BLEEDING: Possible causes of bleeding include car accidents, a fight with another animal, severe wounds, falls, rat poisoning, and clotting problems. Steps To Take: A severed artery is a life-threatening injury. Arterial blood is bright red and will bleed in “spurts”. Bleeding of this type will be difficult to stop and requires immediate veterinary care. For any type of bleeding , place a clean cloth or sterile gauze over the wound and apply direct pressure for at least 5-7 minutes to stop bleeding. DO NOT apply a tourniquet unless absolutely necessary.
UNCONSCIOUSNESS: Possible causes include drowning, trauma, drug or chemical ingestion, electrocution, and obstructed airway. Steps To Take: In case of drowning, the lungs must be cleared of fluid. To do this, raise the animals hind-quarters well above the level of the head and firmly squeeze the chest until draining stops. In case of electrocution, do not touch the animal until it is no longer in contact with the electrical source. In case of an obstruction of the airway, the object will need to be removed. See “CHOKING” If an animal has stopped breathing and there is no pulse, start CPR. See “CPR”.
VOMITING:. Possible causes include poisoning, injury to the abdomen, disease, parasites, fear, overeating, brain injury, and motion sickness. Steps To Take: Examine vomit for blood or other indications of cause. If you suspect the animal has been poisoned, bring a sample of the poison, preferably in it’s original packaging, to the vet. Gently press on the animal’s stomach to detect abdominal pain. DO NOT give the animal any food or water until a vet has been consulted. Unproductive vomiting, distended abdomen, and abdominal pain are serious signs, call your vet immediately.
CHOKING: Possible causes include a foreign object such as food, plant material, bone, needle or plastic stuck in the animal’s throat, teeth or esophagus, and allergic reactions. Steps To Take: Gently pull the tongue forward and inspect mouth and throat for obstructions. If a foreign object is spotted, hold the animal’s mouth open and try to remove it by hand or with tweezers or small, needle-nosed pliers. Be very careful notto push the object further down the throat. If animal is not breathing, apply CPR. See “CPR”. HEAT STROKE: Possible causes include excessive heat and/or lack of shade, lack of water, and overexertion. It is important to note that animals differ widely in how much heat they can tolerate, some pets can be stressed by even mild temperatures when combined with high humidity.
Steps To Take: Place animal in cool or shaded area. Immediately bathe animal in tepid, NOT COLD, water. Even if the animal is conscious, DO NOT leave him/her unattended while soaking. Monitor temperature with a rectal thermometer and dry your pet when it’s temperature drops to 103 degrees F. Continue monitoring temperature and transport to clinic. DO NOT allow your pet to become chilled. NEVER leave your pet unattended in your car.LIMPING: Possible causes include broken bones, arthritis, injury to footpad, sprain, muscle injury, and dislocation. Steps To Take: Try to localize the injury with a gentle inspection. Once you have determined where the injury is, inspect for signs of swelling, pain, heat, and injury. If you suspect a fracture, gently stabilize the limb prior to transporting to the vet. See “TRANSPORTATION AND HANDLING TIPS”. Cover any wounds with a clean cloth. See “BLEEDING”.
BEE OR WASP STINGS: Like some humans, some animals are allergic to some insect stings, if a stinger is left in the animal, remove it by using a scraping motion with your fingernail or a credit card. If you try to grasp the stinger you will only inject more venom into your pet. Steps To Take: Bee stings are acidic and can be neutralized with baking soda. Wasp stings are alkaline and can be neutralized with lemon juice or vinegar. Apply a cold pack to reduce swelling. Apply calamine lotion or antihistamine cream to reduce itch. Severe swelling and /or difficulty breathing are signs that your pet is suffering an allergic reaction and must be transported to the clinic immediately.
TRANSPORTATION AND HANDLING TIPS FOR INJURED ANIMALS: Don’t assume that your pet won’t bite or scratch. Don’t try to comfort your pet by hugging it. Don’t put your face near it’s head. If necessary, muzzle dogs with soft towel strips, gauze, or stockings. Cats and other small animals can be wrapped in a towel. Be as gentle as possible when examining your pet and stop if the animal becomes agitated. Don’t attempt to lift or drag a larger animal when it is injured, a stretcher can be improvised out of a blanket, piece of plywood, or even a child’s toboggan. Prior to transporting your pet to the clinic, try to stabilize it’s injuries. A rolled-up newspaper or magazine with generous amounts of padding such as rolled cotton, gauze, strips of towel or blanket make a great impromptu splint. Make sure the the splint immobilizes the joints above and below the injury.
CPR (CARDIOPULMANARY RESUSITATION) Lay animal on it’s side and remove any foreign objects from it’s airway. See “CHOKING” When airway is clear, extend the animals neck, pull the tongue out of the mouth, and gently close animal’s jaws over it’s tongue. Breathe 5 or 6 breaths into both nostrils while holding the jaws closed, if no response, continue artificial respiration according to the chart below. If there is no pulse, begin cardiac compression. CARDIAC COMPRESSION: Depress the widest part of the chest 1.5 – 3 inches with one or both hands. Dogs over 60 lbs = 60 times per minute Animals 11 – 60 lbs = 80 – 100 times per minute Animals 5 – 10 lbs = 120 – 140 times per minute Animals under 5 lbs = Place hands around the animal’s rib-cage and apply cardiac massage.ARTIFICIAL RESPIRATION: Dogs over 60 lbs = 12 breaths per minute Animals 11 – 60 lbs = 16 – 20 breaths per minute Animals under 10 lbs = 30+ breaths per minute
VITAL SIGNS: The normal heart rate for dogs is 70 – 160 beats per minute. For cats it is 160 – 240 beats per minute. The normal respiration rate for dogs is 10 – 30 breaths per minute. For cats it is 20 –30 breaths per minute.
HOW TO CHECK YOUR PET’S VITAL SIGNS: Use rectal, NOT oral thermometers for pets, the new digital ones for humans work great. Heart rate can be checked by placing a hand on ther animal’s chest. Respiration can be checked by holding a wet finger in front of the animal’s nostrils or by simply observing the animal’s flanks. Measure both rates for 15 seconds and then multiply by for to get the per minute rate. It is a good idea to determine what is normal for your pet before they are injured, make sure the animal is calm and at rest to determine it’s normal rate.
ITEMS TO HAVE ON HAND: Gauze pads and rolls, rolled cotton, and veterinary self-adhesive elastic wrap Tweezers and a small pair of needle-nosed pliers Rectal thermometer Antibiotic cream and antiseptic solution Calamine lotion and petroleum jelly Cotton swabs Blunt ended scissors to safely cut bandages or hair away from wounds Extra blankets, towels, pillows, and tube socks to slip over an injured paw Surgical tape Eye dropper Transportation materials such as crates and pet carriers. A child’s toboggan, blanket, or a large, flat piece of board can be used to carry larger animals. NATIONAL ANIMAL POISON CONTROL CENTER HOTLINES: 1-800-548-2423 or 1-900-680-00 ation on them 00 There is a $30 charge for this service, if you do not have a credit card, call the 900 number to have it charged to your phone bill A FINAL NOTE: Always keep the phone numbers for your veterinarian and the after hours emergency clinic where you can locate them quickly. Many vets provide refrigerator magnets with this inform at