Dog First Aid 101
Sometimes our furry best friends can get into little accidents and it’s best to be well prepared. Every home should have some first aid basics ready for humans and for doggies. If your dog gets hurt, you should administer any first aid so you can immediately take them to a vet. You can call them when you’re on the way and let them know what’s happened so they can help you as quickly as possible.
What You Should Have in a Dog First Aid Kit
Store your first aid kit in an easily accessible location in your house and one in your car for travelling too. Put the number and address of your closest 24 hour emergency vet in your phone and on your fridge for any emergencies.
Items that should be in your first aid kit include:
- A spare lead or a muzzle if you use one
- Absorbent gauze pads and rolls of bandages/gauze
- Antiseptic
- Tape to secure any bandages or gauze
- Cotton balls/swabs
- Sanitary disposable gloves
- Scissors
- Saline solution
- Tweezers (for any ticks, thorms, splinters, etc)
It’s easy to make your own kit or you can buy a pre-prepared kit as well.
Be Careful and Calm
Even the most gentle and loving dogs can bite when they’re in pain. Keep yourself safe and make sure the dog is secured so it can’t run away or bite while you are trying to administer first aid. It can be hard to remain calm if your dog is hurt, but it will keep them calmer too if you use a gentle tone and approach them slowly instead of rushing over.
Common Dog First Aid Emergencies
Educate yourself on common dog first aid situations, these include choking, heat stroke, poisoning, dog bites, burns and car accidents.
Choking
One of the most common dog first aid emergencies is choking. Dogs love eating things they shouldn’t and some objects can get stuck in their throat, so it’s important to know how to best respond when this happens.
Depending on the dog and the swallowed object there are a few ways you can go about saving them. You can remove the item from their mouth by prying open their jaw and reaching in to remove the item. If you can’t remove it like this, you can hold your dog upside down and sway them gently so the object falls out of their mouth. You can also do a dog Heimlich Manoeuvre. Click the link to watch a video on how to do it.
Learn How to Do CPR for Dogs
Learn how to do CPR and you could save a life. Dog CPR is a little bit different than human CPR. See a short guide below, you can also take dog CPR/first aid courses which are highly recommended if you work with dogs. Click here to watch an instructional video.
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At Dash DogWash, we teach First Aid as part of our induction of new groomers to our team as we know how vital it is to ensure our groomers are well trained in all aspects of dog care, not just grooming skills.
You can learn more about dog first aid emergencies at the links below. If you have a dog or work with dogs, this is vital information to know!
https://www.australiandoglover.com/2017/03/dog-first-aid-quick-reference-guide.html
https://rspcavic.org/services/emergency-assistance/first-aid-for-pets
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