Pet Emergency Top 10 List

By: Michael Lamping, DVM

            Through my experiences at Murphy Road Animal Hospital and Lake Ray Hubbard Emergency Pet Care Center, I have gathered a sense of the more common emergencies pet owners are likely to face:

1)      Toxin Ingestion:  Rat poison is scented and flavored to attract rats and mice, but it also attracts dogs.  After ingestion, pets can display uncontrolled bleeding or seizures.  Other hazards include overdoses of unsecured human and pet prescriptions, ornamental plants, and pesticides.

2)      Being Struck by a Car:  Vehicular impacts can lead to multiple and severe fractures, paralysis, blood loss, shock, hernias, and concussions.  Keep dogs and cats confined and restrained by carriers and leashes.

3)      Dog and Cat Bites:  Pets who roam or are walked “off-leash” are also prone to getting bitten while about.  Animal bites cause infections and tremendous trauma to skin, muscle, and bone. 

4)      Allergic Reactions:  Facial swelling, hives, red skin, itchy eyes, vomiting, diarrhea, and sudden loss of strength can indicate an allergic reaction.  Some of the most common reasons are insect stings, food and plant allergies, and reactions to medications. 

5)      Low blood sugar:  Hypoglycemia occurs from several causes, including intestinal parasites, hypothermia, and anorexia.  Young puppies, especially those of teacup and toy breeds are most at risk and may show low energy, weakness, and seizures. 

6)      Seizures:  Hypoglycemia, head trauma, low calcium during lactation, heat stroke, toxin exposure, and epilepsy all can bring on seizure activity.

7)      Bloat:  Deep-chested large-breed dogs such as Great Danes and Mastiffs are susceptible to this condition in which their stomach distends with gas.  They may act nauseated, weak, and uneasy.  The stomach area may look bigger.

8)      Urinary Tract Obstruction:  A very painful condition, obstruction leads to weakness, reluctance to move, and unsuccessful attempts to urinate.  I see this most often in male cats and dogs due to lodged bladder stones.

9)      Paralysis and Back Pain:  Also highly painful, back pain can set in rapidly in dogs prone to disc degeneration.  Breeds such as Dachshunds, Beagles, and Cocker Spaniels are prone to this injury especially if they are overweight.

10)  Intestinal Obstruction:  Cats enjoy chewing spongy, stringy toys, and dogs will gulp objects small enough to swallow but too big to pass the intestines.  Both of these traits lead down the path to obstruction, abdominal pain, and frequent vomiting.

There are many more emergencies that animal lovers should be familiar with.  For comprehensive coverage of the subject I recommend visiting www.PetsAmerica.org and purchasing the Pet First Aid and Disaster Response Guide.