I need 10ccs of red wine, stat – my boyfriend and the dog are sick at the same time! Christina Peden had two medical emergencies: one of the human type and one of the canine type. Here’s how I handled a week full of priorities that would knock our feet.
Well, folks: It’s been quite a week. Not only did my boyfriend have a high fever that we ended up in the hospital, but we did have our first veterinary “emergency” with our dog, Matilda. Luckily, it ended up being not too serious and she was fine (it’s just kennel cough and she’s a cough suppressant), but at the time, I didn’t know it and was clearly really worried!
As a first-time puppy parent, it was a scary situation, and it was easy to freak out. And she did a little but mostly (with a huge thanks to Ryan) she stayed calm, took Matilda to the vet and got a diagnosis. And it’s okay
Related: The unexpected costs of being a parent
If you have just adopted a pet or are thinking of doing so, keep reading. There will probably come a time when you need to make an unscheduled trip to the vet, and these five steps will keep you from losing your mind over a potential crisis.
Disclaimer: I am not a veterinarian and neither are you (unless of course, she has completed years of medical training and is a certified veterinarian). If you’re really worried about your pet, it never hurts to give your vet (or nearest emergency clinic) a call to see if you should bring them in. Money comes and goes, but the love of a pet is always. If your furry friend needs serious care, most vets will want to set up a payment plan with you if you can’t pay all the costs up front.
- Do not panic
I know I know. it`s And therefore It’s easy to say this even the dog is going to pat the sick or wounded.
I’m notoriously hard-headed even when things are okay, so this was a challenge for me. In the middle of the night a few days ago, when Matilda had started to cough so much that she was spitting up what appeared to be some kind of bile, she kind of freaked out a bit.
And while Ryan and I agreed that she needed to see her vet, I was willing to sound all the alarm bells and take her to the emergency clinic, even though her vet office opens early in the morning and is five minutes away from our house. Ryan thought we should wait a few hours and call the vet first thing. Turns out, he was right. (Did you see that, honey? You just said you were right. Enjoy the feeling while it lasts!)
Related: Compassionate pet parenting methods
The point is, even in a real emergency, it’s best for you and your pet if you can try to stay calm. You will be better able to help your pet and report the nuances of symptoms when you get to the vet if you are not in such a panic.
Just breathe…into a paper bag if needed.
- Stay off the internet (most of them)
The Internet is both a blessing and a curse. I’m sure you’ve done this too: You’re sick and you start Googling your symptoms. You end up on WebMD or a similar website. Suddenly your “headache” is a brain aneurysm and your indigestion is a perforated stomach ulcer because you match one or two of these symptomatic conditions.
It’s easy to do the same with your pet. Googled Matilda and their possible symptoms were she was coughing in the house or she might have a small piece of cowhide stuck in her esophagus, neither of which can wait a few hours until the vet office opens.
She had been coughing for two days, but she was still eating, drinking and playing. Her energy levels were normal, and she was going about her regular schedule, so we knew the cough wasn’t affecting her body in any other way. If she was lethargic or not eating or drinking, we would have taken her to the emergency clinic, no questions asked.
However, if I had given weight to some of the things I had read on the Internet (such as that she could have a Bloat, which is often fatal) I would have freaked out and rushed her to an ER doggy, which would have ended the top in this case. We gave her a spoonful of coconut oil and her cough was resolved, which helped us feel confident that we were making the right decision waiting a few hours for Matilda’s vet call.
- Call your vet
If your pet is in apparent distress, I sure don’t need to tell you that you should get to the nearest vet clinic, no matter what.
After Matilda’s seizure overnight, I called the vet’s office as soon as she opened up. When I told them about her symptoms, they didn’t see it as an emergency, but they had an open appointment at 10:30, so I took her.
After a physical exam, the vet said she was fairly certain Matilda had kennel cough (even though she had all her vaccinations in the spring). Kennel cough is not particularly dangerous. It’s basically like a dog cold that usually goes away on its own. We went home with a cough suppressant and were ordered to keep Matilda away from other dogs for two weeks, because kennel cough is very contagious. So far, cough syrup helps mate better.
I’m glad we know what’s wrong, and I’m also glad I didn’t bother too much (Ryan helped with that). We could have spent hundreds or thousands of dollars on unnecessary tests at the emergency clinic that would have been very stressful for Matilda. Instead, she went to the vet’s office she is familiar with And Our bill was just over $100.
- Take the time you need
Your pet is like your family, right? right.
So if you need to take a sick or personal day, a day to care for your pet, or take a scheduled appointment, do it. Your business is not going anywhere. It will still be there when you get back. That’s what I did, and I don’t regret it for a second.
These days it’s easy to feel like work should be the most important thing in your life. guess what? it’s not. At the end of your life, you will want to do no more. You wouldn’t want to go to work one day instead of taking your dog to the vet and potentially saving his life.
The point is, you must do what you need to do to take care of those you love, whether they are human or animal. A job is just that: a job. If you’re putting work before the people and pets you love, you’re doing it wrong (sorry).
- Give your pet some extra love
Even if it’s something as harmless as kennel cough, give your pet some extra affection with lots of cuddles and kind words. They are not feeling their best and a little comfort goes a long way.
For example, I’m sure Matilda thinks we’re punishing her when we give her a cough! Even though it’s cherry flavored, it’s still a cough medicine and it doesn’t taste great so we have to put it in her mouth with a syringe.
After we nurse her, we’re sure to give her some hugs and tell her she’s a good girl. Otherwise, she seems to think she did something wrong!
So here you go: This is your totally free pet pass (as if you haven’t already!). For all the love they give you, they deserve an extra crowd or two.
Christina Peden is a lifelong animal lover and avid wordsmith. She lives in Toronto with her boyfriend Ryan where they are proud parents to two pets, Matilda and cat, Oscar. In her spare time, she can be found enjoying Toronto, which is a very short yard season in Canada, taking advantage of the city’s many parks or curling up with a good book.
