To all the Mothers in the world Happy Mothers Day.
Essendon Fields: (03) 9379 0700
Tag Archives: #Essendon Vet
Keep Your Cat Safe – Lily Flower Toxicity in Cats
With Mothers Day approaching this weekend, we thought it was important to write about Lily Flower Toxicity in Cats.
Lily flowers are toxic for cats and can cause death. Toxicities in pets are a common cause of vet emergency. Lily toxicity is seen most often during holidays and on special occasions such as Valentine’s day and Mother’s day when flower bouquets are given as gifts.
Many lily species are toxic to felines and can include, but not limited to:
• Easter lily
• Tiger lilyR
• Rubrum lily
• Stargazer Lily
• Japanese show lily
• Red lily
• Western lily
• Wood lily
• Day lily
All parts of the plant are toxic and a small amount, even 1-2 leaves, can be lethal. Toxicity can cause kidney failure, vomiting, diarrhea and seizures.
If your cat potentially ingested lily’s prompt and early intervention often leads to a good prognosis, however once clinical signs develop and progress then it may be too late to reverse the damage done.
If you have any concern about your cat ingesting Lilies you should contacting your local vet or 24 hour pet hospital immediately as lily ingestion is an animal emergency.
Is your Pet a DRUG USER?
Toxicities are one of the more common presenting problems we see in the emergency room at Animal Accident and Emergency (AAE). Although it can be embarrassing for owners to admit, this includes accidental ingestion of illicit drugs.
There are some common symptoms that can be associated with different drug exposures; however, it is always reassuring to have a quantitative answer. There are many time where owners have no idea that their pet has found something they shouldn’t have.
Earlier this week, our emergency team were presented with a pet who was mentally altered and starting to have fits or seizures. There was no long term medical problems and the signs had developed rapidly. Given the type of signs, we asked the clients regarding access to some recreational drugs. While they were sure that their pet could not have been exposed, we ran a DIPSCAN test to be sure. The DIPSCAN was positive for a number of drugs. One being Diazepam which was given by the emergency team during stabilisation of the seizures. In this case, exposure was linked to a party held a week before hand.
Other times where the test has helped us out is when pets scavenge stuff from parks or laneways around houses. Again, owners are often unaware of what their pet has ingested. Identification is important as it can change the way we treat your pet in an emergency. Knowing what drugs your pet has ingested, can be save its life.
DIPSCAN is an in-house, diagnostic tool commonly utilised at AAE when there has been a suspected exposure to illicit drugs. By processing a urine sample we are able to identify trace amounts of illicit drugs such as: marijuana, opioids (e.g. heroin, morphine), cocaine, amphetamines, methyl-amphetamines and benzodiazepines (e.g. diazepam). Attached is a photo of a DIPSCAN test. To read the test, you look to see the windows where there is only one line.
This test can be extremely valuable when trying to structure treatment plans, anticipate future treatment requirements and reinforce prognosis.
Knowing that there is always a Vet Open in Melbourne when your pet is ill is important. Our team of Vets and Nurses really CARE for your pet. We try and make a difference with each patient. Our Centres are open each day. We are 24 hour pet emergency centres. Our two locations means that we can service most Melbourne suburbs including Vet Open Sunday.
Find us at:
ESSENDON (03) 9379 0700
POINT COOK (03) 8368 7400
A Melbourne Animal Hospital providing Advanced Vetcare for pets. No Appointment required. We are a centre for referral and emergency.
Lost Pets after New Years Eve
The Hangover for Pets
Welcome to 2014. For most of us we are just starting o crawl out of bed and look for the Panadol. At both our 24 Hr. Pet Emergency Hospitals we have seen a large influx of stray / lost pets post fireworks. We often treat injured stray animals and working with local councils and The Lost Dog’s Home re-unite many of the lost pets.
One thing that is common is that when people and pets move home, their microchip details are not updated. So many pets have microchips, but phone numbers and addresses are not correct. This can make it almost impossible to re-unite your pet to you,
If you have lost your pet overnight, please ensure that your you update your microchip details immediately
Central Animal Records National Pet Register
If you have lost your pet the contact either of our 24 Hr Animal Hospitals to see if we can help. Other places that you should call:
All the Team at Animal Accident & Emergency hope that your pets are safe and well. We are Always Open, We Always Care. Essendon 9379 0700; Point Cook 8368 7400; www.animalemergency.com.au
Animal Accident & Emergency 