Holiday Hazards for Pets

The holiday season has begun, unfortunately the holidays can mean sick and injured pets if the pet owners are not cautious.

The consumption of “human foods” and alcohol may make your pet seriously ill.  Turkey skin or drippings may cause a serious gastrointestinal problem for the dog or cat.  Alcohol consumption by a dog or cat can lead to death and/or a prolonged costly illness.

Older animals are often stressed by the holiday happenings.  This stress may result in an increased susceptibility to illness.  Often stress is exhibited by intolerance to guests in the home, by biting, or scratching behavior.  The older pet should be introduced slowly to the holiday guests.  It is important that the pet continue to receive attention and petting during the busy times.  Car travel can be a potential heavy stress for the dog and cat.  Being left alone for extended periods of time may add to the pet’s stress.

Keep your pet safe and healthy this holiday season, at the first signs of illness contact your veterinarian.

The staff of EmergencyAnimal Clinic wish you and your family

a safe and healthy holiday season.

Canine Blood Bank Here to Stay

We are so excited to partner with Canine Blood Heroes to provide live-saving blood to help save dogs' lives in the Phoenix metropolitan area.  Letty and Zeppelin were pre-screened and identified as having the much needed "universal blood type".  These two brave doggies donated blood during the official opening weekend.  Canine Blood Heroes will continue to hold regular blood-typing clinics in order to find more potential matches and donors (aka Heroes).  Every canine donor can save up to 20 lives!  Potential canine donors must be up to date on vaccines,
at least 50 pounds, and willing to commit to the program for 2 years. 

Want to learn more?  Click here to view the Fox 10 News report.

Soldier's Best Friend: Dogs Helping Veterans Heal

Have you ever felt the healing power and solitude that comes from the unconditional love of a pet?

 

Hope Emergency Animal Rescue (HEAR) and Emergency Animal Clinic have partnered with Soldier’s Best Friend  to help place stray dogs with soldiers from the US military. The Soldier’s Best Friend mission is: “To provide United States military veterans suffering from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) or Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) with a trained Service or Therapeutic Companion Dog, most of these dogs of which will be rescued from local shelters. This is accomplished by pairing the veteran with a rescued dog who then train together until graduation.”

 

Thanks to HEAR’s partnership with the Emergency Animal Clinic a call for help was recently received and an amazing story unfolded.  We are proud to announce our 1st successful placement of a stray dog with a veteran.  Meet Justin and Roxy. 

 

 Roxy's story: A young couple accidentally found a boxer mix female, 1.5 years old, at the bottom of a dumpster too weak to stand or cry out for help. The Good Samaritans got her out of the dumpster and took her home.  The couple was more than willing to care for her until she gained weight.  She remained with them and was given the name Roxy.  During the weeks of recovery, and through HEAR's partnership with Soldier's Best Friend, Roxy was specifically selected and approved to be a part of the program. Roxy was introduced to Justin (a veteran) and his family. They immediately fell in love.  Roxy was a perfect match!  Roxy's journey is not over.  She still has 6 months of service dog training before she graduates the program.  We wish Roxy and Justin the best success as they continue to learn and love each other.

 

 

Your Dog Can Save Lives

Emergency Animal Clinic is pleased to announce our partnership with Canine Blood Heroes® to help save dogs’ lives.  Dogs need transfusions, just like people.  They can lose blood in an accident, surgery, or have life threatening diseases that destroy red blood cells or prevent blood cells from clotting.  The demand for canine blood and plasma is increasing.  Through the help of willing canine volunteers (aka heroes), the much needed supply can be met. 

Canine Blood Heroes® has helped save the lives of 600-700 dogs since 2009. This organization has decided to expand its operation and the newest location will be housed at the Emergency Animal Clinic in Phoenix, AZ.  Could your dog be part of this blood donation program and help save lives?  Please look for further information about date and times for the next blood typing clinic.  Blood typing is the first important step to determine if your pet qualifies to be an active participant. 

