Tag: pet

Preparing for an Animal ER Visit

Would you be ready to take your dog or cat to an emergency animal hospital if you had to do it in the next five minutes? Here are some things you can do to help make that stressful situation a bit calmer for you and your animal.

Angell Animal Medical Center is open 24/7/365 (directions & contact information are in the link).

Be Ready to Go

First, you should know where the nearest 24-hour emergency veterinary hospital is located and have a transportation plan and route in mind to get there. We are car-free city dwellers and, over the years, have taken taxis, rideshare cars, and accepted offers from kind friends to bring our dogs to the ER.

When traveling, we always check for the nearest veterinarian and emergency hospital. It's not a bad idea to develop a habit of noticing any signs for veterinary services when you’re on the road. You just never know when you will need one.

Do your best to slow bleeding, stabilize injured limbs, and prepare to deal with gastric upsets on the way to get help. (Photo courtesy of the American Veterinary Medical Association.)

First Aid

If your furry friend is hurt or sick, you’ll wish you knew some basic first aid and a bit about caring for a sick dog or cat. Do some reading on these topics ahead of time and consider adding a pet first-aid kit and a Pet First-Aid app to your smartphone. Or, take a course in pet first aid.

Do your best to slow bleeding, stabilize injured limbs, and prepare to deal with gastric upsets on the way to get help. We recommend that anyone with pets keep a package of puppy piddle pads on hand. These highly absorbent, disposable pads can save hours of cleanup and help reduce stress. Having had a carsick dog in the past, we have a prepacked “barf kit” that holds a few pads, paper towels, a bottle of water, and plastic bags for trash.

Poppy was on the way to the ER for a sore paw, but we covered the car seat and protected it in case the ride upset her tummy.

Moving a Hurt or Sick Animal

The American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) suggests calling the clinic before you leave so they can be ready for you. They may also be able to give you suggestions for the best way to care for the cat or dog until you get there.

Your next challenge is moving a hurt animal to a vehicle and keeping everyone safe on the way to the hospital. The AVMA begins its advise on this topic with this warning, “Never assume that even the gentlest pet will not bite or scratch if injured. Pain and fear can make animals unpredictable or even dangerous. Don't attempt to hug an injured pet, and always keep your face away from its mouth. Although this may be your first impulse to comfort your pet, it might only scare the animal more or cause them pain.”

You might want to improvise a muzzle for an injured animal as long as they are not vomiting. You can use gauze, a bandana, or scarf for this purpose. Small dogs and cats can be wrapped in a towel or blanket and carried or placed in a soft carrier. A blanket can be used to make an emergency stretcher for a large dog.

In research done with Angie's List members, 65 percent have experienced a pet emergency. We know that we have made a lot of emergency veterinary visits during our years of having canine companions.

An animal emergency is the time to accept the help of others in your animal community. Especially if you are facing transport alone. Again, this is best arranged ahead of time. You can set up a reciprocal arrangement with a friend to assist one another, if needed, for an ER run.

Get to know all of our Sunday Dogs at Boston Dogs.

Thanks to everyone who Hops over to Amazon from here to do their shopping. We appreciate your support.

Details:

Words: Penny & Ed Cherubino
Photos: ©2017 Penny & Ed Cherubino, Top photo courtesy of MSPCA.

(Adapted for BostonZest from one of our City Paws newspaper columns.)

November 4, 2018
Tips for Important Photos and Videos of Your Dog or Cat

Last week we suggested some uses for your phone beyond fun photos and videos for you pets to put on social media or share with family and friends. (Dog Lovers, Use Your Phone for More than Photos)

You should always have one great picture of your dog that you could share if your companion is lost or separated from you. Beyond that, we suggested using photos to communicate with your veterinary team, dog walkers, pets sitters, and other caregivers.

Tips For Photo & Video Communication

● Practice your photo/video skills before you need them.

● Set up an online account with services like Google Photos, iCloud, or YouTube and learn how to use them to upload your photos and videos, send links to someone who needs the information by email, or show it on your phone in person.

● If movement is part of the symptom, try to take videos with the animal walking towards you, away from you, and across the screen to give the doctor more points of view

● Create an album for specific ongoing issues. For example, if your dog is showing signs of seasonal allergies with goopy eyes, take photos of them for a few days and after treatment is underway. After surgery or a procedure take an initial photo of the scar or wound so you can compare it as days go by to be sure healing is taking place and redness is diminishing.

