Emergency & First Aid
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ANIMAL EMERGENCY & FIRST AID
As pet lovers, we consider our pets to be a part of our family for a reason. Anyone who loves and is owned by animals comes to a place when one of your little furry babies is not well or gets injured. I have compiled and provide the following information as a guideline ONLY, and not as a substitute for professional veterinary care. I make no guarantees as to the completeness of this list or the efficacy of the items listed. If there is any doubt as to your ability to treat any injury or illness, SEEK VETERINARY CARE IMMEDIATELY.
* * * USE CAUTION HANDLING AN INJURED OR SICK ANIMAL * * *
Even the most docile creature may bite or scratch. They are not feeling themselves and may be aggressive or disoriented! If you are accidentally bitten or scratched, cleanse your wounds as soon as possible and at ANY sign of infection seek medical attention. Both dog and cat bites can become infected quickly.
MEDICATIONS should NOT BE GIVEN unless instructed by a veterinarian, including but NOT LIMITED TO: Aspirin, Motrin, Advil and Tylenol
VITAL STATISTICS
Normal Pulse or Heart Rate (resting):
Cat: 150-200 bpm
Sml Dog: 90-120 bpm
Med Dog: 70-110 bpm
Lrg Dog: 60-90 bpm
Pulse should be strong, regular and easy to locate
Checking The Pulse
The easiest place to locate a pulse is the femoral artery in the groin area. Place your fingers on the inside of the hind leg and slide your hand upward until the back of your fingers touches the abdomen. Gently move your fingers back and forth on the inside of the hind leg until you feel the pulsing blood. Count the number of pulses in 15 seconds and multiply that number by 4. This will give you the beats per minute (bpm).
Temperature
Dogs and Cats:
100-102.5 degrees
Thermometer should be almost clean when removed: abnormalities are indicated by blood, diarrhea, or black, tarry stool. Fevers can indicate a variety of issues, mild to major, get to a vet!
ANIMAL EMERGENCY: When it IS an emergency:
These conditions require immediate professional veterinary attention, seek medical assistance without delay (it cannot wait until morning or until your regular vet opens):
BLEEDING that does not stop from ANY part of the body; apply pressure with a clean cloth and go, go, go!
EXTERNAL BLEEDING
- Muzzle animal
- Press thick gauze pad over wound. Hold firmly until clotting occurs
- If bleeding is severe, apply a tourniquet between the wound and the heart.
- Loosen tourniquet for 20 seconds every 15-20 minutes.
- A tourniquet is dangerous and should only be used in life-threatening hemorrhaging of a limb. It may result in amputation or disability of the limb. NOT GENERALLY RECOMMENDED!
- Get to vet immediately
INTERNAL BLEEDING
- Symptoms: bleeding from nose, mouth, rectum; coughing blood; blood in urine; pale gums; collapse; rapid or weak pulse.
- Keep animal as warm and quiet as possible.
- Get to vet immediately
BLOATED or distended abdomen or swollen or painful abdomen (with or without vomiting). Often seen in large dogs, life threatening, progresses rapidly, early medical intervention is VITAL, get to vet immediately
BURNS
Chemical Burns
- Muzzle animal
- Flush immediately with large quantities of cold water
- Get to vet immediately
Severe Burns
- Muzzle animal
- Quickly apply ice water compresses
- Treat for shock if necessary
- Get to vet immediately
CHOKING DO NOT MUZZLE
- If pet can partially breath, keep the animal calm and get to a veterinarian as quickly as possible
- If you can see foreign object in throat, clear airway by removing object with pliers or tweezers (careful not to push it farther down the throat!)
- If object is lodged too deep or if pet collapses, place hands on both sides of animal’s rib cage and apply firm, quick pressure or place animal on its side and strike side of the rib cage firmly with palm of hand three or four times. Repeat this procedure until the object is dislodged or you arrive at the veterinarian’s office.
