Christmas Wishes

Thanks to everyone for reading, joining or commenting (any or all) on my blog. A Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to you all.



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As l probably wont have much time to get on before Christmas l will post my Christmas advice to try and help veterinary staff have a quiet Christmas and you all a fuller wallet. It applies year round but Christmas is a time of many problems.

This is general advice we give out most nights however If at anytime you are worried always ring your vet. All vets in UK have to have a 24hr cover but some use an emergency service (especially over holidays) to cover for them so always ring your vet with a pen and paper handy and listen to what any message or person tells you to do.

If you are upset then get a friend or partner to do the phone work.

Never just turn up always notify your vet you are on the way down. They may have another place for out of hours emergencies or they may be about to operate and need to hold off for your arrival.

It helps also if you pre find a taxi service that will take you and your pet if you have been drinking you can ring them up instead of panicking at the last moment.

If your pet is on medication make sure you have enough to last the holiday period, especially if you are going away. Often it has to be ordered in by the vet and wholesalers have Christmas closures, so get in and order early. Make sure you know what meds your pet it on, write it down somewhere... drug, strength and when it is taken. The vets need to be able to use the info to help your pet.

Do not keep ringing your vet out of hours if your pet was admitted. Christmas is a very busy time for vets. There is usually only a skeleton staff on duty and they will ring you if needed.

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TOXIC

Some of the items to be worried about, especially about around Christmas.

Grapes, Sultanas, Raisins
Some dogs can eat grapes or sultanas or raisins with no problem, others can not. The reason is genetic – so just don’t risk it.

Chocolate (the darker the more toxic)
Only use pet chocolates this has theobromine removed.
Christmas trees often have chocolate and sweets hung on them be careful with pets trying to eat them.

Christmas Plants
Cover the water with live Xmas trees the water can be toxic if drunk.
Other Christmas plants may be toxic. If your pet eats any then ring the vets. They can always contact the poisons centre for clarification.

Do not give any medication (other than that prescribed for that pet with that problem at that point in time) unless you have been advised to as human preparations can be dangerous for animals.
Especially DON’T give cats paracetomol you WILL kill them. Do not give paracetomol to dogs unless the vet has told you can and how much to give.

Minor cuts and wounds wash the wound with a teaspoon of salt in a pint of warm water. Avoid human antiseptic solutions these can be toxic. If you are worried ring your vet. Be careful putting on bandages, often they are too tight and cause damage to the area applied, including loss of limbs.

If your pet has eaten anything it should not always ring your vet to check up if other treatment is needed even if it was vomited up. Not all will have come back up and supportive treatment may be needed.
In UK you can pre buy in some washing soda crystals and keep them some place handy and safe. Inform your vet you have them and ask if you can try those to make the dog vomit.
Only use these on dogs and after speaking to your vet, some items can cause more problems if they are vomited back out.

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CHRISTMAS & BOXING DAY MEALS

Giving your pet a lovely big meal with the rest of the family meal can bring on the good old diarrhoea and vomiting. It is safer to mix a SMALL AMOUNT of food in with their normal meal if you must. Whacking a huge meal of strange food down is asking for problems.

If your or a friends pet is on a special diet i.e. pancreatitis, renal failure, diabetic etc do not feed anything but the prescription diet. Make sure that any friends and family also understand the importance of this. That little bit that can not hurt, may well result in your pet being admitted and needing treatment.

If your dog is an adult or generally over 8mths and gets diarrhoea, and you are pretty sure it was caused by the food you gave them. Stop all food for 24 hrs but make sure they have water. Slowly wean them onto plain boiled rice or scrambled egg or boiled chicken. (no seasoning just plain boiled) then if no more problems over a couple of days, back to their normal diet.

If it is a puppy or under 8mths then ring your vet.

If they vomited stop all by mouth, once they have stopped vomiting for at least 2 hours give very small amounts of water every so often. Too much will cause vomiting. If vomiting restarts stop fluids and call the vet. Water can irritate and cause vomiting, so if your pet has been vomiting do not think "oh this will wash his mouth out". It wont.

