12 Days of Emergency Christmas - Five HGEs

17 December 2011

Over the Christmas period many pets will develop gastrointestinal problems. Some are from eating inappropriately and others will be for no particular reason at all (idiopathic). One particularly nasty form of gastro is Haemhorragic Gastroenteritis, or HGE for short. Over the Christmas period, it is one to watch out for.

HGE is characterised by blood stained stools and can be fatal if not treated. Yes, this is a bit icky, but if your pet has this type of motions, it is very important to seek medical attention immediately.

HGE is a condition which mainly affects young or middle aged dogs. It results in rapid and severe dehydration – a dangerous condition in even the healthiest of pets.

Aggressive rehydration with intravenous fluids (fluids through a catheter in your pet’s leg) is the cornerstone of treatment and most pets caught in the early stages of HGE make a rapid recovery.

Any pet developing diarrhoea should be watched carefully and owners should be vigilant and act quickly by seeking veterinary advice and attention. If you see your pet developing this condition over the holiday period, please pick up the phone and chat to either your vet or the staff at SARC.

On the fifth day of Christmas in pet emergency, we saw:

Five HGEs
Four stitch ups
Three lost dogs
Two heat strokes
And a chocolate toxicity

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