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Escarpment Magazine Harvest & Holiday 2013
ESCARPMENT NATURE
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our pets
It’s nine o’ clock
on a Sunday night
and you notice that your dog is not asking to
come back in the house after letting him out for
his last bathroom break before bed. You turn
on the yard light to see that he is still out in the
back yard pacing and retching with nothing
coming up. He is leaning down on his elbows
with his bum in the air. You go out to him and
notice that his belly is distended and very firm
to touch. Would you know what to do?
Although I hope that you will never require an
unexpected trip to the veterinarian with your
pet, pet emergencies can arise and it is impor-
tant to know when to call the veterinarian
when they do occur. The above scenario de-
scribes one of the most serious pet emergen-
cies in veterinary medicine. Gastric Dilation
Volvulus or GDV is a condition in which the
stomach bloats with air and then twists in the
abdomen causing intense pain and circulation
obstruction. GDV can happen to any type of
dog but large, deep-chested breeds such as
German Shepherds, Standard Poodles and
Great Danes appear to be the highest at risk.
A bloated dog is usually very uncomfortable
and not willing to lie down. Unproductive
retching and a very bloated hard belly are
usually present although it may be hard to ap-
preciate a bloated belly in some really deep-
chested dogs. Any of these signs warrants a
trip to the veterinarian as emergency decom-
pression of the stomach is needed to prevent
shock and possibly death of the patient. Emer-
gency surgery is usually required to treat this
condition. Unfortunately, there is a high mor-
tality rate for GDV patients as a lot of internal
organ damage can occur in a short amount of
time. Knowing the early warning signs, how-
ever, will increase your pet’s chance of sur-
vival in this scary situation.
Seizures are not an uncommon condition seen
in our pets. Watching a pet have a seizure, es-
pecially when unexpected, can be a very
scary event for pet owners. There are many
causes for seizures in pets. Young pets can suf-
fer from idiopathic epilepsy but head trauma,
toxin ingestion and viral or bacterial infections
are also possible causes.
Some pets are born with
congenital problems that
may predispose them to
seizures while senior
pets could possibly have
a brain tumour. Some pets will only have one
seizure in their lifetime while others may only
have a few every year. Some pets require life-
long medications to control their seizures. A
seizure, as long as it is short-lived, is usually not
dangerous to a pet. Seizures become danger-
ous when they are long lasting, a condition
known as status epilepticus, or when they
occur frequently in clusters, one after another.
A veterinarian should assess any type of
seizure activity in your pet. Often many pets
will be well out of a seizure and seemingly nor-
mal by the time they get to the veterinarian, but
a physical check-up and some baseline lab
tests are warranted to rule out underlying con-
ditions. Sometimes referral to a veterinary neu-
rologist is required to determine the cause of
repeated seizure activity.
Vomiting and diarrhea are very common prob-
lems in our pets. Gastrointestinal upset may be
secondary to eating something that your pet
shouldn’t have or can be a symptom of a very
serious underlying disorder. Vomiting and di-
arrhea in a young patient should always be
taken seriously. Puppies and kittens can dehy-
drate and become hypoglycemic (low blood
sugar) quite easily. Parvovirus is a serious viral
infection that can attack the gastrointestinal lin-
ing of puppies. These puppies become ill rap-
idly and need treatment to avoid
life-threatening dehydration. Your veterinarian
can perform a test to see if your puppy has the
disease, which should be ruled out in any
puppy presented for these symptoms.
Pancreatitis is another serious condition that
can affect both dogs and cats. Vomiting and
diarrhea, with or without blood present, is the
most common sign. A painful belly and fever
are often present. These pets can become very
sick and usually require IV fluid support, pain
medication and sometimes antibiotics. Blood
tests and abdominal ultrasound are helpful in
making the diagnosis.
Other causes for vomiting and diarrhea in-
clude the ingestion of foreign bodies, internal
parasites, liver or kidney disorders, thyroid dis-
ease in cats, Addison’s disease and cancer.
Although many cases of vomiting and diar-
rhea will resolve with only symptomatic ther-
apy, it is always best to have your pet assessed
by your veterinarian to make sure that a seri-
ous condition is not present. Minor bouts of
vomiting and diarrhea may not need an emer-
gency trip to the veterinarian but any pet that
encounters repeated and profuse episodes,
especially if blood is present, should be
brought promptly to the veterinarian.
Knowing how your veterinarian handles emer-
gency calls after hours is very important so if
the time comes, you will be prepared and
know where to go. Be prepared to not see
your regular veterinarian after hours as some
veterinary hospitals will refer to an emergency
clinic as others may share an on-call rotation
with other veterinarians that may not necessar-
ily be from your regular hospital. For this rea-
son, you should bring any medications that
your pet is on and bring any other medical in-
formation that is important. Try to stay calm
and bring a friend along if possible. Call
ahead to make sure you know where you are
going and to make sure that someone is going
to meet you. Most serious pet emergencies
can not be avoided but providing regular pre-
ventative veterinary care for your pet can help
decrease some of the unexpected after hour
trips. Not waiting too long to call your veteri-
narian before the weekend or a holiday will
also decrease the need for an emergency visit
if you are concerned that your pet is unwell. If
in doubt, always call the emergency clinic or
on-call veterinarian for advice. Some things
can wait until morning but is it better to be safe
than sorry when it comes to your pet’s health.
Dr. Jacquie Pankatz is a small animal veterinarian who owns
Mountain Vista Veterinary Hospital in Collingwood.
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Pet Emergencies
By DR. JACQUIE PANKATZ
