The emergency department at Sydney’s Small Animal Specialist Hospital is prepping for a busy festive season, with an increase in holiday-related incidents expected over the Christmas break.
The team at SASH are urging all pet owners to take extra
care over Christmas in a bid to avoid unnecessary vet visits, particularly when
it comes to taking your furry friends on holidays or giving them special
holiday treats.
Dr Tim Hopkins, Emergency and Critical Care Vet at SASH,
says that holiday incidents are easily avoidable and there are plenty of things
pet owners can do to make the holidays just as enjoyable for their pets.
“Lots of people are travelling with their pets during this
time, so it’s important to consider what it’s going to be like for your pet
there,” he said.
“If you’re heading up to Noosa for example, you might not
have given your pet tick prevention treatment which they’ll need heading into tick
territory especially.”
The team at SASH recently helped a 9-year-old Beagle, Charlie - who swallowed over 600 grams of chocolate, plus the wrappers.
“Most people know how dangerous chocolate can be for dogs,
but it’s just as important to look out for the wrappers and other packaging
that pets can ingest, so your Christmas morning of opening presents isn’t
derailed by a trip to the emergency vet,” said Dr Hopkins.
And if you notice some rum balls missing or your pet has
taken a sizeable chomp from the fruitcake, the Animal Poisons Helpline is
available 7-days a week for free advice.
Dr Adi Frisch, Poisons Information Specialist from the Animal Poisons Helpline says the service often gets calls relating to alcohol, chocolate, BBQ meats and even poinsettias, but it is also important for things like rat, ant and cockroach poisons to be kept well clear of pets.
“If something does happen, the best thing to do is to call the
helpline to check if you should be worried and get a full risk assessment in
order to make the decision if you should be taking your animal to the vet,” she
said.
The festive season also means fireworks, which can place
dogs under a lot of stress, however Dr Hopkins says that pet owners can make
their dogs feel more comfortable in the lead up to New Year’s Eve by slowly desensitising
them with firework sounds over the course of a few weeks.
“It takes a bit of time but playing fireworks sounds at a very
low-level during mealtime and slowly increasing the volume over time, can be
much more effective than medication and can solve some noise phobias for good.”
Dr Tim also warns that some of the sedative drugs given to
help dogs with firework anxiety can do more harm than good, with some actually
making pets more sensitive to noise and cause them even greater distress.
“If you give your dog medication to calm them when the
fireworks are already on, it’s too late. Start slowly desensitising your dog,
with a veterinary behaviourist ideally, so that by the time New Year’s has
rolled around, it’s just a normal day,” he said.
In an Australian summer, it is also important to make sure your
pet is comfortable during the hot weather and is well hydrated. It’s
recommended to avoid walking dogs in the heat of the day and make sure there’s
plenty of water available.
This year, SASH opened a brand-new Emergency and Critical
care unit which is open 24 hours, 7 days a week for walk ins so while pet
owners can do their best to prepare for the holiday season, they can rest easy
knowing there are services available over this time.
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