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Basic First Aid for your dog

If your dog has an accident it is vital not to panic, If you know what to do it will help you  to  keep calm.

First – if it is necessary, move him out of danger, without endangering yourself. Otherwise, move him as little as possible.

Moving an injured dog
He’s likely to be frightened and in pain, making him liable to bite. If he is conscious and not having breathing difficulties, improvise a muzzle by looping a tie, or similar, round his mouth, passing the ends under his jaw, then tying them at the back of his neck. Use a piece of board or a coat to lift him into a car, cover him with a coat or blanket for warmth, and take him to the Veterinary surgery. Get somebody to phone ahead to let them know that you are on your way.
If the emergency happens outside office hours, calls to your own Vet may be put through to a different location. such as an emergency centre. You should still phone your own Vet in an emergency, and you will be given clear instructions about where to go for emergency treatment.

Collapse and Shock
Make sure that he can breathe by removing any debris from his mouth, pulling his tongue forward and extending his neck. Let him lie on his side. Keep him warm and get him to the Vets surgery as quickly as possible.


Bleeding
Clean minor scratches using a piece of gauze and water. If he is bleeding heavily, apply pressure to the wound with a pad of gauze, and contact your Vet for advice. Do not use a tourniquet.

Bloat
Large and giant breeds of dogs are most prone to this life threatening emergency. Trapped gas causes the stomach to swell up and twist, and a bulge is visible on the dog’s flank. He will be in great pain, trying but unable to vomit and will often collapse.  Get him to the Vet as soon as possible for emergency treatment, which may include a life-saving operation to untwist the stomach.

Electric Shock
If a puppy chews through an electric cable and appears to have been electrocuted, do not touch him, until the electric current has been turned off at the source. Lie him on his side, check that his airway is clear, and call the Vet immediately.

Fits and Seizures
If your dog is having a fit, move any objects that could injure him, away from the area, then put him in a quiet, darkened room until the fit has passed. Do not try to bring him out of the fit and do not touch him, other than to move him to safety. Then call the Vet.  Fits may look frightening. But rarely last for very long.

Burns and Scalds
Act quickly!  For boiling water or hot oil, sponge the skin with cold water until it is cool.  For chemical burns, sponge away all traces of the chemical. Then take your dog to the Vet without delay.

Stings
Bee stings - if you can see the sting, remove it with tweezers and bathe the area with a solution of  baking soda.
Wasp stings - wasps do not leave their stings behind. Bathe the area with diluted vinegar.
If your dog swallows a Bee or Wasp, or is stung on or in the mouth, take him to the Vet immediately, in case his throat swells and obstructs his breathing.

Snake Bites
If you’re walking in snake country and your dog begins to tremble, drool, and his pupils dilate, he could have been bitten by an adder. Phone the Vet’s surgery immediately, so that they can obtain some anti-venom, and get him there as soon as possible. Do not let him walk or exert himself.

Heatstroke
The first signs are shallow, rapid breathing, but the dog could quickly become distressed and collapse. Quickly move him into a cool place, cool him by gently pouring water over him, tepid at first, using colder water as your dog cools down. Offer him water to drink, and take him to the Vet if he is no better within a few minutes. It is very easy for a dog to become overheated, just lying by Patio doors or French windows can cause this to happen, because the glass magnifies the heat.

Contaminated Coat
If he gets tar, paint or oil on his coat, the natural thing for him to do would be lick it. This should not be allowed to happen as the contamination would then become internal. If there is only a small amount of contamination you could try removing it yourself by softening it with butter or petroleum jelly (vaseline), then washing with dog shampoo. You should still take your dog for a Vet to check.  A larger area of contamination would need veterinary attention.  If your pet gets corrosive chemicals such as battery acid or paint stripper on his paws or coat, his skin could be inflamed, or her may vomit and have diarrhoea if he licks himself. This require immediate Veterinary attention.

Eyes
If your dog paws at his eye, or tries to rub it on the ground, he may have something like grit or other foreign material in it. You may be able to remove it by flooding the eye with human eye drops, but do not try to remove it with either your fingers or tweezers. If you can’t flood it out or if the eye appears to be damaged or scratched, take your dog to the Vet as soon as possible.

Ears
Pawing at his ears or shaking his head could mean that your dog has something stuck in his ear. Unless it can be removed without danger of pushing it further in, take your dog to the Vet.

Paws
Try to remove a thorn, glass or grit from your dogs paw before cleaning the area. In the case of thorns or splinters, take care not to leave the fine tip in the wound. If the wound does not heal, or it becomes infected, take your dog to the Vet

Swallowed Objects
Small balls can lodge in your dogs throat and could cause suffocation. To remove, grab your dog round the waist and squeeze, hopefully forcing the ball out. Or, press on his throat from the outside, to push the ball forward into his mouth. Sticks and bones can splinter and injure the throat, or get stuck across the roof of the mouth. Only attempt to remove them as a last resort, in case you push the object further in, or your dog bites you. Take your dog to the Vet immediately.

Unusual Objects
Vets have removed an amazing variety of objects from dog’s stomachs, from buttons, keys and marbles to the remains of a pair of tights!  String, threads and tinsel are a particular risk, as they become entangled in the dog’s intestines, and puppies have swallowed metres of cassette tapes after chewing up the plastic casing.

Poisoning
Signs of poisoning include sudden violent vomiting, diarrhoea, drooling, staggering, trembling, convulsions or collapse. If your dog shows any of these symptoms, phone the Vet immediately.  Common poisons include slug pellets (containing metaldehyde), rat poison, weed killer, antifreeze and human medication such as painkillers or sleeping tablets.  If you know what your dog has swallowed, take the product to the Vet’s surgery, to help the Vet decide how to treat your pet.

No First Aid booklet would be complete without giving the symptoms and means of transmission of the serious diseases which should be covered by vaccinations, which should be administered by your veterinary surgeon at intervals recommended by him/her.

CANINE PARVOVIRUS

Enteritis, severe vomiting, refusal of food and water, abdominal pain and profuse smelly diarrhoea, with the risk of rapid and severe dehydration leading to death. One possible after effect can cause Heart disease - transmitted through the faeces of infected dogs, carried by the dog's pads and coat, but also by human's shoes. The Virus is very hardy in the environment and remains viable for a long time.

CANINE DISTEMPER

Initial symptoms are runny nose and eyes, with coughing and vomiting. Later, there is excessive tiredness, loss of appetite and diarrhoea. After three weeks foot pads may start to thicken followed by the onset of nervous signs. Fits may develop later. - Transmitted by an airborne virus, inhaled during close contact.

INFECTIVE CANINE HEPATITIS

Early signs include general discomfort and loss of appetite, very high temperature, pale gums/conjunctiva, vomiting, diarrhoea and abdominal pain. Subsequently the dog may develop jaundice. In some survivors a clouding of the cornea occurs, but this normally passes. - Transmitted by an airborne virus, inhaled during close contact.

LEPTOSPIROSIS

There are TWO forms-

The more common is Leptospira Canicola, which may cause mild jaundice and kidney damage, which may cause more problems in later life - Transmitted through dog urine.

The less common form is Leptospira Icterohaemorrhiae and it may cause high temperature, severe thirst, sleepiness, increased urine volume, abdominal pain, vomiting, bloody diarrhoea and jaundice - Transmitted through contact with infected rat urine or rat infested water.

PARA-INFLUENZA

This is one of the most important causes of "Kennel Cough". The illness can vary from an acute, harsh cough to severe broncho-pneumonia. - Transmitted through contact with other infected dogs.