When Maddy the two-year-old labrador vomited up her dinner, her owner Will was disappointed but not entirely surprised. After all, he had tried and failed to prevent Maddy from gobbling multiple pieces of duck poo on their walk by the pond earlier that day. But when Maddy also vomited up her breakfast the next morning, he started to become a little more concerned.

Will booked Maddy for an appointment with her regular vet, Dr Riley. On arrival at the clinic, Maddy perked up and was much brighter than she’d been earlier that morning. Dr Riley found no obvious abnormalities on Maddy’s physical examination but did find it difficult to palpate Maddy’s abdomen properly due to the dog enthusiastically bounding around the room.

Will told Dr Riley about the duck poo incident, which Dr Riley agreed may have caused the gastrointestinal upset. Will couldn’t recall Maddy eating any other potentially upsetting foods, so elected to monitor how she went at home after an anti-nausea injection and a bland diet for several days.

The next day, however, Will woke to find that Maddy had vomited up her meal of chicken and rice overnight. He was grateful when the veterinary clinic offered a prompt recheck appointment for Maddy. Before heading to the appointment, he quickly checked the details of Maddy’s insurance policy, which he’d organised for her as a pup and pretty much forgotten about since (other than the automated monthly payments). He was relieved to see that Maddy would be covered for 80% of the costs for gastrointestinal unwellness treatment (with a $100 excess).

This time, Maddy was quieter for the physical examination, and Dr Riley thought she could feel something unusual in Maddy’s belly. When Dr Riley offered abdominal x-rays for further assessment, Will agreed without hesitation.

Maddy was a little dehydrated, so Dr Riley started her on intravenous fluids before proceeding with her imaging. Maddy’s abdominal x-rays showed an irregular dense object in her small intestine, which appeared to be causing a blockage.

Dr Riley updated Will on the findings and suggested that Maddy undergo a prompt exploratory laparotomy – a surgery performed under general anaesthetic to explore her gut and remove the foreign body. Will was worried about his beloved Maddy but agreed it was the best option for her.

The surgery went smoothly, and Dr Riley was able to remove a piece of rubber from Maddy’s intestines. Whilst decently sized, the rubber had no sharp edges, so didn’t appear to have caused any significant damage to her gut.

Maddy recovered comfortably from her surgery. She required some calming sedatives to help her rest, in addition to the usual pain relief and anti-nausea postoperative medications, but she gave her cooked chicken and rice recovery diet the labrador “gulp of approval”.

Will was very relieved to have his canine companion back home healthy and happy, and thankful that he’d had the foresight to take out pet insurance early on so he could afford the veterinary treatment Maddy needed, which totalled $2,889.

Now when Will and Maddy go walking around the duck pond, Will keeps Maddy on the leash, because even though he loves her, he realises that she can’t be trusted not to sample the local delicacies!

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Did you know that up to 40% of human medical patients don’t take their own medication correctly as prescribed? Unfortunately, this incorrect dosing may cause the medication to be less effective, or even harmful.

Whether your pet is taking a short course of antibiotics, or is on regular medication to manage a long-term health condition, here are the DO’s and DON’Ts for safely administering their treatment:

DO:

• Administer the medication as directed.
  Read your pet’s medication label carefully to confirm the dose and frequency required, and how the medication is administered (e.g. by mouth). To ensure correct dosing, consider writing up a calendar (with boxes to tick off), or purchasing a daily pill organiser box from a pharmacy (which can also help prevent accidental double-ups from different family members dosing your pet).
• Confirm any special requirements for the medication (such as administering with food) and potential side effects to monitor for.
  Our vets will discuss this information with you at the time of consultation. To remember any particularly important details, write a summary in your phone notes app during or shortly after your pet’s appointment, or ask our vets to write or email you a short summary of your pet’s treatment plan.

DON’T:

• Change the dosage or frequency of your pet's medication without veterinary approval.
  As discussed above, incorrect dosing can be harmful to your pet, particularly in the case of anti-inflammatory pain relief medications and many others. If you feel your pet is still in pain or otherwise not doing well with their treatment, phone our regular team (or after-hours service) to discuss the safest course of action.
• Administer any leftover medications without veterinary approval.
  Combining certain medications or using medications not prescribed for your pet’s current condition can potentially cause harm. Always clarify these details with our vets to ensure the safest treatment.

For personalised advice in regard to your pet’s medication, contact our helpful team!

This email contains comments of a general nature only and is not intended to be a substitute for professional veterinary advice. It should not be relied on as the basis for whether you do or don't do anything.

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