If you are worried, if there is blood, if it is coffee grains colour and or texture, or anything looks strange, if at any point, start, middle or end of the vomiting or diarrhoea episode you are worried, call your vet for advice.

If you have a large breed lab, GSD, setter etc dog (but not always large l have known small breeds to bloat) and it starts to retch but unable to vomit They may also appear to have a rounded tummy. Ring your vet tell them your dog has a possible bloat. Bloat is FATAL and needs treating immediately.

For all ages of felines with vomiting or diarrhoea ring your vet. Do not withhold food/water from cats. Ring your vet for advice. Cats can not go without food for long because of the way their metabolism works. If your cat has not eaten for 12hrs it must see your vet.

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CHRISTMAS DECORATIONS

Lights can cause problems bite the sweets on Christmas trees and get cable in the mouth bite into it and bang.
Pets especially cats get tangled up playing with the lights cables and getting a shock.

Baubles may get crushed in the mouth by a pet thinking it is a ball. If a bauble is broken, bits of broken baubles may be pushed into feet.

Tinsel glittering can attract a pet especially a cat. They start licking it and it goes down the throat. Once inside it can get bunched and jammed, or cause a telescopic effect on the intestines.

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FITTING

Dim lights and turn off TV/radio do not try and comfort the pet. They are totally unaware of what is happening and often bite in a reflex action. They may also defecate or urinate again they are unaware they are doing it and have no control over themselves.

Wait till the pet stops it should last no more than about 2 mins. They can be disorientated when they come round and stagger into things this can go on for some time and is not unusual. They are also very clingy.

If it has one fit don’t go rushing to your vet. Unless there has been other illness over the last few days. Ring and discuss it with your vet.
Otherwise keep an eye on the dog and see if and when it has another fit (make a note of how long it lasts) ring your vet and see if you should take them down.

If the dog stops and goes back into a fit, or doesn’t come out of it notify your vet and go down.

Travelling in a car can bring on another fit which is why for the single fit dogs we advise keeping an eye on them and going to your vet after a few hrs. Dogs may fit once and never again.

In the car do not hold your pet put it in the back if it is a hatchback or estate car or back seat of it is a saloon as per earlier warnings.

If a cat has a fit then it should see the vet even if it is just one fit as they do not usually fit. Wait for a bit though to allow the animal to settle down unless it does not come out of the fit or goes straight back into one.

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The above is not an exhaustive list just a general one. If in doubt:
RING YOUR VET.

Backs and Lifting.

I have just done 3 nights and last night went and scrunched my back. We had a collapsed dog in she is about 40kg. She was lying on the floor in prep where she lay down when she was brought down the back. I managed to get her onto a nice big duvet on my own. I dragged her to critical care ward while she looked a bit like a queen gazing at one of her minions pulling her carriage.
The locum vet helped me to lift the duvet about 2 foot off the floor to slide dog and duvet into the kennel and l felt and think heard a sort of rippy tear sound and instant agony just above my hip. I managed to push the duvet in without dropping it and gasped at one of the other nurses to push the patient in properly. I couldn't believe it l have done this manoeuvre hundreds of times before with no trouble.

I staggered to a chair and collapsed, after a couple of minutes l thought l better get some pain killer in me so managed to stagger to my bag and get a couple of ibuprofen then back to collapse into the chair. After about 5minutes of pouring sweat and feeling faint l remembered l was due to put another lot of eye drops into a cats eyes. I went to icu and gasped at the change over nurse's what needed doing. The pair of them looked at me like l was from planet zog and one said for gods sake sit down. Yup l will do when l can hoist myself from the door post and know l won't fall over, luckily the chair was close.

After about 20minutes sitting l stood up to move, well stagger hunched up as l didn't want to seize up. The about to go off duty nurse said that l had some colour back. Apparently when l staggered into icu about the eye drops l was black eyed my skin was past pale and had a yellow tinge to it and l was pouring sweat great no wonder she thought l was about to kark it on the floor.

