Valentines Day Chocolate Toxicity Warning

***Valentines Day Chocolate Toxicity Warning***

Valentine’s Day is a time to spoil our beloveds, woo our secret lovers, and remember to call our mothers which means that Melbourne households will be filling up with chocolate. We are asking all pet owners to be cautious of chocolate around your pets especially this weekend.

Older pets, or animals with pre-existing heart conditions, are more susceptible to the effects of chocolate poisoning and at higher risk of sudden death due to cardiac arrest.

The common clinical signs of chocolate poisoning are:

• vomiting
• diarrhoea
• increased thirst
• panting or restlessness
• excessive urination
• muscle spasms and tremors
• seizures
• increased temperature
• increased heart rate
• abnormal behaviour

 

Why Chocolate is dangerous to pets:

Cooking/baking chocolate and dark chocolate pose the biggest danger, as they contain the largest concentration of theobromine. A 10kg dog would only have to eat 50 grams of milk chocolate to show clinical signs of chocolate toxicity or as little as 30 grams of dark chocolate. Whereas a mere 15 grams of baking chocolate (containing 70% cocoa) could lead to chocolate toxicity. Keep in mind that if the chocolate contains other harmful ingredients such as raisins/sultanas, alcohol or macadamia nuts then it may cause further complications.

It contains the alkaloid theobromine, which has similar effects as caffeine and is poisonous in large amounts. The toxicity level of the chocolate depends on the type and amount that is consumed, as well as the size of the dog. Toxic doses are generally considered to be 100mg of theobromine per kilogram of body weight, with fatal doses often occurring at over 200mg per kilogram.

Ingestion of chocolate in dogs does often lead to significant illness and so should be taken seriously by pet owners and treated as an animal emergency. As with all things, it’s better to be safe than sorry, so if you believe your dog has ingested any amount of chocolate you should immediately consult an emergency veterinarian and bring it in for examination at a 24 hour animal emergency centre.

Essendon Fields: (03) 9379 0700

Point Cook: (03) 8368 7400

www.animalemergency.com.au

Dr Yenny Indrawirawan, Tramadol toxicity in a cat

Dr Yenny Indrawirawan BAnimSc, BVSc, MANZCVS (ECC) 

RESIDENT VET

Animal Accident and Emergency, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia

Dr Yenny Indrawirawan has had a paper published in the Journal of Feline Medicine and Surgery

 

Tramadol toxicity in a cat: case report and literature review of serotonin syndrome

Overview: Tramadol toxicity has not previously been reported in a cat.

Case summary: This report describes the clinical signs, diagnosis and treatment of tramadol toxicity, manifesting as serotonin syndrome, in a cat in Australia.

Practical relevance: For any cat with suspicion of serotonin syndrome, in particular secondary to tramadol overdose, it is recommended that decontamination, monitoring and supportive care are instituted as soon as clinical signs develop. Prolonged hospitalisation may be required in the event of a severe overdose.

Literature review: The literature relating to the pharmacology of tramadol and tramadol overdose, clinical manifestations of tramadol overdose, and serotonin syndrome in cats, humans and dogs is reviewed. Recommended treatment for tramadol overdose and serotonin syndrome is also discussed.

If you would like a copy please contact Dr Yenny Indrawirawan via  Email: y.indrawirawan@animalemergency.com.au

www.animalemergency.com.au

Animal Accident & Emergency is seeking a full time Veterinarian

Animal Accident & Emergency is seeking applications for a full time veterinarian. We are seeking applicants with experience in emergency and critical care. Animal Accident & Emergency operates 24/7 at two locations. The position will involve shift work at both emergency centres. Our centres are fully equipped and would suit applicants looking to further their career within emergency and critical care. You should be motivated, communicate well and have the ability to teamwork. You must also display a commitment to continuing education and willingness to learn.
We believe in a team approach with a supportive environment. Our Medical Director is a Registered Specialist in Emergency and Critical Care.
The ideal applicant would have Membership in emergency (ANZCVSc) or preparing to sit for membership within the next 12 months. Applicants with less experience will be considered. Employment is shift based, with rotations involving day, night, weekend and public holiday shifts. The average working week is 37.5 hrs.

Please send applications to jobs@animalemergency.com.au Applications will close on the 27th June 2014.

