Holiday Emergencies

Working at a 24 hour emergency animal hospital, we see cases around the 24/7/365.  Many times the types of injuries we see can be prevented.  Attached is an article that ran in the Post Crescent a few years ago but is still relevant because it covers how to be prepared.  You may also visit our website for a copy of our Animal Emergency Book:

http://www.fvarc.com/images/pages/FVARC_AECBooklet.pdf



Jan Zablocki was away at her daughter's college the first time her beloved dog, Kitty, experienced an emergency.

When she received the phone call, Kitty was lethargic, whimpering and vomiting. "She was practically dead," Zablocki said.

Fortunately for the Shih tzu, who was 4 years old at the time, there was someone available to respond to an emergency while Zablocki was away. Zablocki's ex-husband rushed Kitty after-hours to its primary veterinarian. But the news was not good. The vet couldn't diagnose the problem so he drove three hours in the middle of the night to Appleton's Fox Valley Animal Referral Center, where an emergency services veterinarian diagnosed Kitty with hepatitis. Hospital staff treated, cared for and later released her. It would be the first of many emergencies to come over the next 11 years.

That first experience reinforced the importance of having an emergency plan should a pet become ill, a plan that should include having a trusted and committed backup person assigned to handle animal emergencies. It's especially important when you have children, Zablocki said, particularly during the summer months when older kids may be home alone during a time when animals can experience everything from heat stroke to poisoning to car accidents.  "You really need to have that person who can go that extra mile for you," Zablocki said. "You might need them to stay home with children while you handle the emergency or they may need to handle it for you if you're not there."

When it comes to making sure your family is prepared for an animal emergency, having backup help ranks right up there with recognizing signs of a potential emergency, discussing the dos and don'ts of handling an emergency, having veterinarian phone numbers visible and maintaining a pet first aid kit, said Lyn Schuh, outreach coordinator for the Fox Valley Animal Referral Center , Central Wisconsin Animal Emergency Center, and the Green Bay Animal Emergency Center.

The Appleton hospital is fully staffed at all times with emergency veterinarians and trained staff.   The Animal Referral Center is the place most primary vets refer patients if they are unable to respond to an emergency situation during regular hours.

The Green Bay and Central Wisconsin hospitals are open after hours, holidays, and weekends.

"Every time I'm there, I grab a stack of cards and go home and tell everyone I can about it," said Zablocki, who lives three hours away in Upper Michigan.

In Zablocki's case, not only does she have back-up help in emergencies, but she is the emergency backup for two dogs owned by the family who employs her as their nanny. Their miniature Doberman Pinscher and laborador mix also have kept her — and the kids — on their toes throughout the years. Some of their emergency situations, including a particularly nasty run-in with a porcupine, have served as a reminder of how important it is to practice safety first when it comes to mixing injured animals and children.

The best thing, she said, is for the children to keep a safe distance from the animal, Zablocki said.
"You don't want anyone to get hurt, and an injured dog can get nippy," said Zablocki, who said the porcupine incident was an especially difficult one because the dog was in tremendous pain. Although all of the children drove with her to the vet office, she did make sure she was the only one handling the dog.

Just as is the case with a human emergency, staying calm is important because it allows a doctor — in this case, the veterinarian — to most easily assess the situation, Schuh said. Although the veterinarians and technicians at the Animal Referral Center don't tell family members they can't come back to the treatment areas when an animal is experiencing an emergency, they do sometimes gently offer to separate the animal if people appear too distraught.  "It's easier said than to do, but all you can do is remain calm yourself so the animal doesn't pick up on the stress and then calmly tell the children what is happening, explain that everything will be OK and that it's important to remain calm for the animal's sake," Zablocki said.

An accident or injury generally presents an obvious emergency situation, but other types of emergencies can be harder to identify. It's helpful for families to be aware of symptoms of distress in cases where an animal is sick or ate something it shouldn't have. Heat stroke, poisoning, car accidents, lawn mower accidents, run-ins with wild animals and allergic reactions to bee stings, spiders and other insect bites are some of the most common warm weather emergencies, Schuh said. Not all of these will result in symptoms that are immediately recognizable.

"The bottom line is know what's normal so you know what's not normal," Schuh said.  An animal's eyes should be clear and the pupils each the same size. The gum color should be a healthy pink — not blue, purple, dark red or pale. When pressure is applied to the gums, the area should go white, but the pink should reappear in just a few seconds. There should be no swelling of the tongue or around the eyes. Watch for abnormal behaviors. Excessive panting, nervousness, hiding and other out-of-character behaviors might be signs the dog is sick, Schuh said.  "Nice dogs might suddenly become nippy, while standoffish dogs might get cuddly," she said.

In case of an emergency, telephone numbers should be posted where children and baby sitters easily can find them. They should include contacts for the emergency back-up contact; the primary veterinarian; the Animal Referral Center, 920-993-9193; the Green Bay Animal Emergency Center, 920-494-9400, Central Wisconsin, 715 693-6934, and the Animal Poison Control Center, 888-426-4435. 

A first aid kit containing adhesive tape, gauze, elastic bandages, scissors, a pen knife, gloves, a rectal thermometer, tweezers, iodine scrub, hydrogen peroxide, styptic powder, a bottle of saline or distilled water for wound irrigation and gloves is another must have in a pet household. Make sure to leave out the heating pad, though. Anything but a warm towel or blanket can burn an animal, Schuh said.

Zablocki said her first aid kit continues to grow after 15 years with Kitty, nine of which have been spent in one emergency after another.  "Do I have a first aid kit?" she laughed. "I have an entire first aid cupboard for the dogs. I'm prepared for pretty much anything and everything."