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Health Care in the Field
 Groundhog
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 Red
Fox
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 Raccoon
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Three
possible reasons for health care in the field.
Since you
are the human with
the credit card, the cell phone, and the keys to the
truck, you are in charge when it comes to emergencies in
the field. These emergencies may range from poisoning to
traps, from suffocation to laceration.
Whatever
the problem, the thing that will matter most in the end
is preparation beforehand and quick level-headed action
afterward.
Part of
preparation is having a decent medical kit with you in
the field.
Part of
level-headed action is taking the time NOW to think
through possible problems and emergencies that might
arise.
Field
health and emergency situations can be broken down into
two categories: critical and chronic.
Chronic Problems:
These are
ones that you are most likely to encounter, but that are
probably not life-threatening. In all likelihood you will
have time to get to the vet if you need to. Examples of
chronic problems include:
Basic
cuts and lacerations to face and pads
from quarry and the hazards of the countryside.
After every excursion, look over your dog
carefully, especially around the face. Puncture
wounds and slashes may not present themselves in
an obvious manner, yet any wound not located now
is sure to go bad later on. Clean out wounds with
clean water (some prefer salt water) and one shot
of peroxide followed by a dose of Betadine.
Serious rips can be closed with Vetbond or
Nexaband, though most facial lacerations will do
better if left alone to granulate and close in
over time. Really serious wounds, or wounds very
near an eye, should be taken to a vet. If you do
decide to glue a laceration shut, do not
completely close it -- always leave a small
"weep" hole for drainage. Put the dog
on cephalexin or Clavamox or some other
broad-spectrum antibiotic as soon as possible,
with a double or "loading" dose at the
beginning. If the wound is a puncture, keep it
open with a Q-tip and allow it to close from the
inside out -- a process that may take a week or
two. If the puncture closes at the top, you are
likely to get an abscess. For more information on
antibiotics for working dogs, see http://www.terrierman.com/antibiotics.htm
Tick,
flea and mite infestations. Underground
dens can be loaded with seed ticks, fleas and
mange mites. Powder or wash your dog after it
comes in from the field, and go over it carefully
to remove all ticks. A few days later, do this
again, as very small ticks that were invisible
before are likely to be visible now. See http://www.terrierman.com/fleandtick.htm for maintenance
flea-prevention options.
Skunked
above ground: The dog may stink, but it
will be all right in time as it was not
underground. See http://www.terrierman.com/skunk.htm for more information on
how to get the stink out of your dog.
Coonhound
paralysis: Coonhound paralysis is an
auto-immune sickness triggered by the dog's body
reacting violently to a protein found in raccoon
saliva. Symptoms will show up a few days after
you return from the field. The most common
reaction is for the dog to get weak in the hind
legs and gradually become more paralyzed. The dog
may also lose control of its bladder and
experience some difficulty breathing. If it's
coonhound paralysis, there's not much the vet can
do, as antibiotics do not work since there is no
pathogen associated with the disease -- it is
simply an immune system response to raccoon
saliva. Keep your dog bedded down inside with
plenty of water, food and rest, and it will
probably get better within the month.
Critical Problems:
A
dog hit by a car. The best way to avoid
this is to not work too close to a road, to only
take dogs that have had basic obedience
instruction into the field, to never have more
than one or two dogs loose at a time, and to put
a collar and tag on the dog. This last point is
important -- most dogs are hit after they have
gotten "lost." Your dog is less likely
to get lost and stay lost if you put a metal
slide tag on its locator collar.
A
dog trapped in a disabling leg hold or body trap.
The best way to avoid this is to ask the property
owner if anyone has been trapping on his or her
property. They may be, and the farmer may have
simply forgotten to tell you. A basic leg-hold
trap may not do serious injury to a dog -- the
trick is to release the dog as quickly and as
calmly as possible. This can be done by stepping
on the leaf spring to the left or right of the
trap. Some traps have two leaf-springs - most
have just one. To read more about releasing a dog
from a trap, especially the very difficult to
release Conibear trap, see www.terrierman.com/traprelease.htm
Heat
stroke: A dog that gets over-heated will
tend to lie down, but some get so adrenalized
while hunting, that they push themselves over the
edge. A good soaking will bring the dog's
temperature down, as will time spent under the
car or truck, or better yet inside a crate in an
air-conditioned vehicle. Give the dog water, but
don't let it drink forever -- a very hot dog can
start to drink water in an almost maniacal
fashion, creating a toxic effect as their
electrolytes get out of balance. A dog that is
drinking water very fast should have the water
taken away for 10 minutes, and then given another
opportunity to fill up after it has calmed down a
bit.