 

www.animalemergency.com.au

Knowing When Your Pet Needs a Caesarean

A caesarean section is a major surgical procedure used to deliver babies when normal birth isn’t possible. This is done by surgically entering the abdomen to remove the babies directly from the uterus. While caesareans are sometimes needed for cats, they are a lot more common with dogs, especially particular breeds such as bull dogs. However, birth complications are life threatening to all mothers and their offspring when delivery isn’t progressing normally, regardless of species or breed. Therefore, pets experiencing birth complications may be in need of a caesarean and must be taken to a 24 hour vet clinic immediately for emergency surgery.

In most cases, pet owners won’t be aware that their pet is in need of a caesarean until they begin giving birth. When your pet is pregnant and close to giving birth, it is important to keep a close eye on them, especially during the delivery, and be at the ready to take them to a 24hr animal hospital in an emergency.

When your pet is in labour, the most obvious signs that they may be in need of a caesarean are:
• Your pet has been having contractions for more than 2 hours without delivering a puppy/kitten (even after the first delivery)
• Your pet appears too tired to push out the puppy/kitten
• There is a puppy/kitten stuck in the birth canal
• If your pet hasn’t delivered all puppies/kittens (providing you have had x-rays taken to determine the litter size)
• If there is a green discharge from the vulva and no puppies/kittens are produced

A caesarean section will normally take between 1-1.5 hours by an experienced emergency veterinarian and then a further 1-3 hours for recovery in a pet hospital. During the surgery and post-operative care, your pet will be closely monitored and administered anaesthetic, pain relief, IV fluids and antibiotics. Puppies/kittens will also be closely monitored to ensure they are suckling well and kept clean, dry and warm.

Generally within a few hours after surgery, your pet and her new puppies/kittens will be discharged to return home. It is important to allow your pets to have some time alone together to feed and bond, while still keeping an eye on them. Pet owners should also remember to bring their pet in for a veterinary check-up 1-2 days after surgery, and stitches will need to be removed in 10-14 days following surgery. Your vet will be able to instruct you on any additional pet care required and schedule an appropriate time to begin vaccinations and worming treatment (usually between 3-6 weeks after birth).

It is important to closely monitor your pet and her new puppies/kittens and contact a 24 hour veterinary clinic if you have any concerns at all. If you notice any of the following then it may be an animal emergency (such as mastitis, eclampsia or unwell puppies/kittens), which needs to be seen by a 24hr emergency vet urgently:

• The puppies/kittens aren’t feeding regularly or at all (roughly every 3 hours is normal)
• The puppies/kittens are crying excessively (they should be sleeping or feeding 90% of the time)
•  The puppies/kittens are cold (their environment should be kept at roughly 30°c)
•  The caesarean wound is discharging, red or inflamed
•  Mammary glands are swollen, inflamed, hard or painful
•  Mother reluctant to nurse or appears impatient with the puppies/kittens
•  Any signs of fever/high temperature, shaking, tremors, seizures or high heart rate

Animal Accident & Emergency have two 24 hour Animal Hospitals in Melbourne, which are ideally located in Essendon and Point Cook and both with easy freeway access and amble parking. Our emergency vet clinics operate 24 hours a day, 365 days a year (including public holidays), and offer all the latest equipment and state of the art technology, as well as a 24 hour intensive care unit. Our dedicated team of emergency vets and nurses provide the highest standards of emergency vet care, critical care medicine and surgery, and are experienced in treating all emergencies from right across Melbourne, Geelong and Ballarat. So when you bring your pet to Animal Accident & Emergency you can rest assured that your pet will receive the best and most advanced vet care available.

If you believe your pet may be in need of a caesarean section or for any other veterinarian emergency, please contact one of our 24-hour animal emergency centres:

Essendon Fields (03) 9379 0700
Point Cook (03) 8368 7400

 

Always Open. We Always CARE

 

http://www.animalemergeny.com.au

Looking for a Vet in Albert Park

Animal Accident & Emergency is a full service Pet Emergency and Critical Care Centre.   We are open 24/7 and often receive patients from Albert Park.  As a Melbourne Animal Hospital we will care for your pet if they are sick or injured.  Our team includes Specialists in Internal Medicine and Emergency and Critical Care.