● Do your best in stressful situations. We don’t know if we would have been a great videographer when our first Westie Sassy was having seizures. However, we know it would have been wonderful to have been able to show the veterinary team exactly what her seizures looked like.

● Ask your veterinarian if they would like to be sent a video of a symptom prior to a visit and what they would charge for that type of consultation.

Get to know all of our Sunday Dogs at Boston Dogs.

Thanks to everyone who Hops over to Amazon from here to do their shopping. We appreciate your support.

Details:

Words: Penny & Ed Cherubino
Photos: ©2017 Penny & Ed Cherubino

(Adapted for BostonZest from one of our City Paws newspaper columns.)

Related articles

Give a Big "Thank You" to Your Dog Walker!

Great Restaurant List from Tiny Urban Kitchen: Our Friday Link

Tips and Links for Dealing with Allergy Season

April 16, 2017
Communicating Behavioral Issues with Your Veterinarian

During a routine checkup, does your veterinarian ask about behavioral issues your animal may be having? If they don’t ask, you should tell.

This is one of our Poppy's worried looks. She tends to be a bit of a nervous Nellie and this is always a topic of conversation with her vet.

Some things that we, as animal guardians, may think of as behavioral issues can be symptoms of a physical problem. Other concerns may be ones that your veterinarian may be ready, able, and willing to help you correct with expert guidance or, in some cases, medications.

Poppy has just had a checkup with a clean bill of health so we know her anxious looks are not from pain or illness.

Symptomatic Behaviors

Just as you may be a bit grumpy if you are in pain, your dog or cat may misbehave because something is hurting. Since some animals try to hide signs of weakness, such as pain, this can be an important lead that you should investigate.

Any sudden change in behavior is worth noting and if it continues, see a professional. Jumpiness in an animal could be a sign they are losing eyesight or hearing and that your approach is startling them.

Other medical causes of unusual behavior are arthritis, hip dysplasia, luxating patella, sore teeth, thyroid problems, epilepsy/seizures, ear infections, digestive issues, skin or environmental allergies, yeast infections, and cancer. Kidney or liver disease can result in toxins in the bloodstream. And, sadly, the aging process sometimes results in cognitive decline which can change your animal’s personality.

We keep log books on all aspects of Poppy's life.

Your Report

Your description of the behavior should be comprehensive. Keep a log before you speak with the medical team. Note what the animal is doing, how often, any possible changes in your home that might be impacting the dog or cat, and what you have tried to do to correct the behavior.

Once any medical causes are ruled out and any medical treatment is completed, you may still have to address some residual issues. Ask for options starting with the simplest changes before moving on to more serious remedies. Whenever possible, begin with training that you can try at home.

Should the veterinarian suggest medication, ask for the mildest option first. Finally, before you resort to stronger methods, ask for a referral to a veterinary behaviorist. This would be either a veterinarian with advanced training who is diplomate certified by the American College of Veterinary Behaviorists (DACVB) or a Board-Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA.)

Get to know all of our Sunday Dogs at Boston Dogs.

Thanks to everyone who Hops over to Amazon from here to do their shopping. We appreciate your support.

Details:

Words: Penny Cherubino adapted for BostonZest from one of her City Paws newspaper columns
Photos: ©2016 Penny & Ed Cherubino

October 2, 2016
A Sunday Dog Alert on 911 Emergency Calls

A recent tweet from the Boston Emergency Medical Service read, “When folks w/pets call 911 for help put the animals in a room away from the patient if possible. It will speed our response.”

I retweeted the message to spread the word to more families with pets and then called Jennifer Mehigan, Director of Media Relations for the department. She told me what inspired that tweet. “Yesterday, after hearing an incident over the department radio where a crew was waiting on Animal Control to secure a dog before they could reach a patient,” she explained, “I felt it was necessary to remind people to put pets or animals in a secured room if at all possible.”

Plan for a 911 Call

If you or someone in your family has a medical emergency, call 911 first. Then, move your pets to a safe, secure location. “Of course if the owner is the patient and there’s no one else around that may not be possible,” Mehigan said.

