Avoid Common Springtime Emergencies With Your Pet
Pets spend more time outdoors as the days get longer and warmer, increasing their chance of encountering dangers. By being mindful of typical pet emergencies in the spring, you can protect your four-legged friend.
Insect bites and stings
Pets who are naturally curious like exploring the buzzing, flying, and crawling insects outside, but this might result in bites or stings. Although the majority of animals survive a wasp, spider, or ant attack without incident, some can experience allergic reactions that result in swelling, discomfort, and breathing problems.
Plant toxicities
Avoid growing plants that may be hazardous to your pet while organizing your springtime gardening. Lilies, azaleas, and daffodils are typical spring flowers that might be harmful to pets. Toxic plants often result in vomiting, diarrhea, and tiredness after ingestion, but they can also cause tremors and convulsions. Cats are particularly sensitive to the toxicity of lilies, which can induce acute renal failure when consumed in any form. Any hazardous plant consumption in pets requires prompt medical attention to remove the poison and repair any harm. When unsure of a plant’s safety, research which plants are poisonous to pets online.
Allergies
Seasonal allergies can quickly make pets unhappy, even if they aren’t a life-threatening emergency in the traditional sense. Pollens, grasses, molds, and other springtime allergens can cause itchy skin, ear infections, problems with the anal glands, and other problems in many pets that are vulnerable to them. Pets can chew themselves raw or get an ear hematoma from prolonged head-shaking if seasonal allergy flare-ups are not promptly treated.
Exposure to lawn and garden chemicals
Although you might desire the greenest lawn on the block, your pet could be seriously hurt by chemicals like fertilizer and herbicide. Chemicals adhere to their fur as they wander through the grass or garden, and when they groom, they consume these toxins. Ingestion of chemicals used in lawns and gardens can cause salivation, breathing difficulties, vomiting, diarrhea, muscular spasms, heat, and convulsions.
Improper parasite prevention
Parasite populations explode as temperatures rise. To feed on your pet, fleas, ticks, and mosquitoes emerge from hiding, thus parasite prevention is essential. Always use a preventative that has been prescribed by a veterinarian and is tailored to your pet’s weight and species. Be sure the proper pet receives the right medication because giving dog flea prevention to a cat by mistake can be fatal.
This spring, if your pet gets themselves into a scrape, call our staff right away for emergency care.