When a dog is sick or injured, it has limited ways to communicate the pain and suffering to you. Therefore, it's important to know your pet thoroughly and look for signs that indicate a problem and to recognize what constitutes an emergency trip to the vet.

EMERGENCY PROCEDURE

If you have already determined the dog is in peril and requires emergency care follow these steps immediately:

1. Start first aid (see procedures below)
2. Prepare for transport - have someone help you carry the dog on a board (preferred) or blanket into a vehicle.
3. Continue first aid during transport
4. Upon arrival, go in alone at first and find out how to proceed as other injured animals may be there which could cause chaos.

• If no one is available to help with transportation you must continue first aid and CALL the vet for instructions.
• If no phone is available you must continue first aid and transport the dog.

THE SIGNS OF A HEALTHY DOG

Eyes: bright and clear with no sign of discharge

Ears: clean and clear of buildup or smell

Mouth: not overpowering with odor and pink gums

Nose: moist with no discharge

Coat: shiny with no blemishes and skin that snaps back from the shoulders

Temperature: Normal for a dog is between 100 and 102.5 Fahrenheit

General: no lameness, no heavy panting, no swelling, a healthy appetite and normal thirst

Any changes in the normal signs are a reason for concern but not necessarily an emergency. It is strongly recommended that pet owners know first aid and practice the procedures. When in doubt, always call a vet for instructions.

INDICATIONS OF AN EMERGENCY THAT REQUIRE A VET IMMEDIATELY:

• Temperature reading less than 99 or higher than 103 Fahrenheit
• Seizure
• Collapse or fainting
• Suspected poisoning
• Snake bite
• Spider bite
• Diarrhea or vomiting IF more than 2 or 3 times in one hour or so
• Difficulty breathing
• Difficulty urinating or defecating
• Chronic cough
• Broken bones, uncontrollable bleeding, serious burns
• Any obvious suffering without external indicators (could be internal problems)
• True shock

SOME IMPORTANT DO'S AND DONT'S

• Do talk to the dog constantly with comfort and confidence in your voice
• Do seek medical help immediately for emergencies and sooner-than-later
• Do stay within the dog's vision (in front of dog if possible)
• Do think of how you would feel in the dog's situation and act accordingly
• Do not make sudden movements
• Do not reach for the dog with an open palm or other 'threatening' gestures
• Do not try to pet an injured animal if it isn't yours and even if it is, watch for aggressive signs
• Do not give a dog any human medication (including aspirin & Tylenol) unless told to do so by a vet

FIRST AID PROCEDURES:

ARTIFICIAL RESPIRATION:

1) Open mouth, grasp tongue and pull it forward and clear of back of throat

2) Wipe away any mucus or blood and remove any obstructions in the mouth or throat

3) If dog has fluid in throat or has drowned, hold upside down by hind legs for 15-30 seconds

4) Close mouth

5) Place your mouth over the dog's NOSE and breath into the dog

6) Watch the dogs chest for the lungs to inflate

7) Remove your mouth and get air

8) Repeat steps 4 to 7 about six times per minute

9) This can be done for 30 to 60 minutes

HEART MASSAGE TECHNIQUE:

If the dog's heart has stopped (you can't hear it at all)

1) Make a fist and find a spot on the chest in the area just below the dogs shoulder

2) Strike the area sharply once or twice

3) Check for a heart beat

4) If no heart beat, turn dog on it's right side on a solid surface

5) Put the fingers of one hand on each side of the chest over the heart area

6) Compress firmly but not too hard and release. Repeat the compressions 70 times per minute.

TAKING A TEMPERATURE READING:

If possible, use a pet thermometer but a human thermometer is okay in an emergency.

1) Put a little bit of lubricant on the tip of the thermometer

2) Talk to the dog and calmly insert the thermometer into the anus (not too far)

3) Wait 1 minute and remove to get the reading (normal is 100 to 102.5 Fahrenheit)

4) Clean the thermometer thoroughly

BLEEDING:

If bleeding doesn't stop in 5 minutes, try to staunch the flow:

1) Apply direct pressure with a clean cloth/wool pad or hand

2) If blood seeps through, DO NOT REMOVE first cloth but apply another on top and continue layering as each one is soaked

3) If step 2 fails, find the nearest pressure point and compress the artery against its underlying bone using the flat part of your fingers; NOT your thumb or fingertips

4) As a last resort use a tourniquet.

