How to Give First Aid to Pets

BITES: Bathe the wound with a saline solution. Do not allow your pet to lick the wound excessively. Keep the wound clean and dry. Seek attention from your vet if the bite appears infected or your pet shows signs of discomfort. SNAKE BITES: Immediate attention is required. Telephone your vet and take your pet to the surgery immediately. Usually, fang marks can be seen which indicate that your pet has been bitten. Swelling occurs very rapidly around the area of the bite. Carry your pet, or walk slowly, to your nearest means of transport.

CHOKING Common signs of a pet choking are them pawing at their mouth, wrenching and excessive drooling. If you can safely restrain your pet and fully open their mouth you can attempt to remove the object yourself. Always be as gentle as you can to prevent further damage, if the object does not come out easily, leave it alone and call for a vet immediately. If your pet has swallowed any string or thread half way, then do not try to pull it out as it may be attached to their intestines. If they have swallowed a fishhook and it is stuck, take them to the vet, a fishhook is unlikely to cause the pet to suffocate. Sometimes it will take two people to deal with this. Person 1: Check airway by using one hand, hold the animal's mouth open. Using the other hand, pull the tongue out as far as possible. Look in mouth to see if you can see an obstruction. Person 2: Remove the object carefully, preferably using pliers or a similar instrument. Ball stuck at back of throat: Do not try and remove using pliers as this may push the ball further down your pet's throat. Instead place your finger at the base of the jaw, apply pressure inwards and upwards to expel the ball. If the above should prove unsuccessful after a few minutes trying, telephone and take at once to the veterinary surgery.

INSECT BITES & STINGS If your pet has been stung, remove the sting with a pair of tweezers. Grab the sting at the point of entry and pull it out, try not to squeeze the poison sack that would inject more toxins. Bicarbonate soda can be used to treat bee stings. For a wasp sting, the solution of vinegar is used to ease the sting. Ask a vet for advice on removing ticks.

BURNS Never put oil or cream on burns. The tissue that is damaged during burns or scalds is very prone to infection. If your pet’s skin has not been broken and is still intact after the burn, rinse the area with cold water for as long as you can, preferably 10-20 minutes. However, if the burn has caused the skin to be removed, do not wash it under cold water, instead cover the area with a towel or dry cloth.

CUTS: Bathe the wound with a saline solution. Do not allow your pet to lick the wound excessively. Keep the wound clean and dry. DEEP CUTS/BLEEDING: Immediate attention is required. Telephone your vet and take your pet to the surgery immediately. Do not interfere with the wound. Apply a dressing/bandage - see emergency techniques. If the wound is bleeding excessively or spurting blood, apply a heavy dressing and apply pressure.

BROKEN BONES/DISLOCATIONS: Immediate attention is required. Telephone your vet and take your pet to the surgery immediately. If your pet has broken a bone or dislocated a joint, he will show sudden, acute lameness, and the limb position may appear abnormal. Swelling may or may not be present. The animal will show distress on movement and unwillingness to use limb. It is important to keep your pet still and restrain as necessary to limit further damage. Do not attempt to reposition the limb.

CONTAMINATED COAT: The animal appears to have oil/tar or unknown substances on its coat or feet. Due to the nature and sensitivity of cats and dogs this can be extremely harmful and toxic if ingested. Prevent your pet from licking the area. Wash the area with water containing a mild detergent, rinse thoroughly with clean water. Vegetable oil or butter can be helpful to remove tar. Swarfega can be helpful to remove oil. Contact your vet if there is heavy contamination or if you are worried.

DROWNING: Immediate attention is required. Telephone your vet and take your pet to the surgery immediately. Do not endanger yourself. If possible, remove the animal from the water. Suspend him by his hindquarters to allow water to drain from the lungs. A swinging motion can be used to encourage breathing. If your pet does not start to breath naturally resuscitation should be implemented (see emergency techniques). Dry pet and wrap in blanket to keep warm.

ELECTRIC SHOCK: Low voltage shocks (eg in the home): Do not touch your pet until you have turned off the electrical source. If your pet is unconscious, check for signs of breathing. If there are no signs of breathing, implement resuscitation (see emergency techniques). Apply first aid to any areas of bleeding or burns. Immediate attention is required. Telephone your vet and take your pet to the surgery immediately. High voltage shocks (eg power lines etc): Do not approach or try to rescue your pet if it is still within 18 metres (20 yards) of the power source. Call 911 and ask for the police. Immediate attention is required. Telephone your vet and take your pet to the surgery immediately, once it is safe to do so. Keep bystanders away. When you are told it is safe to do so, approach your pet and implement resuscitation. Apply first aid to any areas of bleeding or burns

POISONING: If you think that your pet has eaten something that may be poisonous, make it vomit as soon as possible. A crystal of washing soda or strong salt solution can be used to induce vomiting. If you know or suspect the cause, note carefully the nature of the substance and amount eaten. Immediate attention is required. Telephone your vet and take your pet to the surgery immediately.Take a sample or the container of the irritant if possible.

Emergency techniques Resuscitation A. Breathing: Check if the animal is breathing by LOOKING and LISTENING.B. Check his airway: Pull the tongue forward and, if necessary, remove any mud, debris or other obstructions.C. If the animal does not start breathing naturally: Check the heartbeat. Lay the animal on its side and apply intermittent pressure to the chest.Should the above be unsuccessful: Pull the animal's head forward and extend the neck to straighten it. Close the mouth. Blow vigorously and hard up the nose to inflate the chest until the animal begins to gasp.

Transporting an injured pet: The aim is to transport the injured animal with minimum discomfort and avoiding making any injuries worse. If the dog can walk: Allow it to walk slowly to the vehicle and gently assist it to get in. Cats, or dogs that cannot walk comfortably, can be carefully lifted. Small dogs and cats may be lifted gently as shown. Be careful not to obstruct the airway. Medium Dogs lift cradling them with your arms in front of front legs and behind the rear legs. Large dogs should always be lifted in a blanket or similar.