Every second counts in a pet emergency. Although you can take your pet straight to the emergency room of a veterinary hospital or clinic, administering basic first aid can be lifesaving for your beloved dog, cat, rabbit or horse.
What do you do when your pet ingests poisonous leaves, shows signs of shock, or exhibits symptoms of heatstroke?
Before we go over the particulars of giving first aid for your pet, it’s important to follow fundamental practices to help you do what’s right.
What are the 4 Rules of Pet First Aid?
We understand how alarming it is to see your beloved pet in distress or injured. You’ve given them the best possible care, after all, from giving proper nutrition for your dog to getting the best horse health care products for your purebred Arabian.
Whatever pet you’re taking care of, these are the four rules to giving them first aid.
- Stay calm. Most pets will sense your anxiety and may react accordingly. When you’re calm, your pets won’t be alarmed and you’ll also have the presence of mind to do what is necessary.
- Assess the situation. If the situation is dangerous, move yourself and your pet to safety. Pain, fear and confusion can make even the gentlest pet react aggressively; if you’re caring for a dog, apply a muzzle, making sure not to obstruct their airway.
- Check their breathing and airway. If your pet isn’t breathing, perform pet cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR).
- Get help. If you’re not certain how to do CPR or any other pet first aid procedures, get someone who does, or head straight to the nearest veterinary clinic.
First Aid for Common Pet Emergencies
In the UAE, some of the more common emergencies veterinarians deal with are heat-related conditions, such as heatstroke and dehydration. Other emergencies include shock, exposure to toxins or poison and choking.
Follow these simple steps to administering lifesaving treatment for your pet.
Heatstroke
Some signs of heatstroke include excessive drooling, heavy panting, weakness, vomiting or diarrhoea. If your pet is exhibiting these symptoms, take them somewhere cool.
Use a sponge or spray your pet with cool water. Do not use cold water because this can prevent circulation, which can worsen their condition.
Do not place a wet towel over their head since this will trap heat; place the wet towel under them instead.
Move your pet to a cool, well-ventilated area, and give them sips of cool water.
Once your pet is cool, take them to the vet for further treatment.
Shock
Following a heatstroke, serious injury or a frightening experience, your pet may fall into shock. Look for signs of dazed eyes, shallow breathing and nervousness. Some pets may also become unresponsive and quiet.
Keep your pet comfortable in a quiet, warm spot. If your pet is unconscious, take them immediately to the vet.
Poisoning
What is harmful to people will be harmful to pets. If your pet has somehow ingested cleaning products, for example, read the label and follow the instructions for exposure to the product. Take a photo of the packaging.
If your pet has eaten a part of a plant, take a photo of the plant. When it comes to poisoning or exposure to toxins, the immediate response must be a trip to the veterinarian.
The photos of the product or the plant will provide your vet with information that will guide your pet’s treatment.
Never induce vomiting unless your veterinarian prescribes it.
Fracture
Your pet may be suffering from a fracture if they’re limping or not moving at all. You may also notice swelling in the affected area.
A fracture requires immediate medical attention, so bring your pet to the vet. You can stabilise the injury with a splint or bandage, but leave it to the vet if you’re not sure how to do it. An improperly placed splint may cause further injury.
When taking your pet to the vet, limit the risk of further injury by keeping them confined or still. Place them on a flat surface in a box (padded if you have one) with blankets to support the injured limb.
A fracture is a broken bone, so your pet will vocalise their pain. Stay calm and continue to keep them confined to prevent additional injury.
Choking
A pet who’s choking will paw at their mouth or try to cough up something. Intervene by checking if something is lodged inside their mouth.
Grab a tweezer or a tool to pull out the object if you see it. Gently take it out, making sure not to push it farther down.
If you’re unable to take the object out, call your veterinarian ahead of your arrival. Let them know you’re bringing in your pet because they’re choking. This way, the clinic is prepared when you arrive.
For cat guardians administering medicine, your pet could choke because they may be getting too much liquid. A good tip to caring for your cat while they’re sick is to give their medicine in small amounts. Let them swallow it before giving more. This way, the process isn’t stressful for both of you, and you avoid an emergency situation.
Cuts and Wounds
For indoor pets who love to play around or outdoor pets who get into all sorts of mischief, they’re likely to get a cut or a wound.
Before applying any wound care product, clean the affected area first with your gloves on. Wearing gloves prevents cross-contamination. Use a tweezer to remove any debris and wash the surface with sterile wipes. Once the wound is clean, apply dressing.
