Healthy Pets & People with Dr. Patrick: Pet Safety Tips For Natural Disasters
Healthy Pets & People with Dr. Patrick
Pet Safety Tips For Natural Disasters
by Dr. Patrick Mahaney
Upon moving to southern California, I wondered what my first earthquake experience would be like. Not being a fan of urban mass destruction, I hoped that I would feel the earth shake in a non-emotionally, nor physically, traumatic way. I certainly did not anticipate that I would be in the fabulous home of a critically acclaimed actress when the recent LA earthquake hit. I had just completed an acupuncture treatment on her cat and was having a closing discussion with her assistant when I felt a very sudden environmental shift. It felt surreal, as the effect was very subtle, similar to the moment where you are waking from a dream. I was left asking myself exactly what had just happened. The house sits very close to a road, up in the Hollywood hills, so I wondered if a truck had just passed. There was no unusual or loud sounds, so I quickly exclaimed that we had just experienced an earthquake and wondered what would happen next. Fortunately, there were no aftershocks, nor any damage to the house, so we did not have to take emergency measures to save the cat or ourselves.
September is Disaster Preparedness month for people, while June applies to animals. The earthquake motivated me to get more prepared, so here is a series of suggestions to aid the safe keeping of pets during a natural disaster.
Identification- Have your pet wear a collar and tag bearing their name, your name, and the number at which you can be most readily reached. Rabies vaccination tags show the name and number of the facility providing the vaccination, along with a rabies tag number, all of which can help to connect you to your pet. As collars and tags can be lost, have a microchip containing your up to date contact information implanted into your pet. Animal shelters and veterinary hospitals have microchip readers, which will read your pet’s identifying number and allow the person who found your pet to contact the company with whom you have registered your pet.
Transportation- Natural disasters often necessitate the pet owner to remove themselves and their pets from the disaster site to a safe location. When transporting a small pet, utilize a pet carrier, as to prevent likelihood of escape or potential injury. As your pet will experience a higher level of stress during these times, proper restraint to key to ensure their safety. An inadequately restrained pet presents greater difficulty for you and your pet during the rescue process. Sherpa carriers work well for small dogs or cats, as they can be easily carried via shoulder strap or handle. When your pet does not have to be in the carrier, the Sherpa carrier can be collapsed and stored for future use. Attach identifying information to your pet’s carrier to improve the likelihood your pet will be reconnected with you. Include your pet’s name, breed, sex, age, color, microchip or tattoo identification number, regular veterinary hospital name, and color photo. Additionally, include your name, address, phone numbers, email addresses, and multiple additional contacts in case you are unable to be contacted.
Transporting a medium to large breed dog in a carrier may be logistically challenging for rapid evacuation, therefore use a chest harness. Cervical (neck) collars should not be the only means used to restrain your larger pet, as a collar can slip off of your pet or create injury if attached to a stationary object. A seat belt harness, such as Watson’s Canine Auto Safety harness, allows for improved control over your pet for walking and vehicular restraint. The harness should include information as detailed above for a pet carrier.
Medication- If your pet requires administration of medication keep enough of their medication easily accessible. If you pet is on a long term medication, have enough of the medication to treat your pet for many months, as your ability to access their medication from a distributor may be compromised in emergency situations.
Nutrition- Keep your pet’s food in an easily transportable by using a plastic bags or tupperware style container, to be able to provide meals on the go. The container can be multipurpose in providing a dish for both food and water. See the picture with Cardiff and his easily transportable food.
Hydration- Keep bottles of water in a convenient and accessible location to provide hydration for your pet. Your pet’s thirst may drive them to seek out a water source that could be contaminated by toxins or microorganisms. Having a reliable water source for your pet can increase the likelihood that they will stay free of such contaminants.
Medical Records- Keep an up to date record of your pet’s medical history in preparation for occasions when you are requested to recall vital information about your pets health. Ask your veterinarian for a hard copy of your pet’s medical record and store the record in an easily accessible location in case of emergency. If you require a vehicle to transport your pet to a veterinary facility, keep a copy of the record in your car . Additionally, store your pet’s medical information on-line to provide access from virtually any location. Records should include vaccination status, chronological medical history, laboratory reports, and prescription and non-prescription medication information. Advanced diagnostics, such as radiograph and ultrasound images, can be emailed or copied onto a CD for easy transfer. Making your pet’s complete medical record easily accessible will help to ensure that a veterinarian will be able to provide your pet optimal veterinary medical care.
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About Dr. Patrick Mahaney of TLC West Hollywood: Dr. Patrick Mahaney, VMD graduated from University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine in 1999. In 2000, Dr. Mahaney completed an Internship at Friendship Hospital for Animals in Washington, D.C., and has since practiced in a variety of hospitals, doing both general and emergency practice.
Dr. Mahaney moved to Los Angeles to join the TLC Pet Medical Center team in early 2006. His practice philosophy is to improve the quality of life for both pets and their owner’s by establishing client relationships with open lines of communication and providing optimum care within his capabilities.
Dr. Mahaney completed the International Veterinary Acupuncture Society basic course in 2006 and is now a Certified Veterinary Acupuncturist (CVA). He is especially interested in chronic pain management and uses a variety of modalities, including acupuncture, to improve the comfort level of his patients. Dr. Mahaney strongly believes that many canine and feline diseases can be better managed by incorporating both Western and Eastern treatments. In 2008, Dr. Mahaney incorporated his own small business, California Pet Acupuncture & Wellness (CPAW). CPAW offers in-home acupuncture and musculoskeletal therapy, pet appropriate environment consultation, veterinary supervised exercise sessions, and euthanasia.
Dr. Mahaney will be taking the Canine Rehabilitation Institute physical therapy course in 2009. He is currently in the initial stages of creating a veterinary physical therapy and wellness facility.
Having lived in Philadelphia, DC, and Seattle, Dr. Mahaney feels as though Los Angeles’ mix of city, nature, and culture make it the ideal place to establish both personal and professional roots. Dr. Mahaney resides in West Hollywood with his Welsh Terrier, Cardiff. He and Cardiff enjoy canyon hiking, urban trekking, running on the beach. Dr. Mahaney also enjoys working out, playing tennis, doing yoga, going to museums, cosmetically improving his home, propagating plants, and spending quality time with friends and family.
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