It may be wise to rehearse for this situation, especially if you have a chronic condition that might cause 911 calls. It’s always easier if a dog or cat is used to a given situation. For a pet who is never confined and the first time it happens is in an emergency, it could be extremely frightening.

Let your animal experience staying in a dog crate or kitty carrier while you clean, have a worker in your home, a delivery, or are not feeling well. Then, should an emergency arise, it won’t be a strange happening for the pet. If you don’t have a crate, a bedroom, bathroom, or kitchen with a door or gate could work.

Ed and I are currently training our new puppy to, “Go to bed.” This is a command we’ve used with other dogs for everything from a broken glass on the kitchen floor to a delivery. It means she should go to her crate in our bedroom and wait for us.

When the first thought that you might need to call for help hits you, round up your pets and make them safe. If it’s a false alarm, they’ve had a dry run. If you follow through with the call, you’ve kept your animals safe and improved your own care.

Planning Could Save a Life

“It is a very intimate thing to enter a person’s home to help them, and our staff are trained to keep the patient comfortable and try to put them at ease,” Mehigan said. “Sometimes pets in a home become upset when our crews are there and it is difficult for the EMTs to focus on the patient. If our crews ever feel that an animal will cause issues at a scene, they are told to contact police and animal control to secure the animal.”

When that happens it delays patient care. If you are alone when you call 911, try to alert the dispatcher that you have a dog or cat who will be on the scene and whether that animal is secured. That will inform the ambulance crew of the need for possible assistance.

Whether big or small, young or old, friendly or fierce, your pet should be confined when emergency responders are asked to come into your home.

Finally, you will have prevented your pet from escaping when doors are held open to allow responders to enter and exit with equipment and stretchers. Planning is not only for your health, but also for the safety of your pets.

Note: This important message was first published in Penny's City Paws newspaper column.

Do you have an Amazon Gift Certificate to use? Remember to click over to Amazon from here to support this site!

Details:

Words: Penny Cherubino
Photography: (Top) iStockphoto.com; (Middle) © 2012 Laurie Thomas; (Bottom) © 2012 Penny Cherubino

Note on Comments: We monitor comments constantly and anything that is pure spam, inappropriate, or nasty is swept away. In addition to readers' comments, we welcome hearing from the people, places, and services we cover. Often, those add great insights for our readers. As long as it doesn’t become a pure ad, we’d love to hear from you. We do reserve the right to edit ads and links out of comments.

Related articles

Is Your Sunday Dog Traveling for the Holidays? Reserve Now! Plus 8 more Tips

The Now & Future Sunday Dog, King!

Dogs on Public Transit, Boston: 101

October 28, 2012
A Sunday Dog Alert on 911 Emergency Calls

A recent tweet from the Boston Emergency Medical Service read, “When folks w/pets call 911 for help put the animals in a room away from the patient if possible. It will speed our response.”

I retweeted the message to spread the word to more families with pets and then called Jennifer Mehigan, Director of Media Relations for the department. She told me what inspired that tweet. “Yesterday, after hearing an incident over the department radio where a crew was waiting on Animal Control to secure a dog before they could reach a patient,” she explained, “I felt it was necessary to remind people to put pets or animals in a secured room if at all possible.”

Plan for a 911 Call

If you or someone in your family has a medical emergency, call 911 first. Then, move your pets to a safe, secure location. “Of course if the owner is the patient and there’s no one else around that may not be possible,” Mehigan said.

It may be wise to rehearse for this situation, especially if you have a chronic condition that might cause 911 calls. It’s always easier if a dog or cat is used to a given situation. For a pet who is never confined and the first time it happens is in an emergency, it could be extremely frightening.

Let your animal experience staying in a dog crate or kitty carrier while you clean, have a worker in your home, a delivery, or are not feeling well. Then, should an emergency arise, it won’t be a strange happening for the pet. If you don’t have a crate, a bedroom, bathroom, or kitchen with a door or gate could work.

Ed and I are currently training our new puppy to, “Go to bed.” This is a command we’ve used with other dogs for everything from a broken glass on the kitchen floor to a delivery. It means she should go to her crate in our bedroom and wait for us.

