𝗣𝗘𝗧 𝗙𝗜𝗥𝗦𝗧 𝗔𝗜𝗗

𝑷𝒍𝒆𝒂𝒔𝒆 𝒏𝒐𝒕𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒆𝒎𝒆𝒓𝒈𝒆𝒏𝒄𝒚 𝒕𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒕𝒎𝒆𝒏𝒕 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒇𝒊𝒓𝒔𝒕 𝒂𝒊𝒅 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒑𝒆𝒕𝒔 𝒔𝒉𝒐𝒖𝒍𝒅 𝒏𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒓 𝒃𝒆 𝒖𝒔𝒆𝒅 𝒂𝒔 𝒂 𝒔𝒖𝒃𝒔𝒕𝒊𝒕𝒖𝒕𝒆 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒗𝒆𝒕𝒆𝒓𝒊𝒏𝒂𝒓𝒚 𝒄𝒂𝒓𝒆 𝒃𝒖𝒕 𝒎𝒂𝒚 𝒋𝒖𝒔𝒕 𝒔𝒂𝒗𝒆 𝒚𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝒑𝒆𝒕’𝒔 𝒍𝒊𝒇𝒆 𝒃𝒆𝒇𝒐𝒓𝒆 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒄𝒂𝒏 𝒈𝒆𝒕 𝒚𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝒑𝒆𝒕 𝒕𝒐 𝒂 𝒗𝒆𝒕𝒆𝒓𝒊𝒏𝒂𝒓𝒊𝒂𝒏.

𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘀𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝗶𝗻 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗽𝗲𝘁 𝗳𝗶𝗿𝘀𝘁 𝗮𝗶𝗱 𝗸𝗶𝘁?

You can purchase a prepacked Pet First Aid kits which may be more cost-effective than purchasing the items individually.

• 𝗙𝗶𝗿𝘀𝘁 𝗔𝗶𝗱 𝗚𝘂𝗶𝗱𝗲
• Antibiotic ointment
• Antiseptic wipes
• Bandages
• Blunt-tipped scissors
• Collapsible food and water bowl
• Cotton balls/Swabs
• Digital thermometer
• Emergency Blanket
• Emergency card containing vet details, owner details, vaccination and deworming record and any treatment on which your pet is on
• Gauze bandages
• Hydrogen peroxide (for wounds) – only use to stimulate vomiting under a vet’s directive
• Latex gloves
• Medications – consult your vet for advice
• Plastic syringe
• Poo bags
• Splint (pet appropriate)
• Sterile eye solution
• Tape
• Torch
• Tranquilisers/Sedatives for travelling
• Treats, cat
• Treats, dog
• Tweezers
• Wound wash

𝗜𝗺𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁𝗮𝗻𝘁: do not use any human product on an animal which does not specifically state ‘safe for animals’ on the label.

𝗕𝗟𝗘𝗘𝗗𝗜𝗡𝗚, 𝗲𝘅𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗻𝗮𝗹

• Press a clean, thick gauze pad over the wound, and keep pressure over the wound with your hand until the blood starts clotting which can take several minutes for the clot to be strong enough to stop the bleeding. Hold pressure on it for a minimum of 3 minutes and then check it.
• If bleeding is severe, on the legs, apply a tourniquet (using an elastic band or gauze) between the wound and the body, apply a bandage and pressure over the wound, and loosen the tourniquet for 20 seconds every 15 – 20 minutes. 𝑺𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒓𝒆 𝒃𝒍𝒆𝒆𝒅𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒄𝒂𝒏 𝒃𝒆 𝒍𝒊𝒇𝒆-𝒕𝒉𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒕𝒆𝒏𝒊𝒏𝒈 – 𝒈𝒆𝒕 𝒚𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝒑𝒆𝒕 𝒕𝒐 𝒂 𝒗𝒆𝒕 𝒊𝒎𝒎𝒆𝒅𝒊𝒂𝒕𝒆𝒍𝒚.

𝗕𝗟𝗘𝗘𝗗𝗜𝗡𝗚, 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗻𝗮𝗹

Symptoms:- bleeding from the nose, mouth, and rectum, coughing up blood, blood in urine, pale gums, collapse, weakness and rapid pulse.

• Keep your pet as warm and quiet as possible – 𝒈𝒆𝒕 𝒚𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝒑𝒆𝒕 𝒕𝒐 𝒂 𝒗𝒆𝒕 𝒊𝒎𝒎𝒆𝒅𝒊𝒂𝒕𝒆𝒍𝒚.

