longer than 12 hours, paralysis.
• Over-heating (heat stroke), seizures, or collapses.
• Straining or inability to urinate or defecate.
• Trauma (car accidents, dog fight, snakebite).
• Inability to rise

Article: Are you prepared for an EMERGENCY?

Precautions that you can take to avoid a pet emergency:

• Keep all trash cans locked behind a cabinet door or pantry.

While any number of foreign objects can be deadly if swallowed, the following common items can be lethal to your pet:

• corn cob
• dental floss
• certain bones
• chocolate in dogs
• tylenol and ibuprofen
• slug bait/rat poison
• raisins/grapes
• antifreeze
• white onions
  
  
• Perform a safety check of your home the same way that you would for a small child.

This includes putting anything out of reach that could potentially be chewed or consumed. Dogs (especially retriever breeds) have a particular fondness for eating socks, undergarments, feminine hygiene products, remote controls, shoes, etc. Carefully check all pet toys to be sure that they are free from small parts that could be chewed off or swallowed. Not all toys sold as pet toys are actually safe for our pets.

• Never feed your pet medications intended for human use or intended for use on other pets unless specifically prescribed to do so by your veterinarian.

Many of the medications that are safe for us can be toxic to our pets

• Have your pet micro chipped.

This could save your pet's life and help reunite you with your pet if ever lost. Collars or tags can fall off and be of no help in locating a lost pet's owner. If your pet is not micro chipped and you rely on the collar or tag for identification, be sure to list multiple phone numbers and update them immediately if your information changes.

• Use a reflector tag on your pet's collar for safety after dark.

More stores are starting to carry light up collars and separate lights that can be attached to a collar just like a dog tag. Visit your local pet supply store for more information.

• If you have a fenced in yard, install sturdy latches on both sides of the gate.

This ensures your gate latches whether shutting the gate from inside our outside the yard.

• Post signs on your fence and around your doors to warn/remind guests to keep pets safely locked in.

• Post an "In Case of Fire" sticker at each entrance of your home

Include a listing of each pet so that firemen or other rescue workers know to save each pet.

• Have an emergency kit prepared with each pet's necessities so that you or a neighbor can make a quick exit with your pet during fire, flood, or other disaster requiring evacuation.

This kit should include everything that you would normally pack for your pet if leaving for several days of vacation or boarding. Be sure that medications, food for each pet, a can opener if feeding canned food, bottled water, travel bowls (collapsible are handy). Consider also adding a spare leash, collar, and blankets.

• Practice loading and taking your pet for rides in the car.

Until you know you can do it efficiently by yourself, you may consider using a ramp if you are unable to lift your pet by yourself.

• Always use a leash!

• Never travel with your dog in the back of a pickup truck.

If you must use the bed of a pickup to transport your pet, please put your pet in a crate that is securely attached to the bed of the truck.

• Never leave your pet in a hot car!

Even with the windows down on an 85° day, the temperature in the car can rise to 102° in 10 minutes and 120° in 30 minutes. A dog's body temperature is normally between 101 and 102°F. A rise of only 3° is all it takes for your dog to be in a dangerous situation. At 108°F, the heart, brain, liver, kidneys, and intestinal tracts begin breaking down at a cellular level, and the damage progresses rapidly. Read more about heat stroke. . .

Breed/Size Specific ailments to be aware of:

Disc herniation: If you should happen to notice sudden paralysis or loss of function in your dog's legs, this is cause for immediate concern and your veterinarian should be contacted immediately. Permanent paralysis can result if your pet goes untreated. Disc herniation can vary in severity with some cases being addressed medically and others requiring spinal surgery to remove the herniated disc. If you feel that your pet is in this higher risk category, discuss the plan to address this type of emergency with your veterinarian so that you can be prepared. Talk to your veterinarian in advance so that the nearest surgeon or emergency center can be located if he or she is unreachable or unable to perform this type of surgery. While possible in many different dog breeds and even cats on rare occasions, the dogs which are most susceptible are:

Gastric Dilation Volvulus (GDV) or Bloat: Larger breeds of dogs can develop an acute ailment in which the stomach twists and causes the abdomen to take on a distended form (bloat). It can happen very quickly and is lethal without immediate surgical correction. If you notice lethargy, lack of appetite, an enlarged abdomen, or sudden collapse of your dog, it could be the sign of a bloat. The longer your pet remains with a twisted stomach, the greater the chance of life-threatening complications. If you feel that your pet is in this high risk category, discuss the prevention and treatment options with your veterinarian in advance. He or she may recommend a procedure called a gastropexy in which the stomach lining is sutured to the abdominal wall so that it is not possible for the stomach to twist during your pet's lifetime. Any medium to large sized dog is prone to this condition, but the breeds most susceptible are:

Splenic Rupture: Just as the spleen can rupture in humans, it can also rupture in pets, sometimes causing rapid internal bleeding. If your pet suddenly collapses or demonstrates acute weakness or lethargy and has pale gums, this may be an indication that the spleen has ruptured. Your pet should be taken to your veterinarian immediately for diagnosis. Surgical removal of the spleen and blood transfusions may be necessary. While this can happen in many breeds, the following breeds are especially prone:

Respiratory Distress: Difficulty breathing for any breed is cause for immediate concern. Surgical intervention can be of benefit to certain types of upper respiratory obstructions particularly for those dogs who have a genetic predisposition to the breathing conditions including:

Difficulty Urinating: Cats can be prone to becoming blocked. If you notice blood in the urine or if your pet is having difficulty urinating or straining, it is imperative that you seek immediate veterinary attention for your cat or other pet.

This is not a complete listing of emergency symptoms and breed/size specific ailments. Please contact your veterinarian and/or your pet's breeder for more information.