ACT Beagle Club

Canberra Veterinary Hospital - 24 Hour Emergency Service - 02 62413333

Queanbeyan Veterinary Hospital - 24 Hour Emergency - 02 629925009

Tuggeranong Veterinary Hospital - 24 Hour Emergency - 02 62917711

Weston/Woden Animal Hospital - Emergency After Hours - 02 62994777

Animal Emergency Centre Braddon - Out of hour Emergencies - 02 62470044

As the holiday season is approaching here is a list of items recommended to have on hand in case of injury to your Beagle:

• 2 - 1,000 mi. saline drip
• 1 - Dry chill freezer bag
• 2 - Prefrozen dry chill freezer bags
• 2 - Packets each 100 10 cm. x 10 cm. gauze swabs
• 2 - 80 mm. Elastoplast elastic bandages
• 1 - 100 mm. blue bandage
• 1 - 550 ml. Vetadlne Medicated Animal Wash
• 1 - 20 gm. Lotagen astringent/antiseptic gel
• 3 - Pairs disposable gloves

In addition, you could add:

• 1 -12.5 gm.  Medipuly antiseptic powder
• 4 -bandage supports to cover ears/neck (made by cutting 15 cm. length of stocking
• First Aid Kit for people contains scissors/ tweezers/ forceps and adhesive tape that can also be added to your dog kit.

• Injury from an accident or animal flight; often there are internal injuries that only a vet can detect
• A change in the way your pet acts or looks
• Vomiting or diarrhoea
• Not eating for more than one day
• Coughing, sneezing or runny eyes
• Lumps and bumps
• Limping, lameness or pain
• Excessive drinking

Over the weekend the doting owner of two young lab mixes purchased Cocoa Mulch from Target to use in their garden. They loved the way it smelled and it was advertised to keep cats away from their garden. Their dog Calypso decided that the mulch smelled good enough to eat and devoured a large helping. She vomited a few times which was typical when she eats something new but wasn ' t acting lethargic in any way. The next day, Mom woke up and took Calypso out for her morning walk . Half way through the walk, she had a seizure and died instantly.

Although the mulch had NO warnings printed on the label, upon further investigation on the company ' s website, this product is HIGHLY toxic to dogs and cats.

Cocoa Mulch is manufactured by Hershey ' s, and they claim that ' It is true that studies have shown that 50% of the dogs that eat Cocoa Mulch can suffer physical harm to a variety of degrees (depending on each individual dog). However, 98% of all dogs won ' t eat it. '

This Snopes site gives the following information: http://www.snopes.com/critters/crusader/cocoamulch.asp

Cocoa Mulch, which is sold by Home Depot, Foreman ' s Garden Supply and other Garden supply stores, contains a lethal ingredient called ' Theobromine ' . It is lethal to dogs and cats. It smells like chocolate and it really attracts dogs. They will ingest this stuff and die. Several deaths already occurred in the last 2-3 weeks. Theobromine is in all chocolate, especially dark or baker ' s chocolate which is toxic to dogs. Cocoa bean shells contain potentially toxic quantities of theobromine, a xanthine compound similar in effects to caffeine and theophylline. A dog that ingested a lethal quantity of garden mulch made from cacao bean shells developed severe convulsions and died 17 hours later. Analysis of the stomach contents and the ingested cacao bean shells revealed the presence of lethal amounts of theobromine.

Thank you very much for passing on this message. Over the past month as a change I had been buying chicken mince (pet meat) from the butcher at the Woden Plaza (near Coles entrance). I was adding a cup to the dry dog food and vegetables that I feed to my dogs of an evening. I asked the butcher if they added any preservatives to the mince and he said yes it was 223.  As it was not pre-packaged and as it was from the butcher i was not really expecting any additives. It seems that while they are not allowed to use it in human food they are allowed to use in their pet products. I imagine that it would also be in their roo meet and beef as well. I have since not bought any more. The butcher? Who served me seemed not to be aware of any problems these preservatives cause.

Emergency visits to vets spike over the Easter long weekend.

While the chemical found in chocolate, theobromine triggers the release of the euphoric hormone, seratonin, in humans, in dogs it can lead to intoxication and poisoning.

"Because of their indiscriminate eating habits, Easter is one of the times we see a lot of dogs with chocolate intoxication," said emergency vet Dr Sarah Haldane, from the University of Melbourne Vet Clinic and Hospital.

"And other pets can be affected too."

Fifty grams of dark chocolate per 5kg of a dog's weight, or 200g of milk chocolate, is dangerous.