𝗕𝗥𝗘𝗔𝗧𝗛𝗜𝗡𝗚 𝗦𝗧𝗢𝗣𝗣𝗘𝗗

If possible, have another person call the veterinarian while you help your pet and check to see if the pet is unconscious.

• Open your pet’s airway by gently grasping its tongue and pulling it forward (out of the mouth) until it is flat. Check the animal’s throat to see if any foreign objects are blocking the airway (see the section below on Choking)
• Perform CPR (cardiopulmonary resuscitation):- Cover your pet’s nose with your mouth and exhale until you see the pet’s chest rise. Give a second rescue breath. Continue giving CPR with a cycle of 30 chest compressions and 2 rescue breaths until your dog or cat begins breathing again on its own. Briefly check for breathing and a heartbeat every 2 minutes.
• Keep your pet as warm and quiet as possible – 𝒈𝒆𝒕 𝒚𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝒑𝒆𝒕 𝒕𝒐 𝒂 𝒗𝒆𝒕 𝒊𝒎𝒎𝒆𝒅𝒊𝒂𝒕𝒆𝒍𝒚.

𝗕𝗨𝗥𝗡𝗦

Causes could be dry heat, such as flame, corrosive chemicals, radiation, electricity or cold. A scald could be hot oil, wax or water.

• Immerse in or flush with water or apply a cool pack to the affected area for a minimum of 5 minutes.
• Keep your pet as warm and quiet as possible – 𝒈𝒆𝒕 𝒚𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝒑𝒆𝒕 𝒕𝒐 𝒂 𝒗𝒆𝒕 𝒊𝒎𝒎𝒆𝒅𝒊𝒂𝒕𝒆𝒍𝒚.

𝗖𝗛𝗢𝗞𝗜𝗡𝗚

Symptoms:- difficulty breathing, excessive pawing at the mouth, choking sounds when breathing or coughing, blue-tinged lips/tongue. Use caution – a choking pet is more likely to bite in its panic.

• Look into your pet’s mouth to see if a foreign object is visible. If you see an object, gently try to remove it with pliers or tweezers, but be careful not to push the object further down the throat. If it is not easy to reach, 𝒈𝒆𝒕 𝒚𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝒑𝒆𝒕 𝒕𝒐 𝒂 𝒗𝒆𝒕 𝒊𝒎𝒎𝒆𝒅𝒊𝒂𝒕𝒆𝒍𝒚.
• If you can’t remove the object or your pet collapses, place both hands on the side of your pet’s rib cage and apply firm quick pressure, or lay your pet on its side and strike the rib cage firmly with the palm of your hand 3 – 4 times to sharply push air out of their lungs and push the object out from behind. Repeat until the object is dislodged or you arrive at the vet practice.

𝗙𝗥𝗔𝗖𝗧𝗨𝗥𝗘𝗦

• Gently lay your pet on a flat surface for support.
• While transporting your injured pet to a veterinarian, use a stretcher or blanket as a sling and secure the pet.
• Secure the fracture temporarily with a proper splint and keep your pet as warm and quiet as possible – 𝒈𝒆𝒕 𝒚𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝒑𝒆𝒕 𝒕𝒐 𝒂 𝒗𝒆𝒕 𝒊𝒎𝒎𝒆𝒅𝒊𝒂𝒕𝒆𝒍𝒚.

𝗛𝗘𝗔𝗥𝗧 𝗦𝗧𝗢𝗣𝗣𝗘𝗗

Do not begin chest compressions until you’ve secured an airway and started CPR breathing.

• Gently lay your pet on its right side on a firm surface. The heart is located in the lower half of the chest on the left side, just behind the elbow of the front left leg. Place one hand underneath the pet’s chest for support and place the other hand over the heart.
• For dogs, press down gently on your pet’s heart about one inch for medium-sized dogs; press harder for larger animals and with less force for smaller animals.
• To massage the hearts of cats and other tiny pets, cradle your hand around the animal’s chest so your thumb is on the left side of the chest and your fingers are on the right side of the chest, and compress the chest by squeezing it between your thumb and fingers.
• Press down 80-120 times per minute for larger animals and 100-150 times per minute for smaller ones.
• Don’t perform CPR breathing and chest compressions at the same time; alternate the chest compressions with the rescue breaths, or work as a team with another person so one person performs chest compressions for 4-5 seconds and stops long enough to allow the other person to give one rescue breath.
• Continue until you can hear a heartbeat and your pet is breathing regularly, or you have arrived at the veterinary clinic and they can take over the resuscitation attempts.