There is easy Access from the freeway and plenty of safe parking.  We are not just open after hours, we are a 24 hour vet hospital that specialised in Emergency and Critical Care.

Two great locations:  Essendon Fields and Point Cook.

www.animalemergency.com.au

Looking for a Vet in City of Port Phillip

Animal Accident & Emergency is a full service Pet Emergency and Critical Care Centre.   We are open 24/7 and often receive patients from City of Port Phillip.  As a Melbourne Animal Hospital we will care for your pet if they are sick or injured.  Our team includes Specialists in Internal Medicine and Emergency and Critical Care.

There is easy Access from the freeway and plenty of safe parking.  We are not just open after hours, we are a 24 hour vet hospital that specialised in Emergency and Critical Care.

Two great locations:  Essendon Fields and Point Cook.

www.animalemergency.com.au

Looking for a Vet in Coode Island

Animal Accident & Emergency is a full service Pet Emergency and Critical Care Centre. We are open 24/7 and often receive patients from Coode Island. As a Melbourne Animal Hospital we will care for your pet if they are sick or injured. Our team includes Specialists in Internal Medicine and Emergency and Critical Care.

There is easy Access from the freeway and plenty of safe parking. We are not just open after hours, we are a 24 hour vet hospital that specialised in Emergency and Critical Care.

Two great locations: Essendon Fields and Point Cook.

www.animalemergency.com.au

Looking for a Vet in Port Melbourne

Animal Accident & Emergency is a full service Pet Emergency and Critical Care Centre. We are open 24/7 and often receive patients from Port Melbourne.

As a Melbourne Animal Hospital we will care for your pet if they are sick or injured. Our team includes Specialists in Internal Medicine and Emergency and Critical Care.

There is easy Access from the freeway and plenty of safe parking. We are not just open after hours, we are a 24 hour vet hospital that specialised in Emergency and Critical Care.

Two great locations: Essendon Fields and Point Cook.

www.animalemergency.com.au

Looking for a Vet in Carlton North

Animal Accident & Emergency is a full service Pet Emergency and Critical Care Centre.   We are open 24/7 and often receive patients from Carlton North.  As a Melbourne Animal Hospital we will care for your pet if they are sick or injured.

Our team includes Specialists in Internal Medicine and Emergency and Critical Care.  There is easy Access from the freeway and plenty of safe parking.  We are not just open after hours, we are a 24 hour vet hospital that specialised in Emergency and Critical Care.  Two great locations:  Essendon Fields and Point Cook.

www.animalemergency.com.au

A nervous but brave 4 year old Chihuahua

Tank a nervous but brave 4 year old Chihuahua just come in to our 24hr Animal Hospital in Essendon. Tank had been stung by Bee in his right hind paw.

Tank was very brave as Dr Yenny Indrawirawan our Resident Emergency Vet removed the sting from his paw then gave him a Histamil and Dexamethasone injection.
Wasps & Bee stings can cause a mild or severe allergic reaction, although most dogs and cats (like most humans) are not allergic to bees or wasps.
If the reaction to the sting is severe it can cause the airways to close causing your pet to asphyxiate, the sting doesn’t have to be near the face to cause this to happen. If your pet collapses or if there is any swelling around the face or throat, trouble breathing, pale gums or pain, try and have your pet taken to your veterinary clinic immediately.

For more information on Pet First Aid for Wasps & Bee Stings

www.animalemergency.com.au

Intern Rounds – Arrhythmias

This week at the Animal Accident & Emergency Intern Rounds, the team are discussing arrhythmias. Just like in people we frequently run ECG’s.

ECG are a way of assessing the electrical activity of the heart. It checks to see if your heart is beating correctly. When the electrical activity is abnormal then your heart may beat too fast, too slow or a combination of problems. In our emergency centres we run ECG’s routinely on our sick patients, looking for diseases of the heart or other diseases that may affect the heart.

In this weeks rounds, the team are revising ECG identification and discussing the latest information on medications that are used when to help the heart in a crisis.

www.animalemergency.com.au

Pet First Aid – Wasps & Bee stings

Wasps & Bee stings can cause a mild or severe allergic reaction, although most dogs and cats (like most humans) are not allergic to bees or wasps. 

If the reaction to the sting is severe it can cause the airways to close causing your pet to asphyxiate, the sting doesn’t have to be near the face to cause this to happen. If your pet collapses or if there is any swelling around the face or throat, trouble breathing, pale gums or pain, try and have your pet taken to your veterinary clinic immediately.

