The doctors at Pecan Grove Veterinary Hospital are often asked what first-aid items should be kept around the house or taken on trips. Such a kit can be simple, or more fully supplied, depending on your needs and where you might travel with your pet. Here is a list of the most basic first-aid items that we feel all pet owners should keep on hand.

1. Lightweight leash or “slip-leash”. Good for backup leash, emergency muzzle, or any time you need a few extra feet of cord.
2. Muzzle. Nylon muzzles can be found at most pet stores. You should always place a muzzle on your dog when cleaning wounds, pulling cactus spines, or doing any other painful procedure. This is for your protection. The last thing you need is another emergency to complicate the situation.
3. Needle Nose Pliers. This is for pulling out cactus spines or other thorns. A stout set of hemostats is a good alternative.
4. Lightweight Blanket. A blanket insulates from cold or hot ground, and can also be used as a hammock-like sling to carry an injured dog.
5. Bandage Material. You should have a pile of gauze squares, roll gauze, Telfa (non-stick) pads, Vetwrap or Coban wrap (available at drugstores or pet stores), white tape, Ace bandage, Q-tips, cotton balls.

Use the gauze squares for cleaning wounds and for a dressing under the bandage or tape. Remember to wrap snuggly but not tightly. Also bring bandage scissors for cutting or removing tape.

6. Antibacterial Soap. For cleaning open wounds, scratches and abrasions, and your own hands before and after touching your dog’s wounds.
7. Neosporin (Triple Antibiotic Ointment). Can be applied in a thin coat on any open wound.
8. Hydrocortisone Cream. Apply to red welts or itchy areas twice a day.
9. Artificial Tears. Can be purchased at any drug store. Use to irrigate eyes that are red, itchy, or contain dirt or other foreign material. You may use as much as you need and repeat as often as needed.
10. Rubbing Alcohol. You can carry a small bottle or a baggie full of alcohol wipes. Alcohol is a great antiseptic, and will cut through the oils of greasy hair.
11. Benadryl. For allergic reactions to bug bites, stings or plant and pollen allergy. Benadryl comes in 25mg tablets or capsules, and the dose is one (1) mg per pound of body weight every eight (8) hours. So a 50-pound dog would take two (2) capsules every eight (8) hours. A 15-pound dog would take about half a tablet every eight (8) hours.
12. Ice Packs. Instant cold packs can be purchased at drug stores. For wounds or swellings the pack can be placed on the affected area. For bloody noses the ice pack can be placed over the bridge of the nose as an aid to decrease bleeding.
13. Thermometer. A dog’s normal resting body temperature range (rectal temperature) is 100.5 to 102.5 degrees. Any temperature over 104 degrees is of concern. An overheated dog with a temperature of 106 degrees or higher is in serious trouble and needs to be cooled down immediately!
14. Ziplock Bags. For keeping the bug or plant material that caused a problem for your dog. Bring it back to your veterinarian for identification.
15. Phone Numbers. Your veterinarian’s number, the veterinary emergency clinic number, and the closest local veterinarian’s number.

For more detailed instructions in first aid for pets, you can take a course or purchase a handbook published by the Red Cross.
Visit: http://www.redcross-cmd.org/Chapter/petguiderev.html

General Facts

• Life Span 6 - 13 years
• Sexual Maturity
•      Small Breeds – 4 to 5 months
•      Large Breeds – 5 to 8 months
• Gestation Avg. 30 - 32 days
• Litter Size Avg. 5 - 8
• Weaning Age 4 to 6 weeks

Rabbits can be social animals, and make good pets that interact with family members. They also can do well in small groups of 4 to 8 rabbits. Some rabbits will bond and seem inseparable from each other. Neutering rabbits that are kept together is necessary to prevent fighting and pregnancies. It is not always possible to predict which rabbits will get along well versus attacking each other; they have distinct personalities and strong likes and dislikes of other rabbits.

House rabbits can be trained to use a litter tray. Many will get along well with dogs and cats in the same household, but precautions must be taken to ensure that dogs will not chase or harm the rabbit.

Housing

Cages or enclosures should be spacious, as rabbits produce large amounts of urine and feces. Caged rabbits must be allowed at least 4 hours of free-roaming exercise daily (more is desirable) to prevent sores on the feet and ankles and feces/urine accumulation in the fur. Mental and emotional stimulation is also aided by exercise. Floors of the hutch can be solid or wire mesh, though foot and toe injuries can occur on wire. Bedding should consist of garden peat, or a layer of newspaper covered in hay. NEVER use cedar shavings as these are irritating to the respiratory tract. Outdoor rabbits have a very difficult time with the summer heat in southern Arizona. Shade, clean water, and cool areas must be provided to protect them. Many outdoor rabbits will dig burrows.

Feeding

Rabbits are strict herbivores with a digestive system that is adapted to the ingestion of a high fiber diet. The digestible fiber is fermented in a well-developed cecum (portion of the large intestine). Cecal contents are expelled periodically (cecotrophs); these are reingested and digested further. Indigestible fiber is rapidly eliminated as hard fecal pellets.

