First Aid

FIRST AID FOR DOGS

 Keep your First Aid Kit in a readily accessible place and recheck contents every three Months.

Contents for your First Aid Kit and Uses

Uses 

Average Vital Signs

Temperature:  37.8c to39.4c. (100F. - 102.9F.)

Pulse:  Varies between 80 - 160 beats per minute. (The smaller the dog the higher the resting pulse)

Respiration: 10 to 30 breaths per minute.

Gum Color: Normally should be pink. (Abnormal colors: bluish gray, yellow, pale to white.)

Toxins

Remember to put all hazardous Material Well Out Of Reach And Anticipate Your Dogs Behavior and Curiosity When Storing such Materials As Elastic Cords, Plastic Bags, Children's , Toys, Garbage, and that dreaded killer "Anti-Freeze."

Keep watch, if any anti freeze should drop on ground where your dog may lick it, do an immediate thorough removal.

Knowing what to do in an emergency is another area of importance in being a responsible pet owner and confident Dog Handler.

Listed below are some situations that require first aid or emergency care. Some of these problems can be handled at home while others require veterinary intervention. The key is knowing when to call the vet and knowing what you can do between the time you make the phone call and the time that you arrive at the hospital.

 Vomiting:

Causes: Eating new foods or non food items causing digestive tract irritation, perforation and obstruction; Liver, pancreatic or Kidney disease.

What to do at home: No food or water orally until vomiting stops then offer small amounts of water (ice cubes work well) but no food for 24 hours then give small frequent meals of bland food (boiled potato and chicken or substitute potato with pasta, rice or barley.) In a 2 to1 ratio. Decrease the frequency of this diet over the next few days then return to regular diet.

Call your vet if: you know your pet ate something hazardous, vomiting is frequent (repeated episodes less than one hour apart) or chronic (more than one day), coffee ground-like material is noted in the vomitus, depression or dehydration are evident, no response is seen to above treatment.

 Diarrhea:

Causes: Digestive tract problems (as with vomiting), viral infections, worms, stress.

What to do at home: If you notice presence of blood or mucus in stool, these indicate colitis. Manage dietarily as above except; add canned pumpkin to food for colitis (1 teaspoon daily for small or 1 tablespoon daily for large breeds). Encourage drinking. Give kaopectate (1 teaspoon per 5 pounds of body weight every 4 to6 hours.)

Call your vet if: your pet ate something hazardous, diarrhea is prolonged and watery, your pet is not fully vaccinated or deformed, symptoms don't resolve in 24 hours in adults or 12 hours in babies, or if dehydration or depression are evident.

Allergic Reactions:

Causes: Insect stings, contact with allergens, vaccine and drug reactions. Mild reactions appear as facial swelling, especially around the eyes in dogs or generalized itching in cats. Severe reactions (anaphylaxis) cause rapid shallow breathing, pale gum color, vomiting and loss of consciousness and usually occur within 8 hours of exposure to the allergen.

What to do at home: For mild reactions; Chlorpheniramine (Chlortripolon) 3 treatments every 8 hours (1/2 tablet for small pet, 1 tablet for large pet), cold compresses, aspirin (1/2 to 2 tablets with food every 12 hours not in cats).

Call your vet if: your pet is a cat, anaphylaxis is noted, this is an emergency and requires rapid veterinary intervention, or if swelling doesn't resolve in 4 hours.

 Hypothermia:

Causes: Decreased body temperature.

Signs: Depression, shivering, cold to the touch, slow breathing, blue pads or lips, unconsciousness.

What to do at home: Slowly re-warm, warm house, gently rub body but not legs, mild radiant heat. Heating pads can cause burns.

Call your Vet if: pet is unconscious (start re-warming on route to clinic) or if rapid response isn't evident.

 Hyperthermia:

Causes: (Increased body temperature) fever due to illness or heatstroke.

What to do at home: for heatstroke, cool pet by wrapping in wet towels or submerging in cool (not icy) water, encourage drinking.

Call your vet if: fever is likely, heatstroke has resulted in collapse, dehydration is evident, or pet won't drink water.

 Toxin Ingestion:

Two types of toxins: Petroleum (oil) based and water based.

What to do at home: If water based, induce vomiting - 1 teaspoon salt or 1 to 3 teaspoons hydrogen peroxide in back of mouth, repeat in 5 to 10 minutes. Do not induce vomiting with oil based toxins as these burn and cause severe lung damage if inhaled during vomiting.

Call your vet if: Oil based toxins are ingested, or if vomiting doesn't occur, or anytime to determine toxic effects and determine if further action is required. Vomiting must occur within ½ to 1 hour to be effective for most toxins.

What to do if your Dog is Bleeding:

Bandaging:

General: Clean wound if possible with hydrogen peroxide or other type of disinfectant, (my preference is to keep 3% peroxide and Saline on hand) apply antibiotic ointment to non-stick dressing, apply dressing with ointment to wound and apply gauze roll. If on an extremity apply adhesive bandage over gauze. (Vet wrap is great to have on hand) .