Hypothermia:
A dog can work fine below ground, but
quickly succumb from hypothermia when it gets
above ground on a really cold, windy day. Small
dogs have finite energy reserves. A dog that bays
for an hour or more underground will come out of
the ground exhausted and breathing hard. As the
adrenaline in its systems falls, and cold air is
sucked into its lungs, the dog's core body
temperature may fall rapidly. If your dog looks
like he or she is in trouble, tuck it inside your
coat and get back to the truck or car as quickly
as possible. Wrap your dog in a space blanket if
you have one (see first aid kit suggestions,
below) and crate it with a well-taped solid-fuel
hand warmer if you have one.
A
dog suffocated underground: The bigger
the dog and the smaller the hole, the more likely
you are to have problems in this arena. A small
dog can scoot over dirt, but a big dog will push
it behind him, and a groundhog can easily
"seal the bottle" by putting up a wall
of dirt in front of the dog. Another problem can
occur if your dog sticks his head into a small
hole made by a posthole digger. If the dog
latches on to the quarry in such a situation, it
may find its nose pressed tight into the hole and
the dog may pass out from lack of oxygen before
it is able to relax its grip. If your dog passes
out, remember that doggie CPR is a lot like human
CPR. As quickly as possible put the dog on its
back. Holding the dog's snout like a beer can,
put your entire mouth over its nose and take a
small puff into the dog's lungs. One breath every
5 seconds should be about right for a working
terrier. If this does not revive your dog after
15 seconds, massage the dog's chest as you would
a human's, and then repeat mouth-to-snout
resuscitation.
A
dog skunked underground. The trick here
is getting the dog out of the ground as fast as
possible. Even if the dog is fine when it comes
out of the ground, your problems may not be over.
A dog skunked underground can be a serious
situation. For more information, see: http://www.terrierman.com/skunk.htm
Ingestion
of poison. If your dog ingests a rodent
bait block (or even if it might have), pour a
shot or two of hydrogen peroxide down the dog to
get it to throw up. Rodent bait is often bright
blue or bright orange. Get the dog to a vet as
quickly as possible, as coagulating agents can
help offset wafarin. If the poison is anti-freeze
(ethylene glycol -- a greenish colored liquid
often found in parking lots), get the dog to a
vet as soon as possible and pray. A huge tube-fed
dose of activated carbon may bring the dog
through if it is started soon enough.
Snakebite.
Most snakes are not poisonous, but if your dog is
bit by a rattlesnake or water moccasin, it is in
serious trouble. A working terrier is a small
animal and a snake will generally have hit your
dog hard several times during the attack. Get the
dog to a vet as quickly as possible and pray
In
the Field Basics
In
the field, I carry:
- Clean
handkerchiefs to use as a
compress and as a possible muzzle.
- Eyewash
bottle to flush out the dog's
eyes and to clean out any wounds
received.
- A
locator collar and box.
- A
shovel and bar.
- A
leash.
These last three items may seem odd on a
health care page, but if you fail to have
these three items, you are eventually
going to be in a lot of trouble -- more
trouble than a vet can fix.
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A
Complete Vet Kit for the Truck or Car
My vet kit is in
a bright orange plastic tool box that I picked up
at Home Depot. The box contains the following
items:
Muzzle
- to keep the dog from biting me if I
have to clean a wound and bandage it.
A
cell phone. Know your location.
Ask the operator for a veterinarian in
the county you are in. This vet will have
an emergency vet number to call if they
cannot help.
Clean
handkerchiefs to use as a
compress.
Hydrogen
peroxide - this can be used to
induce vomiting if needed, or can be used
to clean small wounds.
