Holiday Emergencies

[ginger899]

Now is the time to do it...even if your dog is fit and well. Ask at your vet's office what plans would be in place for emergencies over the holiday period when the office is shut. Sometimes there is another number to ring for an "on-call" vet. Very often these numbers are left as a message on the vet's answer-phone, but maybe not -so do check. So put that number on speed dial. You probably won't need it, but it's there in case. And that will save a lot of time, panicking and ringing round if something should happen.

Find out where and what times emergency vet hospitals in your area are open, and what plans are in place for that. It would be scary to drive to your nearest vet ER, only to find they were closed, and you were re directed to another one 20 miles away! Knowing exactly where to go from the start would save time in an emergency situation.
Also -make sure your car is fuelled-up, even if you plan to spend the holiday by the fire at home!

Hoping everyone has a peaceful and happy Christmas Holiday -with NO emergencies, hopefully.

[dominosarah]

This is a good reminder.  Thank you ladies~~~~~sara

[Jaybay]

Ditto what ginger said!  A common dog emergency (is that an oxymoron?!) during holidays involving a lot of food is pancreatitis.  The sudden overload of fat causes inflammation of the pancreas.  As it swells, it is unable to discharge its supply of digestive enzymes so the organ begins to digest itself.  In severe cases, the swelling is so bad that it can block the flow of bile from the liver and gallbaldder and cause even more serious trouble.  Some dogs can overindulge for years and suddenly develop pancreatitis.  Symptoms of pancreatitis are vomiting, inability to keep down water, lack of appetite, lethargy and fever as the condition worsens.  

Treatment is mainly inpatient supportive care.  The dog must have complete digestive rest which means nothing - not even water - by mouth.  An IV is necessary for fluids, antibiotics and eventually nutrition if the condition persists more than a week - which it easily can do.  Because it's an extremely painful condition, narcotic pain medication must be administered.

Make certain that your guests know the house rules on dog treats as well as the possible consequences.  Nothing destroys a joyous holiday more terribly than a seriously ill dog, particularly when it could have been prevented.  If you have your emergency game plan sorted out in advance, you'll avoid the typical panic that results from not knowing where to go or what to do.  

Many thanks to ginger for the reminder!