Initially chocolate upsets pets' digestive systems due to high levels of fat and sugar, triggering vomiting, nausea, increased urination and diarrhoea.

But six to 12 hours later, the chemicals kick in, causing pets to urinate more and become agitated and excitable.

More dangerous symptoms can develop including an irregular heart beat, blood pressure changes and seizures, which if left untreated can be fatal.

Dr Haldane said chocolate and baked goods containing chocolate should be kept out of reach of pets.

"While we like to think of our pets as part of our family, it doesn't mean they can eat what humans eat," she said.

"The tiniest of pieces is not going to do any harm but it gives them a taste for it which can lead to problems for everyone."

If chocolate has been injested by pets, owners should contact their vet immediately for advice, she said.

But if the pet is having seizures it should be taken to a vet immediately.

Dogs

·          Exercise and deed you dog prior to nightfall, a well fed and tired dos is less likely to stress or injure themselves trying to escape

·          Dogs should be contained in the house or outdoor enclosure, prior to nightfall, with all possible exits blocked, including windows.

·          If you have to be away from your animals during firework activity, provide a safe space indoors with a chew toys, bones and their normal bedding.

·          You can also leave a radio on to give comfort.

·          Ensure your pet is registered.

·          Ensure that your pet has identification of some form.

·          If you know your pet suffers from firework stress and you can’t stay with your animal, organise a ‘dog sitter’ or enquire about medication from your vet.

Cats

·          Cats generally will try and go underground and enter places such as drains at first sign of fireworks.

·          All cats should be brought indoors at nightfall regardless of firework activity, but especially this weekend.

·          You should feed your cats before nightfall

·          Ensure that your pet has identification of some form.

Caged Birds

·          Should be brought inside with their cages covered.

·          In outdoor aviaries confine birds to smaller areas and cover caging with thick rugs/blankets, leaving space for air circulation.

Information was collected from RSPCA

The following tips MAY keep your beagle out of danger during the holiday season:

Firstly, please make sure you pet AVOIDS the following holiday items:

Alcoholic beverages, chocolate (dark, semi-sweet, milk chocolate), coffee grounds, beans, chocolate covered espresso beans), mouldy or spoiled foods, onions, onion powder, baby food (as it may contain onion powder), fatty foods, salt, grapes, raisins, and cooked chicken bones.

Ingestion of any food that our beagle is not used such as chilli, to can cause intestinal inflammation (vomiting and diarrhoea) but those mentioned above are specific toxins or could be dangerous, and may cause life threatening conditions in your beagle.

Please call your veterinarian for advice in all cases to ensure that your beagle doesn’t need emergency veterinary care.

Christmas tree water often contains fertilisers that, if ingested, cause stomach upsets.  Stagnant tree water can have extremely high bacterial content, which can cause vomiting, nausea, and diarrhoea, if ingested. 

Electrical cords should be hidden or covered safely.  If they care chewed while connected they could electrocute your beagle.

Glass ornaments can cut the tissues of the gastrointestinal tract is ingested, or cause some very nasty cuts if the ornament breaks and is stepped on.

Ribbons and tinsel can get stuck in the intestines and cause intestinal obstruction in ingested.

Batteries contain corrosives.  If ingested they can cause serious ulceration or burns to the mouth, tongue and intestines.

Arthritis:

The cold winter months can bring on or make worse, arthritis complaints in older beagles.  Below are a few simple guidelines you need to follow in order to keep you beagle comfortable:

• They must have somewhere warm and dry to sleep (If sleeping outside, their bed should be lifted off the ground);
• They must not be allowed to get overweight;
• They will benefit from light exercise;
• Have them checked by your vet regularly because there are a number of different treatment that can be used to treat the condition, such as analgesics, or a series of cartophen injections.

Obesity:

 Winter is a difficult time for watching your beagle's weight.  Often we don't exercise our pets as much due to the inclement weather.  The other problem is, that cold weather can make us all feel hungry and we tend to over-feed ourselves, and our pets as well.  BEAGLES ARE EASY TO OVER-FEED. They will always tell you they are hungry.  DON"T LISTEN TO THEM.  If you have trouble managing your beagle's weight, you might be interested in joining the "Hills Slimmer's Club", run by various veterinary hospitals.  Another trick you can use when feeding your beagle is to add water to their food.  This helps prevent them from inhaling their food and will slow down their consumption rate.  It will also help to make their stomachs feel full (if that is at all possible). You should consult your vet if you think the problem is out of hand.  It is easier to manage this problem when you have support.