The vet went from laughing at me to worried at her description and told me to put ice packs on it then sit back down and asked if l wanted him to get me a coffee or anything else, he was very sweet still, l owe him for laughing at me l shall plot revenge.
Great ice packs l hate the cold, l microwave salads now you want me to wear ice packs. Things settled down during the evening. I refused to be booted home and just did not pick up anything bigger than a cat. I also tried to avoid doing patients in bottom kennels.
I did do the ditzy bulldog. He was so bouncy and fun for a bulldog it was quite a shock, normally they are very staid and sober. He was happy to jump in and out of his kennel when told to as l had to clean his bed.

I went out to triage a collapsed cat and my bloody ice pack slid down my trousers while l was talking, l backed away holding the cat box trying to look dignified and managed to get the ice pack leg into the consult room as the ice pack slid out all the way.

I will be rethinking my lifting for the next few days/weeks, ie wont be lifting anything heavier than a cat for the foreseeable future while things settle, continue working and take my ibuprofen think that is really the only thing to do.

The Long Carry

I have written about the dangers of sticks being thrown but in this case it was not a thrown stick that did the damage but a dog off having a good lunatic run and enjoying the summer weather. To be honest you can not blame him as we see so little sun in the UK like all accidents it was one of those things that happens. Oh dear l can hear the hands rub of the health and safely people looking for some reason and way to stop it.

The dog ran into a broken end of branch from a fallen tree. The stick slammed in under his front leg and upwards. His owner had to lift him off the branch as he sensibly froze and screamed for help. She then had a 1 mile walk back to the car carrying the poor lad. I think she was in a worse state of exhaustion when she got to us than the dog with his wound. Reception got her a mug of tea as a first aid measure.

He was very lucky it missed all vital nerves, bones, chest etc and after a very good flush to remove bits of dirt, bark and other debris he only needed sutures and a drain. The drain is called a Penrose drain, it is a hollow thin flexible silicone “straw” and is placed to allow fluid that builds up in certain wounds an escape route; they run down the outside of the tube and drip onto the floor.
If as in this case you can not pull all the muscle across to close the hollow all the way up there is a sort of open hidden space, tissue fluid would form in here and cause problems as it built up hence the penrose drain, then the fluid just causes problems on carpets.

Autopsy

The bulldog had been restless so the owners let it out the back door it had taken 2 steps and keeled over dead. He came into us if the boss could have a quick look for any obvious reason if not he was to go for full autopsy.

Given that it was a bulldog it was cherry pick a reason and that would probably be why it died. The dog was put onto the tub table. (big sink with grid on) The boss opened the dog’s mouth and sure enough the reason it died was because it was a bulldog.

The owners had given the dog a chew. It was large and flat, he had chewed some then swallowed it. The chew had become stuck but because he was a bulldog and his normal breathing was so bloody awful they did not realise that he was choking. All it needed was a quick look in the mouth and pull out the item jamming his airway and he would have been eating dinner that night, not lying cold and stiff on a vets tub table.

Since then l am always wary of any pet chews:
I make sure they are on the larger size.
Once they get small enough for the whole chew to go into the mouth l sling them.
I never leave my dog/s alone with a chew.
I am also wary about how long they have them, because in things like rawhide the bacteria build up and can cause gastro enteritis.

The Cat Leg

The call came in at about 23:00. The owner had got back from a night out and his cat had ripped its front leg off. We sent the collection van ASAP. It was a fairly local call but even so we did not expect the cat to be alive.

The driver got back and was almost crying............ with laughter. She had brought the cat back for a vet check but when she got there she performed emergency first aid and reattached the leg.

Step one in emergency first aid for ripped off front leg- Un tuck the leg from the collar where it was stuck.
Step two - Tickle tummy of purring pussy cat who is looking at owner and almost hear the cat say “You plonker”

Needless to say the owner was a tad tipsy from his night out.

Christmas First Aid

I thought l would get some Christmas hints up here so vet staff can have a quiet Christmas and hopefully save some unexpected costs for owners. It applies year round but Christmas is a time of many problems.