If your pet is bleeding, apply pressure with a cloth to the affected area for three minutes. If the bleeding does not stop, take your pet immediately to the veterinarian clinic.
Pile on more cloth instead of removing the first one you applied to prevent dislocating a blood clot that may have formed.
Burns
Burns may be caused by boiling water or hot cooking oil (thermal), by carpets or ropes (mechanical) and through pool chemicals or paint thinner (chemical). Whatever the cause, this type of wound is painful.
If your pet has chemical burns, take them straight to the vet. This type of burn is more serious than a thermal burn, so immediate medical care is crucial.
For all other burns, flush the affected area with cool water. This will limit the spread of tissue damage.
Take your pet to the vet for further treatment. They may prescribe a topical ointment for the burn.
Seizures
A seizure is probably one of the most worrying emergency situations for any pet guardian because you’re not sure why it’s happening. Severe anaemia, exposure to toxins or brain trauma could cause seizures.
Whether you’re looking after a horse or a cat, remember the first thing you should do in any emergency situation: stay calm.
Keep objects away from your pet, so they don’t injure themselves. Do not restrain them.
Time the seizure. At this point, it is all you can do because you can’t stop the seizure from happening; it must run its course.
Once the seizure stops, comfort your pet and keep them warm. If the seizure lasts under five minutes, call your veterinarian and ask if you should take your pet in for an exam.
If the seizure occurs again, take your pet to the clinic immediately.
What Should Be in a Pet First Aid Kit?
Every guardian must have a pet first aid kit.
When getting supplies for your dog, cat or horse, get them the following essential health care items as well.
- Bandages (gauze pads or rolls)
- Self-adhesive non stick tape for the bandages
- Digital pet thermometer
- Gloves
- Antimicrobial ointment or spray
- Eye wash or rinse
- Saline solution for wound cleaning
- Needleless syringe for administering medication
- Cold pack
- Cotton balls
- Tweezer for removing objects
- Eye dropper to flush wounds or give oral medication
- Scissors for cutting bandages
- Clean towel or padding when restraining pets
- Muzzle for a dog first aid kit
Check your pet’s first aid kit every six months to see if anything needs to be taken out or added. Ask your veterinarian for further advice on what else your pet may need in the event of an emergency.
Learn CPR for Pets
Learning CPR for pets is one of the best ways to care for your beloved animals. The Red Cross offers an online course for people who want to learn CPR for dogs and cats.
In general, the lifesaving treatment follows this procedure:
- Check the airway and breathing. Then check for a heartbeat, if you can’t hear anything, start CPR compressions.
- Place the heel of one hand over your pet’s heart and the other over your first hand. For deep chested dogs, place the heel of your hand over the widest part of the chest and for barrel chested dogs, place your hand on the widest part of the sternum.
- Push hard and fast at the rate of 100-120 compressions per minute. Make sure the chest comes back up before compressing again.
- Do 30 chest compressions.
- Give rescue breaths. Gently close your pet’s mouth, extend their neck to open the airway. Cover their nose with your mouth, then exhale up until you see their chest rise. Then give a second rescue breath.
- Do 30 chest compressions per 2 rescue breaths, until your pet starts to breathe on their own.
- Continue to check for breathing and heartbeats every two minutes.
- Take your pet to the vet for further treatment.
Prevention Tips for Pet Guardians
In some cases, an emergency may be prevented. With a few simple practices, from professional grooming to walking them at certain hours, you may be able to reduce the risk of injury or illness for your pet.
- Apart from getting your dog or cat health care products, take them for regular grooming, especially for hairy pets. Matted hair can hide fleas and skin irritation.
- Arrange a regular veterinary check up to ensure your pet is healthy.
- When temperatures spike in the UAE, ticks and fleas thrive in pets. So take your pet for regular parasite control before summer sets in.
- Make sure your pet’s space is clean, from their bedding to their feeding area. A dirty space becomes a breeding ground for bacteria and parasites.
- When taking your pet for a walk during summer, use pet booties. Alternatively, walk when the hour is cooler (e.g., after sunset) and stay off pavements.
- Never leave your pet in the car, even when you’ll be gone for just a few minutes or even when the AC is on. Cars can retain heat even in the shade, and at extreme temperatures, your pet can get dehydrated quickly.
And as always, give your beloved pets the best nutrition, so they have the best defence against illnesses.
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