If you are a dog owner, here are some steps you can take to keep your pet safe and thus prevent medical emergencies.
Put locks on any cupboards that contain large amounts of food
The vast majority of healthy dogs have very hearty appetites and will almost always consume all of the food that they are presented with at any one time. As such, it is extremely important to lock any cupboards in your home that contain large amounts of food and which are located in areas that your pet can access.
The reason for this is as follows; when a dog detects the scent of food nearby, they will usually do whatever they can to access and eat that food. If there is an unlocked, low-positioned cupboard full of food in your home, your dog may use their paws or their snout to wedge the cupboard door open and then consume all of the food that is housed inside it.
If your dog eats an enormous quantity of food in this situation, it could result in a vet emergency, as they might develop a condition known as gastric dilatation volvulus. This is where the stomach is filled far beyond its capacity. This can lead to the stomach itself bursting open, or the stomach becoming so large that it ends up pressing down on some parts of the dog's respiratory system and thus reducing their oxygen intake.
If this were to ever happen to your pet, they would need to undergo emergency treatment at your vet's office immediately in order to save their life. Given this, it is important to prevent your pet from gaining easy access to the food you keep in your home.
Be careful about the plants you choose to grow in your house and in your garden
Another easy way to prevent medical emergencies is to be careful about the type of plants you choose to grow in your garden and inside your house. The reason for this is as follows; there are a large number of household plants that can make a dog very ill if they ingest them, and unfortunately, many dogs are inclined to chew or nibble on plants that they come across whilst wandering around the garden or the house.
Things such as daffodils, the berries of holly plants, some nightshade plants and ragwort can all be toxic to dogs, even if they are only consumed in relatively small quantities. If, for example, your dog eats the aforementioned ragwort, you would need to have them treated by a vet immediately, as ingestion of this plant could cause permanent damage to their liver and kidneys.
As such, it's important to be cautious when deciding what type of plants to keep in your home. If you are unsure about a particular plant species, make sure to ask your vet before buying it.
When I notice that my dog didn't look well, I was really worried. Little Danny hadn't been eating his food and had been sleeping a lot. I called my sister and asked for advice. She recommended that I take my dog Danny to the vet. I booked an emergency appointment at the veterinary surgery and later that day my dog was seen by the vet. Assess Danny's help and prescribed some antibiotics. I was really impressed with the level of care provided by the veterinary surgery. Since this time, I have become extremely interested in animal well-being, so I decided to start this blog. Enjoy!