What To Do When The Family Pet Is Ill

Many owners are not quite sure of the correct action to take when they suspect that the family pet is 'out of sorts'. All owners should have the telephone number of their local veterinarian in their telephone directory along with other emergency numbers. Don't wait for an emergency to try and locate your nearest veterinarian. If you are new to an area, ask your neighbours if they can recommend a vet, or check in the yellow pages.Check with the vet as to the after-hours arrangements; some will have an emergency phone number, others may refer you to another practice.

A good rule of thumb is that if you are concerned about the animal and wondering whether it needs to be checked - it probably does!

Young puppies and kittens are similar to young babies - symptoms which would not be so severe in adults can can be life-threatening in the young, e.g. diarrhoea and vomiting.

Birds do not normally show signs of illness until they are very ill - this is a natural protection against predators.

In dogs and cats signs that all is not well include:distended abdomen, vomiting, diarrhoea, straining or constipation, listlessness, lack of appetite, very pale gums, discharge from eyes, nose or ears, red or inflamed skin, sores which do not heal, and behaviour which is out of character for the animal

Birds which are ill will usually have fluffed-up feathers, diarrhoea, soiling under the tail or around the the beak, discharging eyes or nostrils, lack of appetite, and will often sit on the floor of the cage.

A veterinarian has to be a 'Jack of all trades' - the equivalent of the human general practitioner, radiologist, gynaecologist, anaesthetist, surgeon, etc. Their rooms must have a greater range of equipment than the average doctor's rooms, as they have their own operating theatres, x-ray machines, and hospital areas. Many animals need to be hospitalised for a day or two following major surgery.

There are specialists who are able to treat animals referred to them for a great range of complaints from dental or eye problems to oncologists who treat animals with cancer.

Your local veterinarian will vaccinate and neuter dogs and cats daily, yet at the same time perform major surgery which, in humans, would normally be carried out by a specialist surgeon - not the general practitioner. The veterinarian will set fractured bones, do a Caesarian, a splenectomy, bowel surgery. etc, and it will all be in a days work - yet the patient will receive as much care and compassion as any human patient.

Although some owners consider that veterinary treatment is costly, no animal should be left to suffer because of fear of the cost of treatment. Some veterinarians will allow you to make arrangements for payment in emergencies, and major welfare shelters may be able to advise you.

Remember - a vet is a pet's second best friend - after a caring owner!

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