This is general advice we give out most nights however If at anytime you are worried always ring your vet. All vets in UK have to have a 24hr cover but some use an emergency service (especially over holidays) to cover for them so always ring your vet with a pen and paper handy and listen to what any message or person tells you to do.

If you are upset then get a friend or partner to do the phone work.

Never just turn up always notify your vet you are on the way down. They may have another place for out of hours emergencies or they may be about to operate and need to hold off for your arrival.

It helps also if you pre find a taxi service that will take you and your pet if you have been drinking you can ring them up instead of panicking at the last moment.

If your pet is on medication make sure you have enough to last the holiday period, especially if you are going away. Often it has to be ordered in by the vet and wholesalers have Christmas closures, so get in and order early.

Do not keep ringing your vet out of hours if your pet was admitted. Christmas is a very busy time for vets. There is usually only a skeleton staff on duty and they will ring you if needed.

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TOXIC

Some of the items to be worried about, especially about around Christmas.

Grapes, Sultanas, Raisins
Some dogs can eat grapes or sultanas or raisins with no problem, others can not. The reason is genetic – so just don’t risk it.

Chocolate (the darker the more toxic)
Only use pet chocolates this has theobromine removed.
Christmas trees often have chocolate and sweets hung on them be careful with pets trying to eat them.

Christmas Plants
Cover the water with live Xmas trees the water can be toxic if drunk.
Other Christmas plants may be toxic. If your pet eats any then ring the vets. They can always contact the poisons centre for clarification.

Do not give any medication (other than that prescribed for that pet with that problem at that point in time) unless you have been advised to as human preparations can be dangerous for animals.
Especially DON’T give cats paracetomol you WILL kill them. Do not give paracetomol to dogs unless the vet has told you can and how much to give.

Minor cuts and wounds wash the wound with a teaspoon of salt in a pint of warm water. Avoid human antiseptic solutions these can be toxic. If you are worried ring your vet. Be careful putting on bandages, often they are too tight and cause damage to the area applied, including loss of limbs.

If your pet has eaten anything it should not always ring your vet to check up if other treatment is needed even if it was vomited up. Not all will have come back up and supportive treatment may be needed.
In UK you can pre buy in some washing soda crystals and keep them some place handy and safe. Inform your vet you have them and ask if you can try those to make the dog vomit.
Only use these on dogs and after speaking to your vet, some items can cause problems when they are vomited back out.

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CHRISTMAS & BOXING DAY MEALS

Giving your pet a lovely big meal with the rest of the family meal can bring on the good old diarrhoea and vomiting. It is safer to mix a SMALL AMOUNT of food in with their normal meal if you must. Whacking a huge meal of strange food down is asking for problems.

If your or a friends pet is on a special diet i.e. pancreatitis, renal failure, diabetic etc do not feed anything but the prescription diet. Make sure that any friends and family also understand the importance of this. That little bit that can not hurt, may well result in your pet being admitted and needing treatment.

If your dog is an adult or generally over 8mths and gets diarrhoea, and you are pretty sure it was caused by the food you gave them. Stop all food for 24 hrs but make sure they have water. Slowly wean them onto plain boiled rice or scrambled egg or boiled chicken. (no seasoning just plain boiled) then if no more problems over a couple of days, back to their normal diet.

If it is a puppy or under 8mths then ring your vet.

If they vomited stop all by mouth, once they have stopped vomiting for at least 2 hours give very small amounts of water every so often. Too much will cause vomiting. If vomiting restarts stop fluids and call the vet. Water can irritate and cause vomiting, so if your pet has been vomiting do not think "oh this will wash his mouth out". It wont.

If you are worried, if there is blood, if it is coffee grains colour and or texture, or anything looks strange, if at any point, start, middle or end of the vomiting or diarrhoea episode you are worried, call your vet for advice.

If you have a large breed lab, GSD, setter etc dog (but not always large l have known small breeds to bloat) and it starts to retch but unable to vomit They may also appear to have a rounded tummy. Ring your vet tell them your dog has a possible bloat.
Bloat is FATAL and needs treating immediately.

