Dog First Aid

Accidents happen. When one happens to your dog, you may need to perform some first aid to stabilize or comfort your pet until you can get to professional help. Remember, first aid should not be the only aid your dog receives.

In An Emergency

In an emergency, keep a level head and get your dog to the veterinarian quickly. Call first. If your doctor's office is not open, call the nearest emergency pet clinic. Keep emergency phone numbers near your telephone.

Some quick tips on common injuries and issues:

General Injuries: Wrap your dog in a heavy towel or blanket to keep him or her warm and restrict movements.

Not Breathing: Unless you have been trained to administer CPR, it is best and safest to seek immediate veterinary care.  (If you want to learn CPR, ask your veterinarian to recommend a program in your area.)

Bleeding: Apply a pressure bandage (sterile gauze or a handkerchief) to stem or stop bleeding.

Burn: Apply a cold compress or ice to a burn and gently hold it there until you get to the clinic.

Poison: Call your veterinarian or poison control immediately to determine if vomiting should be induced.

Choking: At any sign of choking (drooling, difficulty swallowing, pawing at the mouth, gagging) don't attempt to remove the item.

Heatstroke: Take your dog to a cool spot and sponge him with cold water. Encourage him to drink small amount of cold water.

Frostbite: Get your dog in a warm place. Apply warm moist towels to frostbitten areas. Change them until the area becomes flushed. Severe frostbite damages paws and ear tips so see your veterinarian as soon as possible.

Fever: Check your dog's temperature. If it's above 103 degrees, get to your veterinarian for medication or advice. Read about taking your dog's temperature.

In All Cases: It's worth repeating: Get to your veterinarian. Even small cuts can become big problems due to infection, and there can be internal injuries you can't see and your dog can't tell you about.

First Aid Kit:

Having some supplies ready in case of an emergency is a good idea. You won't have to go searching for what you need at a time of crisis. There's no need to replicate a veterinary hospital, but these basic items will come in helpful.

• Antibiotic ointment for cuts and scrapes
• A rectal thermometer - your dog's own, separate from everyone else's
• Tweezers - to remove thorn's, stingers, splinters
• Wrap-style bandages and padding
• A blanket or large towel to wrap your dog