SIGNS 

• Bees and wasps commonly sting around the mouth, lips and sometimes on the feet 
• A swelling at the site of the sting 
• Drooling 
• Vomiting 
• Pain at the site of the sting 
• Itchiness at the site of the bite or over the whole body 
• Pawing at the mouth 
• Difficulty breathing

FIRST AID 

• Remove the sting if you can find 
• Apply a cool face washer or wash the area with cool water 
• Contact your vet for further advice

 

Animal Accident & Emergency is running 1 day Pet First Aid Courses on Sunday  24th November 2013, 1st & 15th December 2013.

 ENROL ONLINE or find out more http://www.animalemergency.com.au/pet-first-aid-course.html

www.animalemergency.com.au

Rusty diagnosed with Poymetra

 

Today we had the pleasure of discharging Rusty.  Rusty is a lovable energetic staffy who was transferred to our Point Cook 24hr Pet Emergency Centre  on Monday.  Rusty was diagnosed with a condition termed Pyometra.  Pyometra (Pyo for short) is where the uterus is full of fluid, usually with an infection / pus.

The infection makes the dogs feel really sick and in the worst cases can result in death.  With Rusty, the best option as part of the treatment was emergency surgery.

Late on Monday night, Rusty had exploratory surgery and her uterus was removed.  Since that time, Rusty has made a slow and steady recovery. The great news for Rusty and her owners is that she is now well enough to head home for some much needed TLC.

Good luck Rusty and we hope to see you back in a couple of days for a recheck.

 

The typical signs of dogs with a Pyo:

•  Usually older dogs
• Might have an unusual season or have been in season in the last 6 weeks
• Appear to be drinking more water than normal
• General lethargy / sickness
• Often are not wanting to eat or are vomiting

 

Pet Emergency: Vomiting

 

 

Vomiting is the forceful ejection of stomach contents from the mouth.  Acute vomiting is defined as vomiting of short duration (less than 5-7 days) whilst chronic vomiting has been present for longer.  There can be many causes for vomiting and some are less serious than others.  Recovery from non-serious causes, such as eating a different diet, is usually fast and requires little treatment.  The presence of blood in the vomit, continued vomiting in a pet that is becoming quieter than usual or is unable to keep any food or water down will require examination and assessment.  Very young animals can become dehydrated very quickly and they should be examined and treated early to prevent the dehydration from becoming severe.

If you are unsure whether your pet needs to be seen today, telephone our staff for advice.  Whatever the time of day, our 24 hour emergency clinics are able to examine your pet and make recommendations for treatment.  In some cases, investigation will also be recommended and this may be by means of blood and urine tests, x-rays and/or ultrasound examination of the abdomen.   These can all be performed in our clinics and depending on the test results, we will either prescribe appropriate medical therapy, recommend examination and management by our internal medicine specialist or advise surgical treatment.

When vomiting is non-responsive to medical treatment or has been intermittent but chronic, the emergency veterinarian or your local general practice will recommend investigation into the underlying cause by the internal medicine specialist. Again this is likely to involve blood and urine tests, x-rays or ultrasound examination of the abdomen, endoscopy and biopsy of the stomach and intestines. In some cases, surgery will either be recommended to complete the diagnostic testing or to treat the cause of the vomiting (for example removal of a foreign object, such as a sock, from the intestines).

Treatment recommendations will be made on the basis of the test results.  This may involve intravenous fluids if the patient is dehydrated, dietary changes and administration of medications (tablets or liquids to be given by mouth) or surgery.

 

 

www.animalemergency.com.au

 

Looking for a Vet in Parkville

Animal Accident & Emergency is a full service Pet Emergency and Critical Care Centre.   We are open 24/7 and often receive patients from Parkville.

As a Melbourne Animal Hospital we will care for your pet if they are sick or injured.  Our team includes Specialists in Internal Medicine and Emergency and Critical Care.

There is easy Access from the freeway and plenty of safe parking.  We are not just open after hours, we are a 24 hour vet hospital that specialised in Emergency and Critical Care.  Two great locations:  Essendon Fields and Point Cook.

 

http://www.animalemergency.com.au/contact-us-1.html