For all ages of felines with vomiting or diarrhoea ring your vet. Do not withhold food/water from cats. Ring your vet for advice. Cats can not go without food for long because of the way their metabolism works. If your cat has not eaten for 12hrs it must see your vet.

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CHRISTMAS DECORATIONS

Lights can cause problems bite the sweets on Christmas trees and get cable in the mouth bite into it and bang.
Pets especially cats get tangled up playing with the lights cables and getting a shock.

Baubles may get crushed in the mouth by a pet thinking it is a ball. If a bauble is broken, bits of broken baubles may be pushed into feet.

Tinsel glittering can attract a pet especially a cat. They start licking it and it goes down the throat. Once inside it can get bunched and jammed, or cause a telescopic effect on the intestines.

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FITTING

Dim lights and turn off TV/radio do not try and comfort the pet. They are totally unaware of what is happening and often bite in a reflex action. They may also defecate or urinate again they are unaware they are doing it and have no control over themselves.

Wait till the pet stops it should last no more than about 2 mins. They can be disorientated when they come round and stagger into things this can go on for some time and is not unusual. They are also very clingy.

If it has one fit don’t go rushing to your vet. Unless there has been other illness over the last few days. Ring and discuss it with your vet.
Otherwise keep an eye on the dog and see if and when it has another fit (make a note of how long it lasts) ring your vet and see if you should take them down.

If the dog stops and goes back into a fit, or doesn’t come out of it notify your vet and go down.

Travelling in a car can bring on another fit which is why for the single fit dogs we advise keeping an eye on them and going to your vet after a few hrs. Dogs may fit once and never again.

In the car do not hold your pet put it in the back if it is a hatchback or estate car or back seat of it is a saloon as per earlier warnings.

If a cat has a fit then it should see the vet even if it is just one fit as they do not usually fit. Wait for a bit though to allow the animal to settle down unless it does not come out of the fit or goes straight back into one.

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PARTY and FIREWORK STRESS

An earlier blog contains a lot of advice. It applies to new and old pets (all species) with safe areas and locked doors.

And for fireworks this blog has advice.

Especially if your cat is a nervous type or has a history of not urinating they may stop urinating with all the stress of Christmas. This is more obvious if a litter tray is used, they strain a lot but nothing or just a few drops come out. The pet MUST see a vet, non urination can be FATAL.

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I am sure l have missed some info off this, it is just a basic guide. If in doubt about your pet speak to the vet.

First Aid Skills

A few years ago the practice l was at had a high reception desk, unless you were standing it was a struggle to see over it.

I did nights and at about 1am we had a cat in that had been in an RTA. The owner and her sister had been out at a party, got home, found him injured, and brought him in. We kept Socks in for obs. but he seemed ok, just shaken.

The pair came up to the desk and l asked the owner to sign the consent for treatment form. Her eyes rolled up into her head and she went down like a fallen brick.
Her sister said some thing like “oh no not again” and knelt down to put her in recovery. I managed to squeeze out from behind the desk. The unconscious owner was lying across the entrance.

She kept coming to then fading out again. The sister said “don’t worry she has a blood pressure problem. The party tonight and now this with socks has just upset her”

After about 10minutes of in and out l had had enough. I said l was going to have to call for an ambulance. The sister was upset as she said it would all resolve. I apologised but l had proper (ok to me proper) patients to see to and this was wasting time.

The sister agreed, not that she had a choice l was dialling 999. When l put the phone down the vet who had been sitting down behind reception listening and not offering to help made his move.

He jumped up
Looked down at the owner lying on the floor still fading in and out of consciousness, more out than in. When he judged she was on a slight conscious mode he said …..

“How do you want to pay your bill… cash or credit card?”

Oh dear god how l wanted the earth to open up and swallow me at that moment. How can one describe the total and utter embarrassment of that situation. I wanted to strangle him. If there had been something handy l would have pulped him with it.

The sister looked across at the vet also shocked and said “l will sort it don’t worry” and paid by cheque.

The ambulance came and took the sister inside their little “room on wheels” and ran some tests, checked her medication and sent her home. The cat went home the next day.