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Emergency Information
Hurricane Season is only one reason to have an Animal
Emergency Kit and Plan in place. Winter ice storms cause
power outages, summer rainstorms can cause flooding and
lightening strikes and tornadoes aren't unusual either
here in North Carolina.
When Hurricane Katrina blew into the
Gulf Coast many animals were left behind. Many pet owners stayed behind when
rescuers told them no animals allowed. Because of that the US Congress passed a
law making it mandatory that emergency shelters have some type of accommodations
for pets. It is still a good idea to have a
plan in place before disaster hits. Follow the links below to gain some
ideas on how the American Red Cross and the Humane Society of the United States
think it should be done. And don't forget to take the time to check out the Red
Cross's ideas on human emergency kits too!
Poisonings are also a common
emergency among animals - sometimes even fatal. Go
here for more info.
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Poisoning's
Another common animal emergency is poisoning. Young animals are usually the
ones to get into trouble with eating things they shouldn't but older animals can
too. So always make sure that you keep all chemicals on a high shelf in a
cabinet that can be closed. If a poisoning does take place
call your vet immediately and be prepared to take
the animal in to the clinic.
The most common and deadly of poisonings in animals is antifreeze.
Every year thousands of animals - mostly dogs and cats - are victims of accidental poisoning by
automobile antifreeze. A pet does not have to drink a lot of antifreeze to be
poisoned. Most brands of commercial antifreeze consist of 95 percent ethylene
glycol which has a sweet taste to it. (Ethylene- glycol-based antifreeze is also
extremely hazardous to children. A few ounces are lethal.) For a medium sized
dog, ingestion of about 2 ounces (3-4 tablespoons ) is toxic. For cats, as
little as 1/4 of an ounce (1-2 teaspoons) can be lethal. Antifreeze poisoning
commonly occurs in spring and fall when fresh antifreeze is added to car
radiators. However, poisoning can happen anytime, particularly when a car boils
over or when a hose leaks, releasing the antifreeze. This poisoning happens
often to animals who are allowed to roam freely in their neighborhoods, but
another high risk group are those animals who are confined in garages and who
may not always be provided with adequate fresh drinking water. These dogs may
gain access to improperly or inadequately stored antifreeze or lick spilled or
leaked antifreeze off the garage floor. If it is necessary to confine your pet(s) to your garage, make sure antifreeze containers are well secured and your
animal has plenty of fresh water.
The best type of antifreeze to buy (if you must have some) is the kind with a
bittering agent added. Make sure to look at the labels before buying or
call your mechanic for suggestions.
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