|
Join us on Facebook! You'll find updates on toxicology,
upcoming events, and helpful pet hints.
Follow us on Twitter under PetPoisonHelp!
|
Gulf Coast Oil Spill
With the horrible Gulf Coast Oil spill disaster, what can we do for our pets or patients? First, Pet Poison Helpline will be donating their services to veterinarians in the affected states (currently Texas, Louisiana, Alabama, and Mississippi). So, if you're a veterinarian or veterinary technician and have a companion or large animal directly affected by the oil spill, please feel free to call Pet Poison Helpline 24/7 for support about this. You can read about this here:
 Letter to veterinarians in TX, LA, MS, AL affected by the oil spill
For veterinarians treating cases immersed in oil or having ingested oil, we generally recommend the following:
- Bath the product off with a liquid dish detergent such as Dawn, Dove, Palmolive, etc. This is a mild degreasing soap, and will help remove the product gently.
- If oil is ingested, do not induce emesis. Oils are hydrocarbons and can easily be aspirated back into the respiratory system, resulting in a severe, potentially fatal aspiration pneumonia.
- Do not give activated charcoal without consulting a veterinarian at Pet Poison Helpline. In general, ingestion of oil results in a gastroenteritis, and treatment is directed at supportive care (including anti-emetic therapy and fluid therapy).
For pet owners in the affected area, please keep these general guidelines in mind:
- Avoid allowing your pet to swim in any affected area
- We recommend keeping your pets indoors and supervised (i.e., cats) for the next few weeks to months if you live near the affected area. Deceased birds may potentially be ingested by birds, and can result in toxic exposure also.
|
