๐ท๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐’๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐.
๐ช๐ต๐ฎ๐ ๐๐ต๐ผ๐๐น๐ฑ ๐๐ผ๐ ๐ต๐ฎ๐๐ฒ ๐ถ๐ป ๐๐ผ๐๐ฟ ๐ฝ๐ฒ๐ ๐ณ๐ถ๐ฟ๐๐ ๐ฎ๐ถ๐ฑ ๐ธ๐ถ๐?
You can purchase a prepacked Pet First Aid kits which may be more cost-effective than purchasing the items individually.
- ๐๐ถ๐ฟ๐๐ ๐๐ถ๐ฑ ๐๐๐ถ๐ฑ๐ฒ
- 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) โ only use to stimulate vomiting under a vetโs directive
- Latex gloves
- Medications โ 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
๐๐บ๐ฝ๐ผ๐ฟ๐๐ฎ๐ป๐: do not use any human product on an animal which does not specifically state โsafe for animalsโ on the label.
๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ก๐, ๐ฒ๐ ๐๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ป๐ฎ๐น
- 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. ๐บ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐-๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ – ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐.
๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ก๐, ๐ถ๐ป๐๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ป๐ฎ๐น
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 – ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐.
๐๐ฅ๐๐๐ง๐๐๐ก๐ ๐ฆ๐ง๐ข๐ฃ๐ฃ๐๐
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 – ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐.
๐๐จ๐ฅ๐ก๐ฆ
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 – ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐.
๐๐๐ข๐๐๐ก๐
Symptoms:- difficulty breathing, excessive pawing at the mouth, choking sounds when breathing or coughing, blue-tinged lips/tongue. Use caution โ 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, ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐.
- 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.
๐๐ฅ๐๐๐ง๐จ๐ฅ๐๐ฆ
- 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 – ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐.
๐๐๐๐ฅ๐ง ๐ฆ๐ง๐ข๐ฃ๐ฃ๐๐
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.
๐๐๐๐ง๐ฆ๐ง๐ฅ๐ข๐๐
- ๐ก๐ฒ๐๐ฒ๐ฟ ๐น๐ฒ๐ฎ๐๐ฒ ๐๐ผ๐๐ฟ ๐ฝ๐ฒ๐ ๐ถ๐ป ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐ฐ๐ฎ๐ฟ ๐ฒ๐๐ฒ๐ป ๐ถ๐ป ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐๐ต๐ฎ๐ฑ๐ฒ. 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 – ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐. 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.
๐ฃ๐ข๐๐ฆ๐ข๐ก
- 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.
- ๐๐ณ ๐๐ผ๐๐ฟ ๐ฝ๐ฒ๐’๐ ๐๐ธ๐ถ๐ป ๐ผ๐ฟ ๐ฒ๐๐ฒ๐ ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ฒ ๐ฒ๐ ๐ฝ๐ผ๐๐ฒ๐ฑ ๐๐ผ ๐ฎ ๐๐ผ๐ ๐ถ๐ฐ ๐ฝ๐ฟ๐ผ๐ฑ๐๐ฐ๐ (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.
๐ฆ๐๐๐ญ๐จ๐ฅ๐
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 – ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐.
๐ฆ๐๐ข๐๐
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 – ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐.
๐๐๐ฆ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ฅ
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.
๐ช๐๐ง๐ ๐ข๐จ๐ฅ ย ๐ง๐๐๐ก๐๐ฆ ๐ง๐ข ๐ง๐๐ ๐๐ข๐๐๐ข๐ช๐๐ก๐ ๐ฆ๐ข๐จ๐ฅ๐๐๐ฆ:
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