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When is it Time to See the Vet? – Part 1

Cute Labrador Puppy

We get many questions here about dogs and cats with health issues–from tummy troubles, itchy skin or ear infections to cancer. Sometimes, however, the condition of the animal is not so clear and the pet owner is not sure where to turn. A trip to the veterinarian can be stressful and costly, so some folks hesitate to take their companions to the hospital right away. Sometimes waiting is reasonable and an animal can recover from a bout of diarrhea or itchy skin at home. Sometimes, however, waiting too long can have detrimental consequences for the animal. Below we have outlined some instances where home care is likely to be sufficient and some indications that require a trip to the vet. Keep in mind, however, that this is only a partial list and a rough guideline–whenever in doubt CALL your veterinarian’s office.Minor Injuries, scrapes or bruises can sometimes be handled at home. If an animal has a scrape or wound in an area of an inch or two, first aid may be all that is needed. Larger or deeper wounds need medical attention and cat or dog bites always need veterinary attention.

You may need to begin by calming and muzzling the animal to protect yourself during first aid treatment. For immediate treatment of injuries or trauma we recommend keeping two products on hand HomeoPet Trauma and Emergency Rescue Flower Essences. HomeoPet Trauma jumpstarts the healing process and Emergency Rescue Flower Essences treat the emotional trauma that accompanies most injuries. Both are safe to give even when veterinary care will be needed and medications may be administered. They should be given very frequently immediately following the trauma–every few minutes, and then tapered off as the animal begins recovery.

For smaller wounds clip the hair away from the area, gently wash with warm water to remove debris, and apply an antibiotic cream. Keep the animal from licking the ointment off by stroking or brushing for 10–15 minutes while the medication has a chance to do its job. Apply ointment several times a day. You should see healing beginning and improvement in the area within several days. If you don’t see improvement then it’s time to go to the vet.

Puncture wounds need to be treated with caution as they can be worse than they appear and can become infected more easily than surface wounds. Clean and treat with antibiotic ointment as described above, but call your veterinarian if you see any swelling or inflammation.

For bruises or minor strains the key is usually rest and protection of the affected area. Keep the animal confined if necessary–going outside only on leash. Some sprains can take weeks to heal, so don’t let the animal become overexcited or let them begin normal exercise too soon. Traumagesic by Tyler Encapsulations can speed healing of bruising, sprains and strains. A calming remedy such as Only Natural Pet Relaxi-Herb or Love My Pet Stress Relief can help during the confinement period for restlessness or anxious animals. Provide some good chews for dogs to help them work off energy that can’t be expended through exercise.

When to see a vet for injuries, scrapes or bruises

  • Wounds larger than 1-2” andor deep wounds

Bite wounds–dog bites can cause more damage under the surface than you see and can become infected; cat bites very frequently become infected and antibiotics are almost always necessary.

  • Deep puncture wounds or punctures accompanied by swelling, puss or foul smell.

Wounds that seem to spread or become infected (red around the edges or oozing puss)
If animal appears in significant pain–there may be injuries that you cannot see or the animal may need pain medication.

  • Persistent limping or soreness in an older animal (possible signs of arthritis).

Minor stomach upsets involving diarrhea or vomiting can often be monitored at home for a day or two before heading to the veterinarian’s office. These symptoms can often be traced to something simple such as ingesting something unusual (like the kitchen garbage), or eating too much or too fast, or exercising shortly after eating, etc.

For the occasional bout of diarrhea, adding some canned pumpkin and probiotics to the food and feeding a bland diet for several meals may be all that is required. Canned pumpkin is an essential in every guardian’s pantry as it can help both diarrhea and constipation. Cats can get 1 teaspoon to 1 tablespoon, dogs 1 tablespoon to ¼ cup or more depending on size.

For occasional vomiting, a short fast (one or two meals), small drinks of water and a bland diet can do the trick. (A big drink of water can further irritate a troubled tummy and cause more vomiting). A bland diet would be equal parts of boiled chicken and white rice–given in small meals. Hamburger and rice can be substituted with as much of the fat drained as possible.

Handy remedies to have on hand for minor stomach upsets include
VetriScience Fast Balance–GI or Pet Naturals Quick Relief for fast (almost immediate in many cases) relief from diarrhea and stomach upsets. Slippery elm bark or marshmallow (readily available at health food stores) can also help calm and sooth the digestive tract.

When to see a vet for stomach upsets

  • Vomiting and diarrhea occur together
  • Blood in vomit or diarrhea
  • Vomiting or diarrhea lasts more than a day or two
  • Animal appears listless
  • Multiple bouts of vomiting or diarrhea over a short period of time
  • Animal trying to vomit unsuccessfully (sometimes with profuse drool)
  • Distended abdomen or bloating present
  • Abdomen tender to touch
  • Animal shows labored breathing or appears in pain

Animals with chronic loose stools or diarrhea, or chronic vomiting should be evaluated by a holistic veterinarian for food intolerances, allergies or other underlying illness.

Itchy Skin, paws or ears can be a sign of allergies or fleas. Itchy skin is never “normal”–there is no reason that any dog or cat should be chronically itchy. Dry skin is not “normal” no matter how hot or dry the air where you live. An animal who begins to scratch consistently needs immediate attention because it will only get worse if you wait.

First determine whether fleas are the culprit. A flea comb is an absolute essential tool for every household with a dog or cat. Even if your dog or cat is an indoor pet, fleas can find them. Check for fleas first and foremost because if you don’t and the fleas continue to multiply while you start treating for allergies, by the time you realize you have fleas they will be much harder to eliminate.

Run the flea comb through your pet’s hair and gather a bit of hair and “dirt”. Then put this between two damp white paper towels and press them together–if the “dirt” creates rusty looking spots on the paper towel, then there is a flea somewhere–most likely a family of fleas–on your companion. If you persist, you will likely trap some of them in the comb. Drown them in SOAPY water–fleas have been known to jump out of plain water. If your flea test is positive, please read The Natural Approach to Flea Control in our article archives. If the flea test is negative, then move on to treating for possible allergies. This includes three simple steps

1. Change to a hypoallergenic food.
2. Add digestive enzymes such as Prozyme 200g Powder to every meal.
3. Add essential fatty acids (preferably fish oil) to the diet.

Please note Many high-quality foods now add digestive enzymes and essential fatty acids to their formulas, but they DO NOT contain sufficient quantities of either to help eliminate allergic reactions and itchy skin. Please see the article Alleviating Your Pet’s Itchy Skin for more information about solutions for an itchy companion.

For more Dog First Aid Information go to : When is it Time to See the Vet? – Part 2

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This entry was posted on Friday, April 25th, 2008 at 10:02 pm and is filed under Dog's Articles. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

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