When the first thought that you might need to call for help hits you, round up your pets and make them safe. If it’s a false alarm, they’ve had a dry run. If you follow through with the call, you’ve kept your animals safe and improved your own care.

Planning Could Save a Life

“It is a very intimate thing to enter a person’s home to help them, and our staff are trained to keep the patient comfortable and try to put them at ease,” Mehigan said. “Sometimes pets in a home become upset when our crews are there and it is difficult for the EMTs to focus on the patient. If our crews ever feel that an animal will cause issues at a scene, they are told to contact police and animal control to secure the animal.”

When that happens it delays patient care. If you are alone when you call 911, try to alert the dispatcher that you have a dog or cat who will be on the scene and whether that animal is secured. That will inform the ambulance crew of the need for possible assistance.

Whether big or small, young or old, friendly or fierce, your pet should be confined when emergency responders are asked to come into your home.

Finally, you will have prevented your pet from escaping when doors are held open to allow responders to enter and exit with equipment and stretchers. Planning is not only for your health, but also for the safety of your pets.

Note: This important message was first published in Penny's City Paws newspaper column.

Do you have an Amazon Gift Certificate to use? Remember to click over to Amazon from here to support this site!

Details:

Words: Penny Cherubino
Photography: (Top) iStockphoto.com; (Middle) © 2012 Laurie Thomas; (Bottom) © 2012 Penny Cherubino

Note on Comments: We monitor comments constantly and anything that is pure spam, inappropriate, or nasty is swept away. In addition to readers' comments, we welcome hearing from the people, places, and services we cover. Often, those add great insights for our readers. As long as it doesn’t become a pure ad, we’d love to hear from you. We do reserve the right to edit ads and links out of comments.

Related articles

Is Your Sunday Dog Traveling for the Holidays? Reserve Now! Plus 8 more Tips

The Now & Future Sunday Dog, King!

Dogs on Public Transit, Boston: 101

October 28, 2012
A Sunday Dog Alert on 911 Emergency Calls

A recent tweet from the Boston Emergency Medical Service read, “When folks w/pets call 911 for help put the animals in a room away from the patient if possible. It will speed our response.”

I retweeted the message to spread the word to more families with pets and then called Jennifer Mehigan, Director of Media Relations for the department. She told me what inspired that tweet. “Yesterday, after hearing an incident over the department radio where a crew was waiting on Animal Control to secure a dog before they could reach a patient,” she explained, “I felt it was necessary to remind people to put pets or animals in a secured room if at all possible.”

Plan for a 911 Call

If you or someone in your family has a medical emergency, call 911 first. Then, move your pets to a safe, secure location. “Of course if the owner is the patient and there’s no one else around that may not be possible,” Mehigan said.

It may be wise to rehearse for this situation, especially if you have a chronic condition that might cause 911 calls. It’s always easier if a dog or cat is used to a given situation. For a pet who is never confined and the first time it happens is in an emergency, it could be extremely frightening.

Let your animal experience staying in a dog crate or kitty carrier while you clean, have a worker in your home, a delivery, or are not feeling well. Then, should an emergency arise, it won’t be a strange happening for the pet. If you don’t have a crate, a bedroom, bathroom, or kitchen with a door or gate could work.

Ed and I are currently training our new puppy to, “Go to bed.” This is a command we’ve used with other dogs for everything from a broken glass on the kitchen floor to a delivery. It means she should go to her crate in our bedroom and wait for us.

When the first thought that you might need to call for help hits you, round up your pets and make them safe. If it’s a false alarm, they’ve had a dry run. If you follow through with the call, you’ve kept your animals safe and improved your own care.

Planning Could Save a Life

“It is a very intimate thing to enter a person’s home to help them, and our staff are trained to keep the patient comfortable and try to put them at ease,” Mehigan said. “Sometimes pets in a home become upset when our crews are there and it is difficult for the EMTs to focus on the patient. If our crews ever feel that an animal will cause issues at a scene, they are told to contact police and animal control to secure the animal.”

When that happens it delays patient care. If you are alone when you call 911, try to alert the dispatcher that you have a dog or cat who will be on the scene and whether that animal is secured. That will inform the ambulance crew of the need for possible assistance.

Whether big or small, young or old, friendly or fierce, your pet should be confined when emergency responders are asked to come into your home.

