The best remedy is safety and prevention

 

Emergency situations with pets can arise quickly and unexpectedly.

If your dog is suddenly injured, knowing first aid basics can help stabilize your pet until you get to a veterinary hospital.

Both Ray and myself are Certified in Pet First Aid & CPR.

 

 

Stop. Assess. Act

• In the event of a pet emergency, REMAIN CALM. It's important that you keep a level head and clear thinking so you can properly assess the situation and communicate clearly with your veterinarian.  

• Put safey first. Before rushing in to aid an injured pet, ensure that the area is safe for you to administer the help that is needed.

 

 

Check the ABCD's

• Airway...  clear your pet's airway

• Breathing... check breathing

• Circulation... check heartbreat / pulse

• Disability... assess level of injury

 

 

Administer First-Aid

• Control bleeding, flush burns, immobilize broken limbs, call poison control for pets, etc

 

 

Get help from trained professionals...

• Program into your cell phone, the numbers of your veterinarian, an emergency hospital and Pet Poison Helpline. 

• Call the hospital to alert them of your arrival. 

 

 

The Vitals:  Baseline Heathline Stats

Knowing what's normal for your dog or cat can help you determine if anything is out of the ordinary.

Small and Medium Dogs

• Pulse:  70-140 beats per minute

• Respiratory rate:  15-30 breaths per minute

• Normal temperature: 101-102.5 degrees F

Large Dogs

• Pulse:  50-120 beats per minute

• Respiratory rate:  15-30 breaths per minute

• Normal temperature: 101-102.5 degrees F

Cats

• Pulse:  140-200 beats per minute

• Respiratory rate:  15-30 breaths per minute

• Normal temperature: 99.5-102.5 degrees F

 

How to Take Your Pet's Pulse

  1.  Find a watch with a second hand

  2.  Find the pulse or heartbeat in one of two ways:

         a.  place two fingers inside your pet's thigh, near where the leg and body meet (dog's only)

         b.  place your hands on both sides of the chest cavity (just behind the elbows)

  3.  Count the beats for 15 seconds, then multiply by four.  This gives you the number of beats per munute.

  4.  It can be difficult to find a heart rate on cats.  If you suspect that something may be physically wrong, seek

       immediate veterinary attention. 

 

 

Pet First Aid Kit Essentials

Keep these items stored in an accessible location

• Veterinarian's contact information

• Emergency veterinarian's contact information

• Pet Poison Helpline contact information

• Gauze roll or pads

• Medical tape

• Ruler or other rigid material for splint

• Scissors

• Tweezers

• Thermometer and sterile lubricant 

• Hydrogen peroxide

• Plastic or latex gloves

• Towel or blanket

• Triple antibiotic ointment

• Ophthalmic saline solution

 

Handling an injured pet

• Carefully restrain an injured pet... even the friendliest ones can bite when afraid and in pain

• Never muzzle a dog if he is unconscious, has difficulty breathing or is vomiting

• Never muzzle a cat.  Bundle in a towel or blanket and secure in a carrier immediately

• Use a bandage, men's tie, length of rag or other piece of long, narrow fabric for a home-made muzzle

• Loop the fabric once around the dog's snout and tie in under his chin, then two or three more times.

• Pull the ends of the fabric from under the chin and tie securely behind the ears