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.