If
you notice that your dog or cat can hardly breathe and it is during the night or
on the weekend, it is best to call on assistance from the local Small AnimalSpecialist Hospital (SASH). Regular vet hospitals often close by 6 to 8pm and,
if there are emergencies after this time, they won’t be able to help these
cases. Due to this concern, when you have an emergency with your pet it is best
to contact a vet that can help you, even during the night.
Should
your pet dog or cat have breathing problems, your small animal specialist
hospital vet must be able to examine your pet immediately in order to provide
supplemental oxygen to reduce the level of stress your pet is experiencing,
which may help save their life.
Breathing
trouble in dogs and cats may be due to one or more of the following conditions:
·
Asthma
·
Laryngeal paralysis
·
Infectious Canine cough (sometimes known as “kennel cough”)
·
Anaphylactic shock
·
Heart failure
·
Foreign body (eg windpipe or bronchial foreign body)
·
Tick paralysis
·
Toxicity (eg paracetamol or rat bait toxicity)
·
Anaemia (low red blood cell count)
·
Brachycephalic syndrome in brachycephalic breeds (eg Pugs, Cavaliers)
·
Pneumonia
·
Trauma to the chest (eg vehicle accidents or bite injuries)
·
Collapsed lung
·
Cancer
These
are the possible causes of breathing failure in pets, and they can only be
properly diagnosed via a physical inspection by the vet and not just over the
phone. A vet from the small animal specialist hospital can then provide urgent
veterinary care.
Oxygen
will first be administered to address the breathing issue, and an x-ray exam
will be conducted to determine the cause of the respiratory dilemma. In
addition, if the pet has pale gums and tongue, the small animal specialist
hospital vet will check for anaemia by conducting a blood test to determine their
red blood cell count.
Animals
that are truly oxygen deficient should be administered some form of treatment
immediately. An animal may not be placed on the x-ray machine if their lungs
are not functioning well and further diagnostic procedures may be suspended
until the patient becomes more stable. Furthermore, the pet may be sedated if
it is too stressed so it can be calmed, allowing its breathing capacity to improve.
In
the event that your pet faints or collapses, the small animal specialist
hospital vet will place an oxygen tube directly into the windpipe. This is
called an endotracheal tube. If there is no heartbeat, the pet will be given
CPR in an attempt to resuscitate them.
Be
alert - your pet could become sick and there may be no small animal specialist
hospital vet close by most of the time. Breathing difficulties in a pet must
not be taken lightly or left until the morning because your pet may be beyond
help by then. Any breathing issues should be dealt with quickly – in fact, as
soon as you notice your pet is having a hard time getting air into their lungs.
If given rapid SASH vet assistance, the outcome will be much more favourable
and your pet may be saved. Have your pet checked regularly by a local vet at
the small animal specialist hospital.
For
more information on small animal specialist hospital emergency assistance at
The Animal Referral Hospital (ARH), visit http://arhvets.com/pet-owners/emergency-service/ or
call (02) 9758 8666 any time you need help. The ARH operates 24 hours a day, 7
days a week, to attend to all emergency veterinary needs.