Pre-anesthetic Labwork


Q:  Why does my pet need blood work prior to any type of surgical procedure?
A:  Most veterinarians recommend pre-anesthetic blood work, also known as pre-surgical blood work, prior to performing surgery.  These tests help your veterinarian evaluate your pet's internal organ function prior to administering pre anesthetic drugs.  Often, these diagnostics provide key information which may influence the anesthetic protocol that your veterinarian chooses.

Doctors at Emergency Animal Clinic will discuss your pet's treatment plan and options with you prior to performing any type of surgery.  We run our pre-anesthetic blood work "in-house" to help ensure that the results are completed in an accurate and timely manner.  Our staff believes that pre-anesthetic blood work is an important tool.  Our goal: we want your pet's anesthetic and surgical experience to be successful.

For further information, click on the video link below.
Video: Pre-anesthetic Labwork

A Partnership to Help Sick and Injured Stray Animals

 

HOPE EMERGENCY ANIMAL RESCUE

 

Did you know that since 2010, Hope Emergency Animal Rescue (HEAR) has rescued 8,023 stray animals?  How does this organization work?  HEAR is a 501-c3 non-profit and an all volunteer organization. HEAR partners with the valley’s premier 24 hour Emergency Animal Clinic (EAC).  Sick or injured stray animals may be taken to any of the five EAC locations at no cost when found by firefighters, police officers or good Samaritans.  HEAR's ultimate goal is to build a no-kill sanctuary where many pets will have a home where they can be rehabilitated while they wait for their forever home.  You can help HEAR meet their goal by donating money towards this wonderful cause.  To learn more, click here to visit HEAR's website.

Pet First Aid- Are you prepared?

You never know when an accident will happen.  Keeping a pet emergency kit at your home is a good idea. A smaller kit could be used in the car. You can put a first aid kit together yourself and buy the items separately, or buy one ready-made. If you make one yourself, use a small plastic tub with a tight fitting lid to store the following items:

Your Kit Should Include: Batteries A Flashlight Cotton balls and swabs Scissors Tweezers Sterile gauze pads and bandages First aid tape Antibacterial ointment Hydrogen peroxide Rubbing alcohol Antiseptic wipes A muzzle A leash A splint Styptic powder to stop bleeding Prescription medications (for you and your pets) Sterile latex gloves Eye wash A book on human and pet first aid Benadryl A blanket A large bottle of water Self-activating hot pack Self-activating ice pack Hydrocortisone cream Copies of veterinary documents Thermometer Important Phone Numbers
•	Veterinary clinic phone number and directions to the clinic
•	Emergency clinic phone number and directions
•	Poison control center phone numbers

Building a First Aid Kit Isn't Enough
Purchasing or building a kit is a great first step, but won't be a lot of help in the event of an emergency if you are not familiar with how and when to use the items. I would highly recommend any or all of the following to be prepared in the event of an emergency:

• Take a pet first aid class - check with your veterinarian, community college or the Red Cross.
• Read pet first aid or animal health books - also a good idea to include one in the kit.
• Use the Jive Media iPhone app for Pet First Aid or similar (there are several) - to familiarize yourself and have "on hand" at all times.
• Familiarize yourself with pet emergency clinics - in your area and to places you travel to.

We're AAHA accredited!

We all want our pets to receive the best medical care possible. 

That's why Emergency Animal Clinic is proud to announce that our

Scottsdale location has earned AAHA accreditation. 

 The American Animal Hospital Association (AAHA)  is the only organization that accredits small animal hospitals throughout the U.S. and Canada. AAHA-accredited hospitals voluntarily choose to be evaluated on 900 standards. Veterinary hospitals accredited by AAHA must demonstrate an exceptional level of medical care and client service and they are re-evaluated every three years to make sure they are keeping up with industry updates.

Veterinary practices choose to become AAHA-accredited for a myriad of reasons, including the desire to improve practice operations and team building, update their skills, enhance their credibility with clients and strive for continuous improvement.  Emergency Animal Clinic has made a commitment to meeting the highest standards of veterinary care. 

