Claws, or nails, are dead, horny structures on the ends of each of a dog’s toes. The special skin that makes them has a very rich blood supply, and the claws of some young dogs up to two years old have been recorded as growing as much as six inches per week. In older dogs, the claws may grow at half that rate.
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Many traffic accidents involving dogs, both minor and severe, could have been prevented with proper obedience training. Be sure that your dog is well trained and always under the control of a reasonable person when he is being walked outside, especially when being walked near a busy road.
If for some reason an accident does occur and your dog gets hit by a car, do not panic. Keep your emotions in check and use common sense. Your dog is still very much at risk for further injury, so be extremely careful when moving him out of further danger.
When giving birth, If your female dog takes an hour or slightly longer between puppies once whelping begins or she appears to lack the adequate muscular control needed to push the puppies out, she could be suffering from inertia. Apparent inertia may be counteracted at times by a moderate amount of exercise such as walking around the yard, a glass of milk as a calcium source or a ride around the block in the car. If none of these combined methods show results within 30 minutes, contact your veterinarian immediately.
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Modern drugs are surely a benefit to the practice of veterinary medicine. They have helped save the lives of many critically ill dogs and restored countless others to normal health. Yet improperly used, they cannot only fail in their intended function, but can actually create a more serious threat to your dog. An antibiotic given at haphazard and infrequent intervals can create a resistant strain of bacteria. A corticosteroid abruptly discontinued after long use can precipitate a dangerous adrenal gland hormone imbalance. A drug intended to be given four times a day may produce a dangerously high blood level if given, only twice a day, but at double the dose.
When your veterinarian dispenses or prescribes medication for your aging dog, he or she should also give you the following information in addition to the dose and frequency. Do not hesitate to ask your vet the following questions:
1. What is the medication expected to do?
2. How soon can improvement be expected?
3. How long should you wait if there is no change in condition?
4. How long should the medication be continued?
5. Is the medicine to be stopped abruptly or is the dose to be reduced and how?
6. Does the medicine need special storage? Away from light? Refrigeration? Must it be kept airtight?
7. What possible side effects might be expected?
The dispensing label or prescription should carry specific directions for use, which should be followed explicitly. Is the medication to be given before or after or with food, or perhaps on an
empty stomach which should remain empty for a specified time? Some medicines are inactivated by food, due to mechanical or chemical interference with their absorption from the stomach or small intestine.
If there is more than one type of medication, can they be given together, or is there a particular sequence of administration or time interval between them? Certain drugs interfere with each other when given together while others will intensify the reaction. The directions say “three times daily.” Does that mean morning, noon, and night or breakfast, lunch, and supper or every eight hours? The effective levels in the blood of some medications fall more rapidly than others and require administration at regular and specific time intervals.
The prescribed tablet is quit large and not too easy to administer twice a day. Will it be just as good to give ½ a tablet four times a day? For some drugs the answer is yes. For others
definitely not, because by doing so, you will render the drug ineffective. And you most certainly will want to know when to start giving the drug; when you get home, later that day, the next morning, or only if certain symptoms appear? Ask your vet all pertinent questions before leaving the examination room! This is especially important if the prescription is to be filled outside of the veterinary hospital.
It is our job as dog owners to make sure that our pets are happy and healthy. However, it is not always an easy job given that our dogs are curious and intelligent creatures with a tendency to get themselves into all kinds of trouble. And when they do get in sick or hurt, it is up to us to examine them and find out exactly what the problem is.
While there is no substitute for veterinary care, especially when your dog is seriously hurt or injured, there are many things you can do to save your dog’s life and make him feel comfortable. The care and attention that you give to your dog during the first few minutes of an emergency can make all the difference between life and death.
Having the basic knowledge of giving first aid treatment is crucial in that time between the beginning of the emergency and upon arriving at your vet’s office. However, do not use first aid treatments as a way of delaying much needed professional help. A more prolonged treatment can only be applied if you cannot reach medical care immediately.
In order to properly administer first aid treatments, it is important to plan ahead and have the necessary supplies on hand placed in a convenient location. Do not wait for the emergency to happen before you start putting together tools and remedies or to start reading “how to do it†manuals. By being prepared, you can help keep small problems from turning into big ones.
First aid supplies
The following are list of supplies that you need to have available in case of an emergency. You can either buy first aid kits at online catalogs or pet stores, or you can stock up on your own.
Here is what a first aid kit should include: Ammonia water, Hydrogen peroxide, Antibiotic treatment, Hydro cortisone ointment, Eyewash, and Antihistamine liquid.
The following are basic materials that you may need: adhesive tape, absorbent cotton, gauze rolls or pads, scissors (preferably with rounded tips), tweezers, a rectal thermometer; syringes (without the needle) for giving oral medications; two blankets (thick and strong), elastic bandages, an enema bag, soap, and a plastic bowl for preparing dilutions.
It is also important to have your vet’s phone number available as well as the phone number of an emergency weekend visit or nighttime vet. You will also need a veterinary first aid manual to know exactly what to do in time of crisis.
