Pet/Dog First Aid

rotti oRiley

Can anyone offer advice on what to do in simple situations when a dog gets in trouble.

I know we all do the best to keep our pets safe but sometimes chance will get you. Not all dogs are confined, some living on farms etc.

In the event of the following, and please add anything I haven't, what do you do.

I had a dog eat a sock,rang vet, just gave him plenty of water and watched his bowel movements till it reappeared. Yucky but that's all was needed.

Eats something they shouldn't. Eg, sock, pebble, grass seed etc.

Gets poisoned..EG rat bait, fertilizer, chemicals.

Starts choking.

Gets burnt.

Cuts a paw, nose, leg, gets something in the eye.

Heat exhaustion.

Sunburn, white dogs and white noses.

And anything else you can think of.

I know the vet is the place for all the big stuff, RTAs, poison, but what do you do before you get them there, they're not always available immediately.

tk123

I did a canine first responder class last year and it teaches you what to do in loads of different situations, how to apply bandages/dress wounds, CPR etc etc. I did in DTI as we go there for daycare but there's other places that do it too. I found it really good - some of it was common sense that you'd know anyways if you did a first aid course say in work but all in all it was really good.

baords dyslexic

Add another one to your list...

How do you move a very large dog that is injured on a walk, I've carried small dogs back home (one lurcher I remember impaled a leg a fence post - happy endind) but one of our dogs weighs 50kg's and if he broke something I'm not sure what I'd do.

Rookey

Hi Rotti

I can's answer the exact questions but I do know there is a course on canine first aid that covers what you want to know. the next date is the 20th Feb. I'm also looking to do this in the next few months.

Zulu

I've had a cut paw-pad: I checked it for foreign bodys, cleaned it out, kept it clean with savlon. That worked fine.

I've had her choke: stuck my fingers down her throat as I would have a person, fished it out.

Thats it so far... Good idea for a thread

seamus

baords dyslexic wrote: »

How do you move a very large dog that is injured on a walk, I've carried small dogs back home (one lurcher I remember impaled a leg a fence post - happy endind) but one of our dogs weighs 50kg's and if he broke something I'm not sure what I'd do.

Fireman's lift.
The diagram in the article could easily be applied to a dog. It's not easy of course, but the lift provides the best chance of being able to carry the dog for extended distances.

Don't be too concerned about a broken leg or paw, the dog can walk just fine on three. Just take it very easy (plod along, no running or even trotting) and think about lifting him if the terrain is very rough (e.g. through a dense forest) until you get to flatter ground. A 3-legged dog can walk on any terrain, but if a normal dog has injured a leg you risk further injury if they try jumping over thing or they lose their balance.
If the dog has injury to two legs (quite common with RTAs where the rear of the dog is struck), then the lift can be used. But as with all accidents you need to consider spinal injuries. If at all possible, the dog should not be moved by direct lifting.


On CPR, just remember that canine CPR is effectively identical to human CPR except for two things:

1. When you give them a breath, you close their mouth and breath through their nose.
2. Chest compressions should be made with the dog lying on his side, not on his back.

Also with human CPR you use quite a bit of force in chest compressions - you will often crack the sternum and cause extensive bruising (but you'll save their life). While the same "do whatever it takes" idea applies to canines, applying a human amount of pressure to a small dog could cause irreperable internal injuries, so you need to be more controlled with your power.

SillyMangoX

Zulu wrote: »

I've had her choke: stuck my fingers down her throat as I would have a person, fished it out.

Just thought I'd say, you really shouldn't put your fingers down their throat, if you can avoid it that is! Firstly there is the risk of being bitten by putting your hands in the mouth of a panicked animal, and secondly, there is a very big risk of actually pushing the obstruction further back into their throat and making it impossible to dislodge. So make sure you can see the object before you put your fingers back, but it really would be better to use a tweezers. (If you can, obviously if there aren't any tweezers handy, your fingers would do the job, just be aware of risks!)

You can do the Heimlich manoeuvre on pets just like you would do in humans, wrap your arms around their body with your stomach pressed against their back (you bent over, not pulling the animal upright if you get what I mean!) link your hands and use the knuckles of your thumbs to push in and upwards around where the diaphragm would be, under the ribs.

Here's a guide to it, I know it says to lay them on their side but it really is better to do it standing so the object will fall out of the mouth, less risk of them re swallowing it. http://www.ehow.com/how_2304816_give-heimlich-maneuver-dogs.html

SillyMangoX

Oh and forgot to add, I did a pet first aid course in Doggy day care in Clare, you should keep an eye out in your local doggy day care, vets, pet shops etc to see if there is anyone around offering these courses. Only takes half a day but its very very valuable knowledge to have!

rotti oRiley

Good Stuff,

There's nowhere locally to me that offers these courses, and i'm not available to travel, that's why I ask.

Good tips, thanks