Body Injury:

As above but bandage may be wrapped around body 5 or 6 times for support. Make snug but not too tightly so as to restrict breathing.

Paw Injury:

Often will need cotton between toes.

(A) wound: Follow instruction as per General bandage.

(B) Break : Apply a Robert Jones bandage.

Robert Jones Bandage - used when there is suspicion of fracture.

Place adhesive tape or Vet wrap on either side of leg. Place 2 or 3 layers of cotton wrap around leg so that cotton is puffy. (Make sure toes are straight.) Wrap gauze roll around cotton as tight as possible. Place adhesive bandage. Pinch toes for sensation.

Burns:

Treatment of minor burns (small size, superficial); apply cold water compress, an ice pack may be applied but avoid applying ice directly on the skin because it may freeze sensitive damaged tissue for 15 to 30 minutes, dry, apply antibacterial ointment. For a burn that is large or deep or is a chemical burn, rinse copiously and get to Vet. This is an emergency. First Aid isn't that useful though ice packs will help.

Wounds:

Causes: Punctures, abrasions, hot spots, lacerations.

What to do at home: Stop bleeding by applying firm steady pressure for 1 to 5 minutes. If minor or superficial; clean, apply anti-bacterial ointment, bandage with non-adherent dressing (tela) gauze and wrap or tape.

If major or deep; apply light bandage if possible then seek Veterinary care.

If bleeding is heavy a bandage will be needed to provide adequate pressure. Apply a tourniquet only if arterial (pulsing) bleeding is noted and if Veterinary care is not available. (Don't leave a tourniquet on longer than 15 minutes.

Choking:

Causes: Foreign object lodged in back of mouth or trachea.

What to do at home: If possible, reach into the mouth and remove object. Be very careful as you are likely to be bitten. Pry open mouth (can use handle of screwdriver) to allow for inspection CAREFULLY use needle nose pliers to remove object. You will be more successful if pet loses consciousness but artificial respiration is then needed. Call your Vet if; you can't remove object, if gums appear bluish, if pet loses consciousness.

Note: Kennel Cough can cause choking.

Eyes:

Problems: Redness or discharge indicates irritation causing conjunctivitis and infection or foreign bodies that may lodge under eyelids and can lacerate the Cornea. Blunt trauma to the back of the head can force the eyeball from the socket. (Proptosis)

What to do at home: Irritation; flush liberally with Saline solution.

Foreign body; remove if possible unless embedded in the Cornea.

Proptosis; keep moist with Saline solution, prevent injury.

Call your Vet always, even minor irritation can lead to infection and severe Corneal damage. Proptosis is an emergency that can be corrected surgically.

 Various Conditions And Things To Look For:

Dog Bites: Maintain a high degree of suspicion although the skin wound may not look too bad, there may have been perforation into a body cavity. Apply bandage as per general bandaging.

Fractures: Be careful, even the friendliest dog will bite. Dog will often be non-weight bearing or dragging a limb. Feel for pain, heat or swelling. If dog is small, carry it, if dog is large carry in a blanket stretcher. See Robert Jones Bandage.

Insect Bite: Signs; Change of temperament, swelling of face. Paws scratching or biting affected area. Apply suitable antihistamnes

Diarrhea/Vomit: If 4 times in 24 hours or if blood or mucus seen, see your Veterinarian.

If not remove food for 24 hours and water for 12 hours. Gradually return to normal feeding over 3 or 4 days after feeding multiple small meals over the first two days.

Bloat: Mostly in large dogs over 40 pounds.

Signs; welching, vomiting, gagging, bulge on left side of abdomen behind last rib. Dog does not feel like moving, has rapid very weak pulse, gum color pale, may salivate or pant.

Prevention: Feed 3 or 4 small meals instead of one. Offer small amounts of water; Don't let dog gorge, feed from raised surface, no intense exercise before or right after eating.

Convulsions or Seizures: Causes;

Epilepsy, head trauma, certain toxins, organ dysfunction. Signs; vocalizing, paddling of limbs, defecation, urination, clenching of mouth, (don't try to stop) What to do at home; Be careful- seizing pets are not conscious and may bite. Just wait it out and comfort your pet, this is also important when they stop seizuring as they are very disoriented at that time. Note duration and time of day..

Call your Vet always; Seizures can occur due to treatable illnesses such as diabetes and liver disease and need to be diagnosed. Seizuring is an emergency if the seizures occur repeatedly at short intervals.

Heat Stroke: Signs;

Panting, distressed, unable to stand, bright red gums rapid pulse.

Temperature of 41 - 43c. Immerse in cold water bath.

Toxins:

Remember to put all hazardous material well out of reach and anticipate your dogs behavior and curiosity when storing such materials as elastic cords, plastic bags, children's toys, garbage, etc.

Use extreme caution with anti-freeze. Store well out of reach of your pets. Keep a keen watch for any leakage from your automobile and thoroughly clean area where any spills or leakage has occurred.