Rabbits should eat grass hay as the sole diet.

We do not recommend the use of pelleted diets. Pelleted diets were originally designed for rabbit production where convenience and achieving maximum growth and reproduction are important. Pelleted diets do not address the needs of house pets where long and healthy living is more desirable.

Similarly we do not recommend routinely feeding vegetables and fruits. Grains should not be given. There is a much higher incidence of gastrointestinal problems in rabbits that are fed these foods.

Diseases

Respiratory problems are very common in rabbits. These usually result from poor ventilation, overcrowding or poor nutrition. Sneezing, ocular and nasal discharge are the typical signs.

Gastrointestinal problems are almost always the result of an inappropriate diet. Loss of appetite and decreased fecal output are the first signs usually noted. Bloating, inactivity, pain or diarrhea are indicative of serious problems and should be immediately brought to the attention of your veterinarian.

Malocclusion results in overgrown teeth. (Rabbit teeth grow continuously.) The front teeth are easy to see, but the molars should be examined regularly by the veterinarian

Skin problems may be caused by parasites (fleas, mites, or lice), fungus (also called “ringworm”), bite wounds from cage mates, or inappropriate housing. Signs to watch for are hair loss, excessive scratching, scabs, scales or redness of the skin and feet.

You should consult your veterinarian immediately if you have any concerns regarding your rabbit’s health.

In the desert southwest, rattlesnakes are a part of the native desert landscape. As the weather warms in the springtime and people return to spending more time outdoors, rattlesnakes also become more active. From the Arizona deserts to the mountain forests, rattlesnakes can be found from spring through summer and into the autumn months.

Dogs can encounter a rattlesnake anytime they are in rattlesnake habitats. If you and your dog enjoy hiking, camping, hunting, or you live near or on a desert preserve, your risk of meeting a rattlesnake is increased significantly. Like people, dogs may stumble over the location of snake totally by accident.

“A rattlesnake bite to a dog can be potentially fatal,” explains Dr. Holly Tuttle, one of the three veterinarians at Pecan Grove Veterinary Hospital. “The rattlesnake venom causes significant swelling and pain, and can require extensive supportive hospitalization and treatment.”

According to Dr. Tuttle, there is now a rattlesnake vaccine on the market for dogs that aids in the protection against the harmful effects of venom (primarily the Western Diamondback Rattlesnake as well as several other species found in Arizona.)

“The Red Rock Rattlesnake Vaccine is a preventative measure just like annual vaccines against infectious diseases,” says Dr. Tuttle. “Thus it must be given prior to any bite.”

While this vaccine may sound like a cure against rattlesnake bites, Dr. Tuttle cautions that it has remained controversial in the veterinary field because it does not provide complete protection against the harmful effects of rattlesnake venom.

The vaccine works by generating protective antibodies against the venom in a vaccinated dog. These protective antibodies then begin neutralizing any venom encountered immediately following a rattlesnake bite which, in turn, cause less severe effects such as less swelling, less pain, and hopefully, a faster recovery.

“It’s important to stress that a dog vaccinated with the rattlesnake vaccine that is bitten must still obtain immediate veterinary care,” continues Dr. Tuttle. Other factors that still play a role in the severity of the effects from the venom include the type of rattlesnake, the location of the bite, and the amount of venom injected.

The doctors at Pecan Grove Veterinary Hospital recommend that you consider vaccinating your dog with rattlesnake vaccine. For additional information on this new vaccine, check out the manufacturer’s website at www.redrockbiologics.com/.

Rattlesnake bites are serious veterinary emergencies that can be fatal to dogs. They cause hyper-excitability due to the toxins and general pain. It is critical that you keep the dog as calm as possible and carried home or back to the car to restrict movement. Large dogs that cannot be carried should be walked quietly to transportation. All dogs bitten by rattlesnakes should be seen by a veterinarian as quickly as possible.

Knowing what to do and what not to do if you and your dog encounter a rattlesnake can prove to be potentially life-saving information.

Preventing Snake Bites

• When walking outdoors, controlling your dog with a leash is your best safety device.
• Do not allow your dog to explore holes in the ground or dig under logs, flat rocks or planks.
• Stay on open paths where there is an opportunity for snakes to be visible.
• Keep nighttime walks to a minimum as rattlesnakes are nocturnal.
• If you hear a rattlesnake, keep your dog at your side until you locate the snake, then move away.
• Off-trail hiking with an unleashed dog may stir up a snake; you both could become victims.
• If your dog seems unusually curious about something hidden in the grass, back off immediately until you know what it is.

Take Immediate Action in case of snake bite

• Try to identify the snake by noting its size, color pattern, and whether or not there is a rattle at the end of its tail.
• Restrict movement of the dog.
• Look the dog over carefully for fang marks, noting that there may be more than one bite wound.
• If bitten on a leg, loosely immobilize the limb in a functional position.
• Do NOT incise the bite wound to aspirate the venom.
• Do NOT apply a tourniquet without veterinary assistance.
• Do NOT apply ice to the area.
• Travel to the nearest animal hospital quickly while keeping your dog as quiet as possible.