Three
squirt bottles of sterile bottled water--
to rinse out eyes and to flush out
wounds. Bottles can be gotten from a
camping supply store. Bottled water is
available everywhere -- I get the
cheapest gallon jug they have at CVS.
Antiseptic
ointment - To apply to small
cuts. Get triple antibiotic ointment at
the pharmacy.
Benadryl
-- can bring down on swelling from wasp
and bee bites.
Hemostats
- to remove slivers, thorns, and debris
from wounds. Order from http://lambriarvetsupply.com/index.pl
Nexaband
or Vetbond - this is a superglue
to bond small wounds. Order from http://lambriarvetsupply.com/index.pl Read the text
box below for directions on how to apply.
Cotton
tip swabs - to clean wounds. Get
at pharmacy and keep in plastic bag or
pill bottle.
Betadine
solution or Iodine-Povidine Pre
Solution: A mild iodine solution to clean
wounds. Order from http://lambriarvetsupply.com/index.pl
Alcohol
- for disinfecting. Get ethanol
at pharmacy.
Gauze
sponges - to clean wounds and to
use as bandages.
Granulex
-- a wound dressing spray that
speeds the granulation of wounds. Order
from http://lambriarvetsupply.com/index.pl
Vetwrap
- to bandage larger wounds.
Order from http://lambriarvetsupply.com/index.pl
Surgical
tape - for making sure the
vetwrap stays in place.
Scissors
- to cut the tape/bandaging material and
to trim fur around wounds.
Hot
pack -- in case of hypothermia
in winter. I use a solid-fuel handwarmer
ordered from www.cheaperthandirt.com
Skunk
Off -- The quicker this is
applied, the better it works. A homemade
alternative can be found at: http://www.terrierman.com/skunk.htm
A
15-day supply of clavamox, cephalexin or
some other broad-spectrum antibiotic --
enough for at least two dogs. Clavamox is
the same as amoxycillin. This is a
broad-spectrum antibiotic that will knock
down the kind of staph infections common
with fox and raccoon bites. Also use for
really serious groundhog lacerations.
Another good alternative is cephalexin.
For more information on antibiotics for
working dogs, see http://www.terrierman.com/antibiotics.htm
Flea
powder. This is needed if your
dog has entered a den infested with
larval "seed ticks." Apply this
and then bathe the dog as soon as
possible and repeat about 2-3 days later.
Seed ticks are hard to kill and when they
hit, there are millions of them.
Heavy
duty wire cutters for snares and
traps.
Space
blanket in which to warm dog or
provide shelter from wind and rain if
needed.
Extra
batteries (both kinds) for the
locator collar.
Clean
bottled water. I always have at
least 2 gallon jugs next to the tool box.
Cell
phone. This is an important
emergency tool for dog and human alike.
Keep the battery charged and know where
you are.
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How
to Apply Vetbond or NexabandBasically, this is
superglue for dogs. Though superglue can work for
small cuts, Vetbond and Nexaband (a competitor
that does the same thing) are about 4 times
stronger, last longer, and are more flexible. In
addition, they do not have any toxic formaldehyde
residues. Either product can be used, and should
be put on in drops to close a wound. It will
slough off after about 7 days -- reapply after 5
days for more serious wounds.
Compared with a
traditional suture, the new veterinary superglue
has several advantages. One average, is that it
takes only one-tenth of the time to close an
incision. The bonding strength is equal to a 5-0
monofilament suture. It also has an
anti-microbial effect that can decrease infection
rates in contaminated wounds. The cosmetic
appearance of the healed incision is also better
than with a suture, though in the case of most
facial lacerations, there is no need to close the
wound at all -- simply allow it to granulate in,
and the dog's facial features will remain
undistorted.
To use Vetbond
or Nexaband, make sure the wound edges are
straight and lie together naturally. Hold gauze
against the area immediately below the cut in
order to catch any drips as you apply the glue.
Apply tiny dots of glue sparingly at intervals
where the wound edges meet. Thick applications
tend to crack and loosen prematurely. It;s a bit
like spot-welding.
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A
good vet is loved by all.
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