Abraham saves fellow congressman's poodle

U.S. Rep. Ralph Abraham, a veterinarian who later became a human doctor, likes to say he can treat anything on two feet or four.

On Tuesday morning, he came to the rescue of a fellow congressman's apricot toy poodle named Jolie.

Abraham, R-Alto, was attending the Tuesday GOP delegation meeting led by House Speaker Paul Ryan when a member of his staff alerted Abraham to the emergency.

Jolie, who belongs to Rep. Mark Meadows, R-N.C., jumped from someone's arms and was injured.

"It was literally a House call," Abraham said. "I dashed out of the meeting and rushed to the patient's side (in Meadows' office)."

Abraham said the pampered pooch has a bright prognosis.

"She has a slight concussion, but I expect her to make a full recovery," Abraham said.

Jolie was resting with Meadows' staff when Abraham left.

“It really comes in handy to have 435 Members of Congress, all with different professional backgrounds," said Meadow's press secretary Martha Van Lieshout. "Jolie is thankful that Rep. Abraham could come by and put his veterinary skills to good use!”

It's not the first time Abraham has been called to the rescue since being elected to Congress.

Once, while campaigning during the Pecan Festival Parade, Abraham treated a man suffering with a grand mal seizure. On at least three other occasions he's also had to render emergency assistance to humans.

"It's gotten to the point where I carry my black medical bag with me everywhere now," he said. "I've used it more (since joining Congress in 2014) than probably the last 20 years."

But the congressman didn't need his black bag for Jolie. "My hands were enough," he said, chuckling.

Greg Hilburn covers state politics for the USA TODAY Network of Louisiana. Follow him on Twitter @GregHilburn1