Finally, you will have prevented your pet from escaping when doors are held open to allow responders to enter and exit with equipment and stretchers. Planning is not only for your health, but also for the safety of your pets.

Note: This important message was first published in Penny's City Paws newspaper column.

Do you have an Amazon Gift Certificate to use? Remember to click over to Amazon from here to support this site!

Details:

Words: Penny Cherubino
Photography: (Top) iStockphoto.com; (Middle) © 2012 Laurie Thomas; (Bottom) © 2012 Penny Cherubino

Note on Comments: We monitor comments constantly and anything that is pure spam, inappropriate, or nasty is swept away. In addition to readers' comments, we welcome hearing from the people, places, and services we cover. Often, those add great insights for our readers. As long as it doesn’t become a pure ad, we’d love to hear from you. We do reserve the right to edit ads and links out of comments.

Related articles

Is Your Sunday Dog Traveling for the Holidays? Reserve Now! Plus 8 more Tips

The Now & Future Sunday Dog, King!

Dogs on Public Transit, Boston: 101

October 28, 2012
Is Your Sunday Dog Traveling for the Holidays? Reserve Now! Plus 8 more Tips
Whether your Sunday Dog (or cat) is traveling with you or staying with friends for the holidays, it’s time to make that reservation.

Pet sitter and boarding kennel schedules can fill up fast this time of year, so here are some tips to make sure your pal will have all the comforts of home no matter where the journey leads.

All Set to Go!
- If you’re considering a boarding kennel, insist on seeing exactly where your pet will be kept and inspect the entire facility before choosing one.
- Dog hotels offer rooms with walls and furniture rather than wire pens or kennels and can be quieter, calmer, and more like a home environment.
- Pet sitters will come to your home each day, stay in your home, or keep your pet in their home. If you use a dog walker, start with him or her.
- There are also a few people in every neighborhood who make a little extra income by taking care of pets. If you ask neighbors for recommendations, you may find a gem in your area.
- Some dog breeders provide boarding services for dogs in their line. In the case of small scale breeders, your pet could have the run of their home except at bedtime.
- If you’re planning to fly with a small dog or cat, you’ll want to reserve a place in the cabin. Airlines limit the number of companion animals on each plane.
- Even informal agreements with family, friends, and other pet lovers for care while you travel should be arranged well in advance to ensure a visitor will fit with their holiday plans.
- If you have a dog or cat with serious health issues who needs careful monitoring of a medical condition or is very frail, consider boarding them at a veterinary hospital with 24-hour medical staff on duty. Angell Animal Medical Center in Jamaica Plain offers this type of service.
Pull out your to-do list and move holiday planning to the top. Doing that now will feel like you’ve given a special gift to yourself when the time comes to travel.

Get to know all of our Sunday Dogs at Boston Dogs.

Do you have an Amazon Gift Certificate to use? Remember to click over to Amazon from here to support this site!

Details:
Words: Penny & Ed Cherubino
Photography: iStockphoto.com

Note on Comments: We monitor comments constantly and anything that is pure spam, inappropriate, or nasty is swept away. In addition to readers’ comments, we welcome hearing from the people, places, and services we cover. Often, those add great insights for our readers. As long as it doesn’t become a pure ad, we’d love to hear from you.

Related articles

Save on pet care costs: 10 tips

How to be a GREAT client. Part 1

"Norman" Aces Sunday Dog Audition!

Dogs on Public Transit, Boston: 101

Sunday Dog, "Affy" Has Great Scottish Genes!
October 21, 2012
Is Your Sunday Dog Traveling for the Holidays? Reserve Now! Plus 8 more Tips
Whether your Sunday Dog (or cat) is traveling with you or staying with friends for the holidays, it’s time to make that reservation.

Pet sitter and boarding kennel schedules can fill up fast this time of year, so here are some tips to make sure your pal will have all the comforts of home no matter where the journey leads.