Grapes and Raisins Toxicity

We all know we shouldn’t give “people food” to our pets.  Quality pet food already contains all of the nutrients and calories they need to be healthy.  Still, it’s very hard to deny those pitiful eyes begging for just a little morsel from the table.  Many of the “harmless” little handouts we share with our pets are in the least unnecessary calories, and may complicate dietary sensitive chronic conditions like heart disease or pancreatitis.  What we may not realize however, is that there are certain foods that are certainly healthy for people, but can be quite toxic to our pets.  The most widely known food toxin is chocolate.  Onions and garlic can also cause illness.  In recent years, grapes and raisins have been implicated in food toxicities; some cases of which have caused serious harm or even death.

It is difficult to assess how many grapes or raisins an animal can consume before developing a toxic reaction.  Many pets may consume a significant quantity without any ill effect, and others become extremely sick or may die.  Any ingestion of grapes or raisins should be considered an emergency and be brought to the attention of the veterinarian immediately.

The initial symptoms seen within several hours after grape or raisin ingestion include vomiting followed by diarrhea, lethargy, and increased thirst.  From 24 hours to several days later, acute renal failure (kidney failure) may occur.  Since the exact toxin is unknown, there is no known antidote available.  And, because it is unpredictable how each animal will react to grape or raisin exposure, the best possible prognosis depends upon rapid and successful decontamination of the pet.  If significant grape or raisin ingestion has occurred or is highly suspected, contact your local veterinary hospital for proper medical treatment. 

Some animals may never have a reaction to grapes or raisins, but it is not worth the risk of permanent kidney damage or death to find out.  Do not give these “people treats” to your pets, and keep them out of your pets’ reach to avoid accidental ingestion.  If you suspect your pet has ingested something toxic or harmful, please call the Animal Poison Control Center at 1-888-426-4335.

Options to Pay for Your Pet's Medical Needs

Having a pet emergency is stressful!  No one wants to face a pet emergency let alone having limited funds.  In a perfect world we would all have special savings accounts just for Fido's veterinary bills.  The reality is that most of us are living paycheck to paycheck.  While the Emergency Animal Clinic does not offer payment plans (no money down and send in money when you get paid), we do have a some payment options available. 
 

Standard Payment Options

1. Cash, money orders, and personal checks.
2. Visa/MasterCard, Discover, and American Express.

Financing Payment Options
 
   1.   CareCredit® – a dedicated line of credit to cover your pet’s veterinary care needs.

• No application fee
• Flexible financing payment plans
• No annual fees or prepayment penalties 
• Quick application process in the office or online from home at www.CareCredit.com

 

    2.     Ability to Buy- a repayment program that is based on an applicant’s check writing history, not the credit score. To qualify the applicant must have an active personal checking account in good standing. A physical check to present, valid ID and has not had a NSF check in the past 60 days. 

• $29 application fee
•  25% of the total bill at the time they are approved for the repayment program
• 3 payment options available for remainder of balance.
• Quick application process in the office.

Triple digit heat can affect pets too

Record breaking temperatures in Arizona affects all members of the family. Heatstroke can be deadly. Here are the signs of heatstroke in dogs: excessive panting, lethargy, weakness, drooling, high fever, darkened gums, vomiting, rapid heartbeat, unresponsive to commands and collapse. Even short walks can create heat exhaustion in dogs during warm days. If your pet exhibits any of heatstroke symptoms, please contact Emergency Animal Clinic right away.

Family vacations can become a whole new experience if the family dog is included in the excursion. However, for destinations requiring airline travel, it is essential to know some of the basic tips for working with the airlines in order to ensure a safe and rewarding travel experience for your family pet. As each airline varies in their specific requirements and regulations, please be sure to inquire with your specific airline of choice about their regulations well before arriving at the airport.
Proper planning can make your travel experience with the family dog an even more rewarding one. Call ahead and make sure that your arranged lodging allows pets and what their policies are for maid service and if you may leave your pet in its carrier if you should need to step out. Check to make sure that your pet's identification tags are up to date and include not only your name, address and telephone number, but also the address and contact information for your destination. It is also a good idea to call ahead and locate the information for local animal control offices in case your pet gets lost during your vacation.
In order to ensure that your pet has a safe and comfortable travel experience, it is essential to select an appropriate travel carrier. Your pet should also be introduced and comfortable with the carrier well before the day of the trip. The exact carrier you select will vary based on the airline, your pet and your personal style preference.

