After being stranded during the blizzard of 2010, many of us realized there were certain items we wished we had on hand. For many it was more flashlight batteries, a generator, rock salt and more hand and foot warmers. For pet owners, this list also included more pet food, more grain and hay, more trough heaters, extension cords, and last but not least, provisions for pet emergencies.

The first emergency I attended in the snowstorm was a choke in an old horse. The owner did not have any medication to treat the horse, even though the horse had choked several times in the past. Choke for those of you who aren't familiar with this condition, is when food material gets stuck in the esophagus. The horse can breathe but can't swallow. This very painful condition can lead to aspiration pneumonia or esophageal rupture. Sometimes a mild sedative can relieve a choke. I was the only veterinarian close enough who could still drive; however, if I hadn't been able to get to the horse, there would have been little hope for its survival.

The next emergency was a particularly unlucky horse that managed to step through a cinder block and was wearing a twenty-pound ankle bracelet in three feet of snow. Fortunately, this owner was one of my clients and had a mild sedative on hand to give to the horse. After the horse was sedated, the block was split and all ended well.

The next call came at the peak of the storm, when no one could move except the snow-plows. This was the dreaded colic call. Luckily for this horse, this was a mild colic and my client was able to provide the correct medication to relieve the pain.

Just when I thought it was over, a frantic phone call from a small animal client. A rambunctious rottweiler ate a package of rat poison. I instructed the owner to give hydrogen peroxide to make the dog vomit. The dog vomited the rat poison and the owner saved the dog!

The rule of thumb is to always call your veterinarian before you do anything or give anything to your pet. Talk to your veterinarian about having certain medications on hand, especially if your pet has an existing medical condition.

Tally Oaks Veterinary Service, in an effort to make our clients better prepared for pet emergencies, offers a small animal and an equine first aid kit. Both kits contain over forty items: medical equipment (thermometer, stethoscope, hemostats, bandage scissors, etc.), wound care products (sterile saline, surgical scrub, gauze squares, etc.), bandaging materials (vetrap, elasticon, telfa pads, cast padding, etc.), eye products (sterile flush, antibiotic ointment), oral products for poisoning (Biosponge, activated charcoal), topicals (wound spray, antibacterial cream and ointment, etc.) and much more. For more information on these kits please visit our website at www. Tallyoaksvet.com or email Dr. Woerner at drtaniawoerner@tallyoaksvet.com.

Hopefully it will be another seven years before another blizzard, but having a first aid kit for your pets will always come in handy and will give you great peace of mind.