- Get to vet immediately
DIFFICULT BREATHING DO NOT MUZZLE
- Blue tongue
- Gasping for breath
- Noisy respiration
- Get to vet immediately
Be familiar with ANIMAL CARDIOPULMONARY RESUSCITATION (CPR). There are classes offered in pet CPR and this knowledge can be important when faced with a life-threatening situation. It may save your pet’s life! Animal CPR
ELECTRICAL SHOCK
- Muzzle animal IF NOT HAVING DIFFICULTY BREATHING
- Symptoms may be delayed
- Get to vet immediately if even SUSPECTED
FISH HOOKS
- Muzzle animal IF NOT HAVING DIFFICULTY BREATHING
- DO NOT CUT LINE attached to hook!
- Removal only under anesthetic
- Get to vet immediately
FRACTURES
- Muzzle animal
- Gently lay animal on a board, wooden door, tarp, etc. padded with blankets.
- Secure animal to the support
- Do not attempt to set the fracture
- If a limb is broken, wrap the leg in cotton padding, then wrap with a magazine, rolled newspaper, towel or two sticks. Splint should extend one joint above the fracture and one joint below. Secure with tape. Make sure wrap does not constrict blood flow. If the spine, ribs, hip, etc. appears injured or broken, gently place the animal on a stretcher or board and immobilize if possible.
- Get to vet immediately
HEATSTROKE DO NOT MUZZLE
- Extreme weakness
- Heavy panting
- Cool animal with water (in tub, mist with water or use cool wet towel) and ventilate
- Get to vet immediately
INABILITY to URINATE or MOVE BOWELS (but continues to try)
- Muzzle animal
- May be accompanied by bloody stool or urine
- May be accompanied by painful defecation or urination
- Get to vet immediately
INABILITY to DELIVER puppies or kittens
- Labor contractions for longer than one hour
- More than 15 minutes of labor with the fetus or membrane showing
- Get to vet immediately
INGESTED POISON
- Abnormal respiration
- Convulsions
- Diarrhea
- Excessive salivation
- Muscle tremors
- Weakness
- Bring container, brand name, chemical name or list of ingredients anything to help the vet know what KIND of poison. DO NOT INDUCE VOMITING unless instructed by vet or poison control.
- Get to vet immediately
LAMENESS (cannot bear any weight on a limb)
- Get to vet immediately
LOSS OF BALANCE, UNCONSCIOUS or SEIZURE: REMAIN CALM!
- Biting at imaginary objects
- Coma
- Convulsions
- Tremors
- Staggering
- Sudden blindness
- Tilting of the head
- Get to vet immediately
MAJOR TRAUMA injury, or shock from
- Broken bones
- Cuts/wounds
- Falls
- Vehicle accidents
- Get to vet immediately
PAIN severe or continuous, get to vet immediately
PENETRATING WOUNDS, especially chest or abdomen, get to vet immediately
SHOCK
- Symptoms: weak pulse; shallow breathing; nervousness; dazed appearance; disorientation
- Often accompanies major trauma, severe injury or extreme fright
- Keep animal restrained, quiet and warm
- If unconscious, keep head level with rest of body
- Get to vet immediately
SIGNS of any of the following Get to vet immediately
- Bewilderment or confusion
- Collapse
- Dilated pupils
- Eye problems
- Rapid heartbeat
- Severe hives
- Severe itching and/or self-mutilation
- Shallow breathing
- Weakness
SNAKE BITE
- Muzzle animal IF NOT HAVING DIFFICULTY BREATHING
- Keep animal calm and warm
- Do NOT make incisions around wound or apply tourniquet
- Get to vet immediately
Sudden or severe CHANGES IN DISPOSITION unusual withdrawal, uncharacteristic behaviors, or out-of-character aggressiveness are serious signs something is wrong, even if the animal shows no other symptoms, get to vet immediately
VOMITING and/or DIARRHEA with blood or violent episodes
- DO NOT MUZZLE IF VOMITING
- Get to vet immediately
MINOR MALADIES (or watch and wait)
Cut or Wound (small)
Check for contamination or debris, clean wound with saline, balanced electrolyte solution (Pedialyte), or water. Any sign of infection see vet.
Diarrhea (no blood)
Withhold food (NOT WATER) for 12-24 hours, if still continues see vet.
Vomiting (no blood)
Withhold food for 12-24 hours. Give ice cubes for two hours after vomiting stops, slowly increase the amount of water and food given over a 24-hour period. If continues see vet.
