24 Hour Heroes Dealing with Christmas Pet Emergencies

The clinical teams at Medivet’s 24 Hour Emergency Hospitals - which are open throughout Christmas and New Year - expect to see an influx of season-related illnesses and issues and will be working round the clock to help save animals’ lives.

We’ve already treated a number of cases of chocolate and mince pie (raisin) toxicity in the run up to Christmas.

“Dogs who become poorly after eating chocolate or have swallowed small toy parts are among the common emergencies we see at this time of year - with Christmas Day and New Year’s Day no exception,” said Medivet 24 Hour Dearne Valley Branch Partner and Lead Veterinary Surgeon Nio Soler.

“We’ve already treated a number of cases of chocolate and mince pie (raisin) toxicity in the run up to Christmas. Just this week, we treated Golden Retriever Jack, who managed to wolf down all the sultanas for the Christmas Pudding while his owner’s back was turned.

“As he had eaten so many sultanas, we admitted Jack, and was made to be sick. We placed him on intravenous fluids followed by activated charcoal tablets to take up and eliminate the poison before it could be absorbed by the body. I’m happy to report there is no long-term damage and he was released after 24 hours,” added Nio.

Medivet 24 Hour Camberwell Lead Veterinary Surgeon Will Chandler said “We’ve also treated a dog - a nine-month-old cockapoo called Douglas - who managed to wolf down a mince pie while his owner’s back was turned.

“As he was such a young dog we admitted Douglas and placed him on intravenous fluids and administered activated charcoal to flush out the toxins. Thankfully, he was able to be released the next day,” added Will.

“With so much going on it’s hard to keep an eye on pets at all times but if the worst does happen - whether it’s a cat with a pine needle injury or a dog with a taste for tinsel - we’ll be here 24-hours a day to help,” said Will.

See our Christmas Care Guide including festive food for your pets.