Dog owners lack care knowledge dogs line up in hospitals after holidays

With the improvement of living standards, many dog owners have extended their love to their pets, significantly raising the dogs’ quality of life. However, due to the owners' lack of knowledge in dog care, it often leads to “well-intentioned but harmful” outcomes. Just after the Spring Festival, there are long queues for dog medical treatment.

Since the fifth day of the Lunar New Year, many pet shops have opened early, and some pet hospitals didn’t close even for one day during the holiday to deal with sick pets at any time. According to incomplete statistics, the number of citizens taking pets to the hospital has increased by 20% compared to before the festival.

1. Dogs’ stomachs can’t handle the barbecue they eat with their owners　　　　

Yesterday, at an animal hospital on Baita East Road, a dog named Meihai was undergoing treatment. Meihai is five years old this year. Her owner told reporters that the dog was sent to the hospital mainly due to vomiting, and she has been hospitalized and needs intravenous fluids.

There are quite a few cases like Meihai’s. A poodle followed its owner eating barbecue and vomited uncontrollably afterward; another dog had diarrhea after eating chocolate with children; others ate excessively oily or too much food causing gastrointestinal discomfort rather than symptoms caused by viruses.

Overall, the proportion of pets with gastrointestinal diseases clearly increased during the Spring Festival, mainly because of owners’ improper feeding. During the holiday, owners eat well and also serve their pets heavy meat dishes, not realizing that pets need specialized food and feeding should be scheduled and portion-controlled. Generally, young pets eat three meals a day, adult pets eat twice a day, with amounts suitable for the pet’s size and breed.

2. Fracture surgeries take as long as three hours

Besides many gastrointestinal symptoms, there are also many cases of trauma fractures. Another pet hospital in Beijing admitted multiple fracture cases needing urgent surgery. The responsible person, Xiao Wang, said that animal fracture reduction surgery is very delicate, often taking three hours. With trauma patients coming continuously, on-duty surgeons are almost too busy to drink water or eat.

Recently, large weather changes have also led to unexpected cases of pets with respiratory diseases. Mr. Yang, who lives in Wuzhong District, keeps a dog named Yangyang. Yangyang was lethargic and had a runny nose and was diagnosed with a cold at the hospital. The attending doctor said dogs are actually similar to humans; diseases that humans get, dogs can get as well.

3. Fireworks frighten pets causing trembling and injuries

Additionally, pets’ “holiday illnesses” are also caused by fireworks set off during the Spring Festival. Many pet grooming shops on Baita East Road have accepted many small dogs frightened by fireworks.

Reporters saw a Pomeranian trembling in its owner’s arms at one pet grooming salon. The shop owner, Mr. Zhao, said pets can be scared by the sudden firecracker sounds, showing symptoms such as convulsions and moaning. Due to fright, some usually gentle pets even become aggressive, causing many citizens to be bitten or scratched and rushed to receive rabies vaccinations during the holiday (see details). According to the disease control department, in the past half month, an average of 30 to 40 people a day have been scratched or bitten by cats and dogs.

Dogs

In recent years, many people treat pets as their own children and increase their care level, but there are still many misconceptions about pet care. The surgical director at an animal hospital, Dr. Tan, urged that during the holidays, when taking pets out or feeding them, owners should be moderate, and seek medical treatment promptly if the pet is sick. Also avoid the following misconceptions:

1. Do not feed pets human cold medicine when they have a cold, as it may cause pet poisoning. The dosage and types of medicine differ between animals and humans.

2. Clean pets’ oral cavity daily and take them to see a dentist regularly to prevent dental diseases. Director Tan said that some owners bring pets whose teeth have tartar, gingivitis, and tooth atrophy, many dental diseases are incurable at that stage.

3. Do not abandon pets just because there is a pregnant woman at home. After examination at animal hospitals, pets can still be kept and should be treated equally.

4. Take fractured dogs to the hospital in time; do not let the pet heal by itself. Director Tan said that fractures in pets have an 80%-90% chance of cure.