Basic Tips for Airline Travel with Your Dog

• Schedule an appointment with your regular veterinarian well in advance of your travel date. This appointment will allow your vet to clear your dog for travel and gather any of the necessary paperwork required by the airlines or your travel destination. Most emergency animal hospitals will refer you to a daytime veterinarian for pet wellness check. 
• Determine ahead of time if your pet will be traveling in the passenger section of the aircraft with you or in the baggage compartment. Some airlines will allow one pet per passenger to travel in an approved carrier in coach or first class.
• Schedule a direct flight, if possible, and avoid layovers and connections. This pre-planning will minimize the possibility of delays and chance that your pet will be exposed to inclimate weather.
• Schedule your flight for slower travel times and days so that airline personnel will have time to give extra attention to your pet.
• If your pet will be traveling as cargo, avoid traveling during times of the year when the temperature outside will be below 40 degrees Fahrenheit or above 80 degrees Fahrenheit.
• Inquire if the airlines will be hand carrying your pet to the cargo hold or if he will be placed on a conveyer belt. If possible, use airlines that hand carry your pet or have other safety and care practices in place.
• Check the airlines baggage liability limitation policy. This policy may apply to your pet and it may be beneficial to purchase additional insurance.
• Make sure that identification labels are prominently and visibly displayed on your pet's carrier. These labels should include not only your name and contact information, but also your flight number, destination and destination contact information.
• Feed your dog at least six hours before the flight and do not offer food again until you have arrived at your destination.
• However, water should be offered frequently before and after the flight and should be available in the crate during the flight as well.

Feline Lower Urinary Tract Disease

 

Feline lower urinary tract disease (FLUTD) is the term that replaces FUS, or feline urological syndrome. It describes many urinary tract related symptoms including straining to urinate, blood in the urine, inappropriate urination (out of the litter box), and inability to urinate (blockage). The term does not indicate the causes of the symptoms, which can be numerous. Typically, bladder infection is not the primary reason for FLUTD, but it can occur secondarily. In fact, frequently the underlying cause is speculative or unconfirmed.

More than half of cats with FLUTD under the age of 10 years will have an undetermined cause of their symptoms. Twenty percent may develop bladder stones or urethral blockage. Male cats have a tapering urethra, the tube that carries urine outside of the body. Because it narrows toward the opening, cells and mucous may dam up and form a blockage. This is called a urethral plug, and it is a life threatening emergency. The cat will usually howl or growl in pain while it strains to urinate, but it will be unable to do so or pass tiny drops of blood-tinged urine. Females rarely develop a blockage, but it does occur.

For cats over 10 years old with FLUTD, more than half will have a concurrent bladder infection and some degree of kidney dysfunction. Therefore, while extensive testing for a cause of symptoms may not yield results in younger cats, older cats with FLUTD should be screened for kidney failure.
Idiopathic cystitis describes a chronically inflamed bladder with an unknown cause. Cats may strain, urinate outside of the litter pan, and pass blood. No infection is associated with this condition.
When a cat presents with any of the symptoms listed above, a urinalysis is performed to categorize the type of urinary tract disease. Cells found in the urine sediment can allude to a bacterial infection as a primary or secondary factor. Antibiotics are prescribed any time a large number of white blood cells, the cells that fight infection, are observed. Sometimes, bacteria are obvious under the microscope. In this case, a culture and susceptibility should be run to determine the type of bacteria present and whether it has any antibiotic resistance. Most cats with FLUTD will have a large number of red blood cells present on urinalysis. Blood may be obvious to the owner, or it may be occult, revealed only on microscopic examination. X-rays and/or ultrasound of the urinary tract may be performed on all symptomatic cats to rule out bladder stones. Bladder stones are less common in cats than in dogs, but if they are present, symptoms will not resolve until they are removed surgically or dissolved with special diets. A chemistry panel, blood count, and electrolytes may be checked to discover other illnesses that may contribute to FLUTD.  If your cat is having difficulty urinating or straining to urinate, please take your pet to Emergency Animal Clinic.