Living

Preparing for a Pet's Medical Emergency

By Maureen Cavanaugh / KPBS Midday Edition Co-Host, Hank Crook / Producer

Published May 6, 2009 at 9:00 AM PDT

This story was published more than 15 years ago.

Preparing for a Pet's Medical Emergency

What should people do to prepare for a possible medical emergency with their pet? We speak to a pair of local veterinarians about the most common pet-related medical emergencies, and what people can do to improve their pet's chances of survival after a snake bite, car accident, and heat stroke.

Maureen Cavanaugh: Pets, in general, don't need a lot of fussing around. Unlike other members of the family, their needs are simple: food, water, a little exercise, a nice belly rub and they're good to go.

But when a pet suddenly gets sick, or has an accident - it can put a stop to everything else going on in your life. What do you do? Who do you call?

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What if you're out on a trail or traveling with you pet? Can you do anything like first aid to help your cat or dog survive a fall, or a traffic accident, or a snake bite? And, how do you know when the ailment or injury is serious enough to need immediate treatment?

Guests

Dr. Katy Allen, local veterinarian, and owner of Canterbury Tails Veterinary Services.

Dr. Trevor Garb, local veterinarian and associate director of the Pet Emergency and Specialty Center in San Diego.

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Living Pets

Maureen Cavanaugh

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Maureen Cavanaugh has been a familiar voice for KPBS listeners for more than 15 years, serving in a variety of capacities including announcer, host, and producer. As host of KPBS Midday Edition, Maureen has interviewed a wide range of notables, such as comedienne Sandra Bernhardt, actor John Lequizamo, author Chuck Palahniuk, composer Marvin Hamlisch, artist Robert Irwin, and designer Zandra Rhodes. But of all the interviews Maureen has conducted, her most special was with His Holiness, the Dalai Lama. Before joining KPBS in 1997, she worked as a news anchor for KSDO and KOGO News Radio in San Diego. While working for commercial radio stations in San Diego and in Salt Lake City, Utah, Maureen reported on both hard news and lifestyle features. Maureen has received three "Golden Mike" awards from the Radio and TV News Association of Southern California for economic reporting and breaking news. She has also received a "Best of Show" and “Best Radio Newscast” awards from the San Diego Press Club and the "Flo" Award from Public Radio Program Directors Association for Best Public Radio Announcer in a large market. Maureen is a native of Queens, New York, but after more than 20 years in San Diego she feels she qualifies as a real Southern Californian.

What do you want to hear host Jade Hindmon talk about on Midday?

Hank Crook

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Hank Crook was the producer for "KPBS Midday Edition" as well as Friday's "Roundtable on KPBS Midday Edition" and KPBS TV's "San Diego Week" until 2011. He produced shows about a wide variety of topics. Some of Hank’s favorite topics include: local politics, economics, the environment and anything sports-related. Hank graduated with a degree in journalism from San Diego State University, and has been a professional journalist in San Diego since 2003. As an SDSU student, Hank served as an intern for the KPBS Radio newsroom. Hank grew up in San Diego, and is an alumnus of Point Loma High School. When Hank is not at work, he likes to exercise, listen to music, hang out with friends and manage his fantasy sports teams.

See stories by Hank Crook