Emergency Signs from Our Asheville Veterinarians

Pet emergencies can be scary both for you and your pet. But what are the signs of a potential emergency, and what kind of emergency are they indicating?

Sometimes a veterinary emergency will broadcast itself in no uncertain terms. Blood in vomit, urine or stools should be considered an emergency, and so should bleeding from the eyes, nose or mouth. Choking, seizures, or a sudden loss of consciousness also require immediate veterinary care. Diarrhea, vomiting or choking may indicate the ingestion of a harmful food, poison or household object, so call your Asheville veterinarian immediately.

Behavioral changes can sound warning bells too. If your pet has fits of trembling, refuses to eat or interact with family members, makes unusual noises or seems to have lost his physical coordination, he might be suffering from severe pain, heat stroke or even rabies.

Some emergency conditions are associated with particular kind of pet. If your dog keeps trying and failing to vomit, for instance, check to see if his abdomen is distended or hard to the touch. These symptoms could indicate a gastrointestinal condition known as “bloat" that requires prompt action by an emergency vet. Cats who are constantly straining to produce urine with much success may have a serious problem with bladder stones, tumors or other issues.

Our Animal Hospital in Asheville Can Help

While these basic tips can help you identify an emergency in progress, call us here at Charlotte Street Animal Hospital whenever you suspect a serious problem and we will advise you on whether your pet needs emergency treatment. We offer comprehensive veterinary emergency and urgent care services, including a mobile resuscitation unit that can handle a wide range of common crises. We also perform emergency veterinary surgery using a carefully screened supply of pet donor blood. Trust our caring staff and emergency vet to make every effort for your beloved pet during a scary time.

Have any of your pets ever faced a life-threatening emergency? How did you handle the situation?

Pet Acupuncture in Asheville

Available from Your Asheville Veterinarian

Pet Physical Rehabilitation in Asheville

If you or someone you know has ever had to rehab a sports injury, rebuild strength in an atrophied muscle, recover from surgery, or exercise to increase range of motion lost to arthritis, then you know what physical rehabilitation involves. Physical rehabilitation can work wonders for patients struggling to regain control of their bodies and improved flexibility and mobility. But you might not have thought about it as an equally effective recovery tool for pets! In fact, it can play a critical role in your pet’s overall quality of life as she recovers from veterinary surgery, injury or chronic disease.

These days there are many different rehabilitation techniques available to pets. For instance, our veterinarian may prescribe certain exercises aimed at rebuilding muscle strength or encouraging joint flexibility. Pets that cannot comfortably put full weight on their feet can use a special underwater treadmill in which a tank of water adds buoyancy and relieves some of the burden. Arthritic, injured and post-operative animals are especially good candidates for this therapy.

Other techniques apply a particular kind of energy to precise areas in need of healing. Ultrasound, for example, uses high-frequency sound waves to loosen scar tissue and speed healing in soft tissues, while electrotherapy, the use of electrical current to stimulate nerves, can aid in the treatment of neurological disorders and pain. Our vets also use heat, cold and massage therapy to stimulate circulation and relax muscles.

Rehab Your Pet at Charlotte Street Animal Hospital!

At Charlotte Street Animal Hospital, we have Asheville’s only Certified Canine Rehabilitation Practitioner, Beth Rhyne, DVM, CCRP, on staff! We offer a variety of Asheville pet physical rehabilitation options in addition to our emergency vet and veterinary surgery services. These therapies can make a significant different for animals suffering from a wide range of joint, bone, tissue or nerve problems. Patients on the mend from broken bones, rebuilt ligaments, amputations or longstanding medical problems can enjoy a new life with less pain and more freedom of movement. Either way, the result is a happier, healthier member of your family -- and ours!

Has your pet ever undergone a physical rehabilitation program? Share his or her recovery story with our readers!

 

A Veterinarian Explains Spaying and Neutering

Here at Charlotte Street Animal Hospital in Asheville, we recommend pet owners spay or neuter their pets for a number of reasons. These common, low-risk surgical procedures are a great kindness in many ways. Because your pet can no longer reproduce, you are helping control the animal population and reducing the number of unwanted dogs and cats. Your pet will also stop going into heat and neutering often serves to eliminate an intact male’s tendency to mark territory through urination. Spaying and neutering also help prevent certain cancers and other diseases common to both dogs and cats.

Procedures for Asheville Pets

Neutering is a fairly straightforward veterinary surgery. The vet makes a small incision near the scrotum, extracts the testicles through the incision, and then closes the incision with sutures. The sutures may be dissolving, in which case no return veterinary visit is necessary, or nylon sutures that require removal at around the 10-day mark. Some swelling or bruising in the area is normal, but most dogs experience little pain and are ready to run and play. You may want to restrict a very active dog’s activity level for a few days, however, to prevent a re-injury at the incision site.

Spaying is a somewhat more involved veterinary surgery than neutering, but still a common, low-risk surgery. The veterinarian makes an incision into the female animal’s abdomen and removes the uterus and ovaries, using sutures or surgical staples to close the incision. Your dog can usually come home the day following the procedure. We will prescribe pain medication for the recovery period. Watch out for redness, swelling, bleeding or other possible trouble signs, and by all means keep your dog from licking at the incision site.

If your pet is at least 8 weeks old, bring him or her to our animal clinic as soon as possible for spaying or neutering. Your pet will be happier and healthier — not to mention litter-free!

What other benefits have you noticed after spaying or neutering your pet?

 

Companion Animal Food and Supplies Drive

Since it's holiday time and the season of giving, Charlotte Street Animal Hospital is sponsoring a cold weather food and supply drive that benefits many different local animal charities. Our collection drive started on 11/15/11 and will extend to 4/15/12. We are so pleased to help these local organizations to provide food and supplies for animals in need here in the Asheville area!

Our Animal Hospital Gives To Local Animals In Need!

The animal food and supply drive benefits the Animal Compassion Network, the Asheville Humane Society, Brother Wolf Animal Rescue, Catman2 Cat Rescue, Meals on Wheels for Pets, and the Phoenix Landing Parrot Rescue. We have chosen rescue groups that provide help to all different types of animals, from dogs and cats to parrots and ferrets. Our animal hospital has compiled a food and supply wish list from each of the groups, which you can find on our homepage.

We take donations both here at the emergency vet clinic and over the phone at (828) 232-0440 during our regular office hours. Then we compile all of the food and supplies and present each organization with these donations once a month!

We really pride ourselves on providing experienced and compassionate emergency vet care, routine vet care, and services like cat boarding to our pet parents -- but we always want to keep needy animals in mind too! With the cold weather upon us, the number of animals coming in to rescue groups may continue to rise, and we want to do all we can to help these animals and the organizations that work so hard to feed and shelter them.

Please keep an eye out for our animal food and supply drive flyers -- we will be advertising with local businesses in an effort to reach as many people as possible.
Questions about the cold weather animal food and supply drive? We'd be happy to answer below!