Jack Russell Terriers love to hunt and dig, so it wasn’t that unusual when Skippy decided to chase a skunk into a large stack of hay bales. Instead of catching the skunk, however, the dog got trapped and was sprayed directly in the face, resulting in a trip to the veterinary emergency room with life-threatening blood issues.

 In honor of National Wildlife Day, the toxicology experts at Pet Poison Helpline wanted dog lovers to know that being skunked can be more than just a stinky situation: It can be deadly to your furry family members. So they posted the following news release about the incident.

Trapped in the hay

“I have a farm, and I converted my old riding arena into a storage area for my hay,” explained Gigi Van Ostrand, who happens to be a veterinarian. “That day Skippy was running around chasing a skunk. He’s been in many skunk encounters, so I wasn’t too worried about it. This time, he apparently chased the skunk deep into the stack of hay bales and disappeared. We were busy with our horses, so we didn’t look for him for several hours.

When we realized he had gotten trapped inside the hay, we had to use the tractor to carefully remove several of the bales, which can weigh 1400 lbs. I was very worried he could be crushed, and I think he passed out because I didn’t hear any noises coming from him. When we finally got him out, he was cold and purple.

“I’m a veterinarian, but I knew he needed more help than I could provide him. I rushed him to our local SAVE (Southern Alberta Veterinary Emergency) hospital and they had me call the toxicology experts at Pet Poison Helpline.”

Damage to red blood cells

“Being sprayed by a skunk is a relatively common occurrence for pets, especially those who live in a rural area,” said Renee Schmid, a senior veterinary toxicologist and director of Veterinary Medicine at Pet Poison Helpline. “Most exposures result in a pet that is covered in a strong smell, as well as skin and eye irritation.

“In rare cases, however, the intense compounds in skunk spray can result in oxidative damage to red blood cells, leading to changes in their ability to transport oxygen appropriately as well as death of the cell. This leads to anemia and a condition called methemoglobinemia, which doesn’t allow oxygen to be delivered throughout the body as normal. In Skippy’s case, he had a very severe reaction that quickly became life-threatening.”

Once at Southern Alberta Veterinary Emergency (SAVE), the veterinary team worked directly with Pet Poison Helpline to analyze Skippy’s specific situation and develop an aggressive treatment plan. The team was concerned that he would develop hemolysis, the destruction of red blood cells that can lead to hemolytic anemia. He was immediately placed on intravenous fluids, given medication for vomiting and was administered n-acetylcysteine (NAC), a modified form of an amino acid that is useful in combating the blood cell damage being caused by the skunk spray.

Additional complications

After three days, Skippy’s condition hadn’t improved. He was moved to the VCA Canada Calgary Animal Referral and Emergency (CARE) Centre. Since being sprayed, Skippy had become hyperthermic (overheating), hypoglycemic (low blood glucose levels), neutropenic (low white blood cell levels) and anemic (low red blood cell levels). He was placed on dextrose supplementation, continued on NAC, and received two blood transfusions and other supportive care. The trauma of being trapped under hay bales for several hours likely contributed to Skippy’s additional complications, making his already difficult condition even more challenging.

After being released from the hospital, Skippy required continued treatment at home. Van Ostrand believes he was saved twice: once when he was pulled out of the hay and again by the hospitals and the Pet Poison Helpline.

“Skippy was all but dead,” added Van Ostrand, “but now he’s bouncing around like normal. I don’t think an animal can go through much more and survive. He’s an exquisite dog.” 

 About Pet Poison Helpline

Pet Poison Helpline®, a source for toxicology and pet health advice in times of potential emergency, is available 24 hours, seven days a week for pet owners and veterinary professionals who require assistance treating a potentially poisoned pet. Per-incident and subscription service options are available. The company is an independent, nationally recognized animal poison control center triple licensed by the Boards of Veterinary Medicine, Medicine and Pharmacy providing unmatched professional leadership and expertise. Pet Poison Helpline’s veterinarians and board-certified toxicologists provide treatment advice for all species, including dogs, cats, birds, small mammals, large animals and exotic species.

Based in Minneapolis, Pet Poison Helpline is available in North America by calling (800) 213-6680. Additional information can be found online at www.petpoisonhelpline.com.