All Set to Go!
- If you’re considering a boarding kennel, insist on seeing exactly where your pet will be kept and inspect the entire facility before choosing one.
- Dog hotels offer rooms with walls and furniture rather than wire pens or kennels and can be quieter, calmer, and more like a home environment.
- Pet sitters will come to your home each day, stay in your home, or keep your pet in their home. If you use a dog walker, start with him or her.
- There are also a few people in every neighborhood who make a little extra income by taking care of pets. If you ask neighbors for recommendations, you may find a gem in your area.
- Some dog breeders provide boarding services for dogs in their line. In the case of small scale breeders, your pet could have the run of their home except at bedtime.
- If you’re planning to fly with a small dog or cat, you’ll want to reserve a place in the cabin. Airlines limit the number of companion animals on each plane.
- Even informal agreements with family, friends, and other pet lovers for care while you travel should be arranged well in advance to ensure a visitor will fit with their holiday plans.
- If you have a dog or cat with serious health issues who needs careful monitoring of a medical condition or is very frail, consider boarding them at a veterinary hospital with 24-hour medical staff on duty. Angell Animal Medical Center in Jamaica Plain offers this type of service.
Pull out your to-do list and move holiday planning to the top. Doing that now will feel like you’ve given a special gift to yourself when the time comes to travel.

Get to know all of our Sunday Dogs at Boston Dogs.

Do you have an Amazon Gift Certificate to use? Remember to click over to Amazon from here to support this site!

Details:
Words: Penny & Ed Cherubino
Photography: iStockphoto.com

Note on Comments: We monitor comments constantly and anything that is pure spam, inappropriate, or nasty is swept away. In addition to readers’ comments, we welcome hearing from the people, places, and services we cover. Often, those add great insights for our readers. As long as it doesn’t become a pure ad, we’d love to hear from you.

Related articles

Save on pet care costs: 10 tips

How to be a GREAT client. Part 1

"Norman" Aces Sunday Dog Audition!

Dogs on Public Transit, Boston: 101

Sunday Dog, "Affy" Has Great Scottish Genes!
October 21, 2012
Is Your Sunday Dog Traveling for the Holidays? Reserve Now! Plus 8 more Tips
Whether your Sunday Dog (or cat) is traveling with you or staying with friends for the holidays, it’s time to make that reservation.

Pet sitter and boarding kennel schedules can fill up fast this time of year, so here are some tips to make sure your pal will have all the comforts of home no matter where the journey leads.

All Set to Go!
- If you’re considering a boarding kennel, insist on seeing exactly where your pet will be kept and inspect the entire facility before choosing one.
- Dog hotels offer rooms with walls and furniture rather than wire pens or kennels and can be quieter, calmer, and more like a home environment.
- Pet sitters will come to your home each day, stay in your home, or keep your pet in their home. If you use a dog walker, start with him or her.
- There are also a few people in every neighborhood who make a little extra income by taking care of pets. If you ask neighbors for recommendations, you may find a gem in your area.
- Some dog breeders provide boarding services for dogs in their line. In the case of small scale breeders, your pet could have the run of their home except at bedtime.
- If you’re planning to fly with a small dog or cat, you’ll want to reserve a place in the cabin. Airlines limit the number of companion animals on each plane.
- Even informal agreements with family, friends, and other pet lovers for care while you travel should be arranged well in advance to ensure a visitor will fit with their holiday plans.
- If you have a dog or cat with serious health issues who needs careful monitoring of a medical condition or is very frail, consider boarding them at a veterinary hospital with 24-hour medical staff on duty. Angell Animal Medical Center in Jamaica Plain offers this type of service.
Pull out your to-do list and move holiday planning to the top. Doing that now will feel like you’ve given a special gift to yourself when the time comes to travel.

Get to know all of our Sunday Dogs at Boston Dogs.

Do you have an Amazon Gift Certificate to use? Remember to click over to Amazon from here to support this site!

Details:
Words: Penny & Ed Cherubino
Photography: iStockphoto.com

Note on Comments: We monitor comments constantly and anything that is pure spam, inappropriate, or nasty is swept away. In addition to readers’ comments, we welcome hearing from the people, places, and services we cover. Often, those add great insights for our readers. As long as it doesn’t become a pure ad, we’d love to hear from you.

Related articles

Save on pet care costs: 10 tips

How to be a GREAT client. Part 1

"Norman" Aces Sunday Dog Audition!

Dogs on Public Transit, Boston: 101

Sunday Dog, "Affy" Has Great Scottish Genes!
October 21, 2012