Thankful!

                Thanksgiving has to be one of my favorite holidays of the year.  This is the day when we get to spend time with our family, friends, pets, and sometimes family and friend’s pets too.  This is a time when we get to eat, without restrictions, pretty much anything and everything we want, and go back for seconds and thirds.  This is also a time when our pets have to make friends with many strange people and their pets in some cases.  Lastly, this a favorite of many pets too because they purposely or inadvertently get many treats, dropped food, and leftovers.  While in the crazy preparation for the holidays, we do not want you to forget about the dangers that your pets face in the midst of the celebration and after everyone goes home. 

                Many of you have already had your Thanksgiving get-together; however, many others are celebrating Saturday and Sunday with extended family and friends.  Dogs and cats tend to sense when their normal routines are changed.  Even the most social pet can become a bit nervous inside and react uncharacteristically in the moment.  When people come over, I put all of the pets in my room because I cannot monitor everyone and their actions while I am preparing dinner and hosting guests.  The dogs, especially, are comfortable and out of the way.  I do not have to worry about them defending themselves or acting out against someone and I do not have to worry about them getting under foot while I am in the kitchen.  I cannot tell you how many times they have tripped me or gotten their feet stepped on because they follow me everywhere.  Even more dangerous, they could get under me while am moving the turkey out of the oven and get burned or injured.  This would lead to a hurt dog and a house full of starving relatives, who are grumpy already, because the turkey ended up on the floor. 

                Many of my relatives and friends think that because I am a veterinarian, they are free to bring over all of their pets including dogs, cats, hamsters, bunnies, and rats.  Much to all of my cats’ opposition, I did have to ask them not to bring small pets that the barn cats see as a steak dinner (unless of course they do not like their pocket pets).  Although it is very true that I love all of my family’s and friend’s pets, I just do not love them all in my house at once!  This stresses out my animals and is a perfect recipe for an injury or fight to break out.  I also worry about multiple pets of different guests that have never met and are prone to some negative interactions.  I make a point to request that my guests leave their pets at home for the day, or take them to the Ash Veterinary Clinic hotel where they are treated and taken care of like our own. 

                Now that we have put the pets away while the guests were arriving and we have successfully made the dinner, the next danger to look out for is what the pets may be given to eat or what they may be stealing.  Many guests intentionally feed the pets, while others just are messy and drop food from their plate or mouth which really makes no difference to my pets if their snacks have been previously chewed.  While a piece of turkey or a little stuffing may not be dangerous in and of itself, other foods can cause symptoms as mild as an upset belly and possibly diarrhea to serious problems like pancreatitis, foreign body obstructions, and intestinal punctures which all of these can be fatal.  As you may be aware of, there are many foods that by themselves are dangerous to our pets.  Some foods are just an annoyance because they cause stomach upset, gas, and a general uncomfortable feeling.  Some of these include baked beans, broccoli and cauliflower, deviled eggs, and nuts.   Dogs specifically, can have severe medical reactions to onions, raisins, grapes, apple seeds, all kinds of chocolate, alcohol, and greasy foods like sausages and bacon.  The most dangerous and potentially deadly event is a foreign body obstruction.  Do not intentionally ever give your pet any bones, turkey, chicken, steak, or pork such as ham.  All of these bones splinter while they chew them and can get stuck in the intestines or worse puncture through the intestinal wall causing a fatal infection in the abdomen.  While most of us would not intentionally give these things to our pets, many pets help themselves.  Dumpster diving or going through the garbage is the most common way dogs get food without approval.  I recently have found a foot pedal garbage can that has a lid with a lock.  You can imagine the look on my dog’s faces when they realized they could not easily help themselves!  I also recommend putting the carcass of the turkey, and any other bones, in a sealed plastic container and taking out to a large garbage bucket with a lid which will discourage other critters from tearing apart your garbage and making a mess.  Cats are notorious for this kind of behavior and can also find themselves with a bone stuck or a perforated small intestine. 

                Now that the holidays are winding down, you and your pets may feel like having a little drink or maybe you need a Tylenol?  Remember your pets should not drink any alcohol whatsoever and never, never, never give a cat Tylenol.  Even small doses are immediately deadly to cats.  If you or your pet’s belly is upset, I recommend you treat yourself as you see fit, but please do not medicate your pets with the same medications you are taking.  Many of the medications are safe; however, the doses are very different with some medications requiring a higher dose than a human dose, while others require a lower dose.  The very best thing to do for an upset stomach, diarrhea, or vomiting is to withhold food for 24 hours and give small amounts of water frequently.  If the diarrhea subsides and the vomiting stops, then try to feed a very small amount, frequently of a bland diet such as boiled hamburger or chicken and rice.  Yes, I did mean boil!  After you boil it, put the meat in a strainer and rinse off the grease.  Mix with rice in a half/half ratio.  Other bland additives can be plain yogurt, cottage cheese, and scrambled eggs.  Give this for a day or two and then reintroduce the regular diet slowly, over a 3-4 days period.  If the diarrhea, lethargy, or vomiting continues for 48 hours, please do not hesitate to call us at Ash Veterinary Clinic and Emergency Service to make an appointment as you do not want to wait too long and make things worse. 

                I, and all of my wonderful staff at Ash Veterinary Clinic and Emergency Service, wish you a very peaceful, happy, and healthy holiday season to you, your family, and all of your furry children too!  Although I do love seeing you and your babies at the Clinic, my goal is to give you some guidelines and good information so you can make an educated decision about your pet’s illness and you will know when it is time to bring them in to see me.  If ever you are not sure, just call us!  We are always more than happy to discuss your concerns but remember it is impossible for us to diagnose a problem in a pet we have not seen.  It is always better to be safe for the sake of your pet’s health and for the sake of your wallet.  Emergency care for your pet does cost more than routine care during normal business hours.  So if you think there may be an issue, try to be seen during the day and we will accommodate you as best as we can.  On the other hand, sometimes your pet will get very sick at night and will need immediate care. Now that we have an emergency doctor and staff at Ash Veterinary Clinic and Emergency Service you can call us anytime, day or night, and we will be there to care for your loved one.