in Orlando, Florida. It is one of the largest veterinary conferences in the
country. Veterinarians from the U.S. and around the world gather together for
five days of lectures presented by university professors and board certified
specialists. It is one of the best ways for veterinarians in private practice to
keep up with all of the advances in medicine and learn new techniques and
better ways to treat diseases.
One of the lectures I attended dealt with "acute pulmonary edema" in dogs.
This is a condition where the lungs suddenly fill with fluid in response to
traumatic injury or other lung damage. Common causes of this condition
include electric shock, upper airway obstruction (choking), smoke inhalation,
or lung injury from fighting or being hit by a car.
This type of edema is different from the fluid accumulation that occurs in
people and animals suffering from congestive heart failure (CHF). It is also
much less responsive to treatment than the heart-failure induced type.
During the lecture, the professor presented a case-study of a puppy that was
suffering from traumatic pulmonary edema. The pup had been caught by his
choke chain and almost strangled. Even though the choking only lasted for 30
seconds, severe pulmonary edema developed. Unfortunately, the edema did
not respond to treatment and the puppy had to be euthanized the next day.
That case study reminded me of an incident that occurred several years ago
involving my dog Nikki and my next-door neighbor’s chocolate lab "Rusty".
The two dogs were best buddies and played and wrestled together almost
every night. One night, I was startled when the sound of a terrible dogfight
erupted in my backyard! I was shocked! Nikki and Rusty had never fought
before and here they were locked in a death match!
I began shouting at them, trying to break up the fight. Only when I jumped
into the melee and tried to pull them apart (without getting bit) did I discover
what was really wrong. They weren’t fighting---they were stuck! Nikki’s lower
jaw had slipped under Rusty’s collar while they were playing, he flipped and
twisted the collar around Nikki’s jaw! My dog was screaming in panic while
Rusty windpipe was closed off.
Fortunately, Rusty was wearing a snap-collar and somehow, I managed to
release Rusty’s collar and separate them. Near a panic myself, I quickly
examined both dogs. Rusty had almost passed out, and I expected to find a
broken or dislocated jaw in my dog. Fortunately, both dogs were okay and
neither suffered any serious injury.
The reason that I am sharing this story is to bring to everyone’s attention the
very real danger that collars pose.
Shortly after my experience, a client informed me that her two dogs became
entangled while she was away at work. They were stuck together for over six
hours and both were near death when she arrived home. They both survived,
but barely. What was really sad was that her next-door neighbor heard the
terrible "fight" but had no way of contacting the owner, not knowing where she
worked.
Unfortunately, incidents like this are quite common. Another variation is when
a dog that is chained up outside either jumps over a fence or falls off of a deck
or staircase or over a picnic table and hangs itself. Cats are also at risk of being
snared or hung by their collar, especially if they climb trees or squeeze into
small hiding places.
Collars are necessary for ID and rabies tags, which you would want on your pet
if it were to get lost, but, we don't want the dog to be injured or killed by
something that is supposed to "protect" it. So, the only type of collar that I
recommend to keep on your pet all the time is a safety "break-away" collar.
Break-away collars for cats are readily available at pet supply stores.
However, those for dogs are not as common and not many stores carry them
yet.
We recommend the KeepSafe (TM) Break-Away Collar and are selling them
through our veterinary practice "Healthy Pets Housecalls"
Here are some other suggestions to minimize the dangers of collars.
Microchip your pet to provide backup ID in case the tags are lost.
Never leave a choke chain or pinch collar on a pet, especially when it’s crated.
Never drag a dog by it’s collar, even short bouts of airway obstruction can
induce severe pulmonary edema.
Share work and cell phone numbers with your neighbors so that you can be
contacted if there is a problem at your home.
One of the worst things that an owner can come home to is a pet that was
injured or killed in its own home....the one place you would expect it to be
safest. Accidents can happen at any time and place. But by minimizing or
eliminating hazardous situations you may be able to prevent a tragedy from
happening.
(*article written in 2000)
Arthritis
Atopy (Inhalant Allergy)
Bufo Toad Poisoning
Cat Home Safety Tips
Collar Hazards
Common Things to Watch for
Dental Disease in Pets
Diabetes
Dog Safety Tips
Feline Heartworm Disease
Mallassezia (yeast) Dermatitis
Reasons to Neuter
Noise Phobia in Dogs
Weight Problems in Pets
Otitis (Ear Infections)
Parvo Virus
Pruritis (Itchiness)
Rabies
Seizures and Epilepsy
Senior Pets
Reasons to Spay
Toxoplasmosis, Cats and Women
ALERT
Help us raise
money for the
animal victims of
HURRICANE
KATRINA
and PROTECT
YOUR DOG
from collar
strangulation
accidents!
promote collar
safety and
raise much
needed funds
for the animal
victims of
Hurricane
Katrina,
Healthy Pets
Housecalls will
donate all of
the profits from
the sale of the
Keepsafe (TM)
Break-Away
Collar to
various animal
rescue charities
assisting the
animals in the
disaster areas.
Click Here
for more
details.
Click here to see what happens when this simple task is neglected.