General
considerations
Mostly, these columns serve to advise on what owners/ caregivers of companion animals should/could do before carrying the pet to the veterinarian. The initial intervention at home is most crucial in the case of an emergency where immediate action is needed to save the pet’s life.
The emergent patient presents a special challenge to both the owner and the veterinarian, not lastly because the problem, which we are seeing for the first time, might have been impacting unnoticed on the animal’s health for a while previously. The animal was fighting off the ailment and compensating. Then there comes a time when the body can no longer keep up the fight, and then the physiological functions collapse. That’s when the emergency situation becomes obvious.
Sometimes, the emergency can be the result of an unexpected complication, for example one that is associated with a recent surgery. Sometimes, the ‘emergency’ can have its origin in something simple, but then presents itself with shocking consequences. I remember once receiving a call from a frantic owner of a parakeet (budgerigar) who was crying that her bird had lost its sense of balance and was falling off its perch. That surely sounded like an emergency. Well, it turned out to be a simple case of the bird’s claws having been allowed to grow without a pedicure (or should I say pedicare), and they could not grasp the perch. A quick clip of the nails solved that ‘emergency.’
Very often though, the emergency is life-threatening, and the pet owner has to initiate the first line of defence. So, what should be considered an emergency? The following conditions regarding your pet are among the ones which necessitate immediate action:
§ Loss of blood – This is not as obvious and straightforward as it sounds. If the animal received a cut and the blood accumulated on the concrete of your yard, it would give a different impression of the amount of blood lost than if the blood was deposited on the grass lawn or in a sandy area. Of course, if the blood is squirting (or even continuously oozing) from the wound, then there is no doubt about the need for immediate intervention. Also, one must consider where the blood loss is coming from. Is there just a bloody tinge on the stool or a massive bloody diarrhoea? Is the blood emanating from the vagina or the anus? If it is the former, one must ascertain whether the bitch is in heat or whether there is a bleeding growth (‘cancer’) on the vaginal wall. It is also important to know that the colour of the blood coming from the wound is (light red or dark red); you will need to tell your vet this on the phone.
§ Sudden onset of stiffness – The entire body becomes as rigid as a board. The muscles are in a cramp which does not allow flexibility of the legs. It is important that you look for toxic (poisonous) materials with which the animal could have come in contact. This is important information for the vet, so that he/she can make an educated decision relative to a possible antidote.
§ Respiratory distress – This is vet terminology for difficulty in breathing. You must be able to discuss (and describe to your vet) whether the animal is panting or the breathing is laboured, slow or shallow. Does the animal give the impression that there is something stuck in the ‘throat’ (trachea).
To be continues