𝗛𝗘𝗔𝗧𝗦𝗧𝗥𝗢𝗞𝗘

• 𝗡𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗽𝗲𝘁 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗰𝗮𝗿 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗻 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝗵𝗮𝗱𝗲. The temperature inside a vehicle rises very quickly to dangerous levels, even on mild days.
• If a tube is available immerse a pet in cold water and ensure that you hold its head above the water – 𝒈𝒆𝒕 𝒚𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝒑𝒆𝒕 𝒕𝒐 𝒂 𝒗𝒆𝒕 𝒊𝒎𝒎𝒆𝒅𝒊𝒂𝒕𝒆𝒍𝒚. If you cannot immediately get your pet to a veterinarian, move it to a shaded area and out of direct sunlight.
• Also place a cool or cold, wet towel around its neck and head (do not cover your pet’s eyes, nose or mouth). Rewet the towel and rewrap it every few minutes as you cool the animal.
• Where available pour or use a hose to keep water running over the animal’s body (especially the abdomen and between the hind legs), and use your hands to massage its legs and sweep the water away as it absorbs the body heat.

𝗣𝗢𝗜𝗦𝗢𝗡

• In general, any products that are harmful to people are also harmful to pets. Examples include cleaning products, rodent poisons and antifreeze. But you also need to be aware of common food items that may be harmful to your pet.
• 𝗜𝗳 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗽𝗲𝘁’𝘀 𝘀𝗸𝗶𝗻 𝗼𝗿 𝗲𝘆𝗲𝘀 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗲𝘅𝗽𝗼𝘀𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝗮 𝘁𝗼𝘅𝗶𝗰 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗱𝘂𝗰𝘁 (such as many cleaning products), check the product label for the instructions for people exposed to the product; if the label instructs you to wash your hands with soap and water if you’re exposed, then wash your pet’s skin with soap and water (don’t get any into its eyes, mouth or nose). If the label tells you to flush the skin or eyes with water, do this for your pet as soon as possible (if you can do it safely), and call a veterinarian immediately.
• If you know your pet has consumed something that may be harmful, or if the animal is having seizures, losing consciousness, is unconscious or is having difficulty breathing, telephone your vet or emergency veterinary clinic.
• If possible, have the following information available:
  • Species, breed, age, sex, weight and number of animals involved.
  • Name/description of the substance in question; the amount the animal was exposed to; and how long it’s been since your pet ate it or was exposed to it.
  • Product container/packaging.
  • Collect any material your pet may have vomited or chewed, and place it in a plastic sealable bag to take with you when you bring your animal in for veterinary treatment.

𝗦𝗘𝗜𝗭𝗨𝗥𝗘

Keep your pet away from any objects (including furniture) that might cause injury.

Do not try to restrain your pet and time the seizure (they usually last 2-3 minutes).

After the seizure has stopped, keep your pet as warm and quiet as possible – 𝒈𝒆𝒕 𝒚𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝒑𝒆𝒕 𝒕𝒐 𝒂 𝒗𝒆𝒕 𝒊𝒎𝒎𝒆𝒅𝒊𝒂𝒕𝒆𝒍𝒚.

𝗦𝗛𝗢𝗖𝗞

Symptoms:- weak pulse, shallow breathing, nervousness, dazed eyes (usually follows severe injury or extreme fright).

• If your pet is unconscious, keep his/her head level with the rest of the body.
• Keep your pet restrained, and as warm and quiet as possible – 𝒈𝒆𝒕 𝒚𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝒑𝒆𝒕 𝒕𝒐 𝒂 𝒗𝒆𝒕 𝒊𝒎𝒎𝒆𝒅𝒊𝒂𝒕𝒆𝒍𝒚.

𝗗𝗜𝗦𝗖𝗟𝗔𝗜𝗠𝗘𝗥

This article is produced by SAVetshops, in the interest of informing people and sharing information. It is not considered a reference article or a definitive medical reference. Source references are listed below and any person wishing to know more should consult these references, their local vet, state health service or doctor.

𝗪𝗜𝗧𝗛 𝗢𝗨𝗥  𝗧𝗛𝗔𝗡𝗞𝗦 𝗧𝗢 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗙𝗢𝗟𝗟𝗢𝗪𝗜𝗡𝗚 𝗦𝗢𝗨𝗥𝗖𝗘𝗦:

PetMD, Dr Jennifer Coates, DVM – https://www.petmd.com/dog/general-health/10-things-you-need-your-pet-first-aid-kit

American Veterinary Medical Association – https://www.avma.org/resources/pet-owners/emergencycare/pet-first-aid-basic-procedures

Vetwest – https://www.vetwest.com.au/pet-library/first-aid-treatment-for-burns