Warning: this can stop circulation and cause gangrene and should only be used after all other life saving techniques have failed. Use a ribbon of cloth but do not tie it - use a stick as a handle and twist like you would use a twist-tie to stop the flow of blood. Release the pressure every once in a while.

BURNS:

Heat Burns:

• Do not apply butter, grease or any ointment
• Soak a cloth in cold water and hold gently to burn
• Know the differences!
• Superficial - painful, reddens the skin, singes hair BUT hair will not pull out easy
• Serious - not painful (nerves have been destroyed), skin is white, black or brown and hair will pull out easily.
• Keep the burn covered with the wet dressing in turn covered by thick towels
• Give water for dehydration unless the dog is vomititing
• Chemical Burns: Wash area with lots and lots of plain water especially if around the face
• If ACID, rinse with a solution of 1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda to 1 liter of water.
• If ALKALI, use water only
• Apply ointment to sooth such as olive oil
• Muzzle and restrain dog if possible to be ready for the vet

CONVULSIONS AND FITS:

Single convulsion - may last a minute or two and not happen again in 24 hours

Continuous convulsions - lasts a minute or two and happens again within 24 hours

• Gently restrain dog by placing a towel over it
• Do not put your hand on the dog
• Do not put your hand in or near the dog's mouth
• When convulsion has ceased, get the dog to a vet right away. A single convulsion is not as serious as continuous ones but do require a check up.

EYE INJURY:

Bleeding - apply direct pressure with dry gauze and go to vet

Penetration - DO NOT REMOVE any objects stuck in the eye. A foreign object in a dog's eye is an extremely serious situation. Apply a cold compress around the area (not covering the object as this may push it in further) for comfort. Get the dog to the vet immediately.

SHOCK:

Much like humans, animals may be in shock following an accident or illness. There are varying degrees of the loose term 'shock' but watch for the following signs of true shock in a dog which requires emergency care even if the dog seems alright after an accident:

• weakness, collapse, coma, unconsciousness
• pale color mouth, lips and eyelids,
• coolness of skin and legs
• rapid but weak pulse (possibly over 140 per minute), rapid respiration (over 40 per minute)
• staring eyes and dilated pupils

Treat shock as follows:

1) Keep airways open, give artificial respiration if needed, bandage wounds and splint broken bones

2) Conserve body heat by wrapping the dog in towels or blankets. If the animal is unconscious, keep the head lower than the rest of the body. If the animal is awake, keep it horizontal and wrapped up

3) Take the dog to emergency care immediately. Time is important in shock cases as intravenous fluids may be needed

HEATSTROKE / HEAT EXHAUSTION:

The signs include panting, slobbering, vomiting and diarrhea, raised temperature and ultimately collapse and coma.

1) Remove dog from the hot spot into a cool or shady area. Perform artificial respiration if breathing has stopped.

2) Soak the dog with cold water from a hose or in a bathtub and message legs until temperature returns to normal. If temperature fails to fall to normal levels, call vet for instructions.

3) Dry the dog and provide small amounts of water to drink.

SIMPLE CUTS OR PUNCTURES:

1) Apply pressure and hold to stop bleeding.

2) When bleeding has stopped, lightly clean the wound with water and apply an antibiotic ointment but do not use anything you feel might sting. Do not use Hydrogen Peroxide as it will only help an infection.

3) Watch for signs of viral infection and possible fungal infection.

4) If you suspect infection then make an appointment with the vet.

CANINE FIRST-AID GOES BEYOND THE HOME

Dog owners should have a first aid kit available at home and in the car. Dog owners should also know and practice first-aid procedures. It may not be your own dog's life you're saving! Think of the wonderful help you can be at the scene of an accident as paramedics work to help the human victims, and you work to save the life of their beloved pet. It has been reported that in 95% of traffic accidents where there was a pet in the vehicle during the accident, the owners asked about the condition of their pet BEFORE asking about their own condition. Dog owners have a love that goes above and beyond the call of duty. . . the same unconditional love our pets give us.