First Aid for Pets

By Karen Negrin, DVM

The information in this article is to provide pet owners with some basic guidelines regarding first aid. Contact your veterinarian while assisting your pet, since your veterinarian knows your pet’s particular medical conditions (if any), and can provide more specific advice regarding treatment and transporting your pet.

• Keep a basic first aid kit at home. Some kits can be purchased through pet catalogs; a basic kit should contain bandaging material, bandage tape, Ace bandage, a muzzle, a rectal thermometer and hydrogen peroxide.
• First, assess if the pet is breathing. If the pet is not breathing, start cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR). See instructions below.
• For the conscious animal, proper restraint is a must since animals who are fearful or in pain can bite or scratch. Cover a small dog or cat with a towel to prevent struggling and scratching. Muzzle dogs to prevent biting. Muzzles can be made from a necktie, stocking, gauze or soft rope. Make a loop and place it over the dog’s muzzle. Tighten the loop, bring the ends under the chin and tie behind the neck.
• Apply direct pressure to any wound that is bleeding excessively. Place a tourniquet above the wound if the wound is spurting blood; transport immediately to the veterinary hospital.
• Splint broken leg bones before transporting your pet. Use a rolled-up newspaper or other sturdy material and extend the splint one joint above and one below the broken bone. Tape the “splint” to the pet’s leg.
• If your pet is not breathing, CPR may be necessary. Remember the A, B, C’s of CPR. It is best to perform CPR with two people; one doing the chest compressions while the other breathes for the pet. A third person should be phoning the hospital or driving while CPR is being performed.

Airway: Open the pet’s mouth and remove any obstruction present. (Tilt the pet’s head back, pull the tongue outward, and remove the object from the mouth.) If the object is stuck, perform the Heimlich maneuver. (Hold a cat/small dog against your chest and push inward with your fist beneath the rib cage; for a larger dog, lay the pet down with his/her back to you, put pressure with your fist below the rib cage and press sharply upward and inward towards the dog’s head.)

Breathing: If the animal is not breathing, close the pet’s mouth, put your mouth over the pet’s nose and blow quickly just enough to move the pet’s chest. Breathe four or five times and check to see if the pet is breathing. If not breathing, or if breathing is shallow, continue the above until you reach the hospital.

Circulation: Feel for a heart beat (where the left elbow meets the chest). If no heart beat or pulse, start chest compressions. Lay the pet on its right side, chest facing you for a cat/small dog; back facing you for a larger dog. Place your palms on the rib cage where you felt for a heart beat.

Compress the chest 1/2” to 1” for a cat/small dog, 1” to 3” for larger dogs. Alternate compressions with breathing. Perform five compressions for each breath (ten compressions/breath for dogs over 90 lbs.), then check for a pulse.

• Transport small animals in a pet carrier, box or hamper. Place a larger dog on a stretcher; use a blanket, plank or other sturdy material. Slowly and carefully slide the pet onto the transport material to prevent further injuring the pet.

Another common emergency is potential poisoning. In some cases, inducing vomiting at home before transporting the pet may help. Vomiting can be induced by giving a few capfuls of hydrogen peroxide orally. Induce vomiting for the following: ingestion of poisonous plants, rat poisoning, most drug overdoses and antifreeze ingestion. Consult a veterinarian before inducing vomiting since some ingested materials may cause more injury to your pet if vomited.

Nowadays, many people turn to the Internet for information. Doctors cannot make a complete diagnosis over the phone (or over the computer for that matter). The value of a complete examination cannot be overemphasized.

It is best to consult your veterinarian in any emergency for advice; this also gives the veterinarian time to prepare a room and the staff to handle your case as soon as you arrive.

TLC Pet Doctor, 1326 Stuyvesant Ave., Union, NJ; 908-686-7080

Get Your Pet Ready for Vacation

It happens every summer. With reservations to make, suitcases to pack and other details, some vacationers forget to plan the family pet’s vacation.

“If you want to be sure your pet is well-cared for while you’re away, don’t wait,” says Joan Nieman of Best Friends Pet Care, the leading pet boarding company in the U.S. with six locations in New Jersey. “Quality boarding kennels book up just as quickly as top vacation resorts.”

Whether it’s your pet’s first time or he’s a kennel regular, Nieman offers the following advice:

Update vaccinations. Be sure the kennel requires proof of vaccination, or your pet may be exposed to illness. Check with your vet about whether your pet needs new inoculations. It’s best to get new vaccinations at least a week in advance of boarding.

Pack your pet’s bags. Pack a supply of any special food and/or medications with written instructions. Include a familiar toy, but not his favorite in case of loss. Mark all your pet’s personal belongings with your last name.

Prepare a list of contacts, including your veterinarian, contact information at your vacation destination, and a local friend or family member to serve as “backup” if you can’t be reached.

When you deliver your pet to the boarding kennel, give an affectionate good-bye, hand him over to the staff and leave. Don’t cause a prolonged farewell scene, which will worry your pet.

“If this is your pet’s first time boarding and you are anxious about how he will do, make arrangements to call and check in,” says Nieman. “At Best Friends, we understand that pets are part of the family. We are happy to take a call from a worried pet parent.”

Best Friends Pet Care; 888-FOR-PETS; www.bestfriendspetcare.com

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