First Aid for Your Dog
Being Prepared for An Emergency
Summer often brings a lot great outdoor fun and activities but those good times are often coupled with accidents and injuries for both us and our dogs. We need to be prepared for those times with a first aid kit at the ready for our dogs. I am always inclined to approach anything with nature's remedies first before anything synthetic made by man, although for those acute situations they will most likely be necessary. So let's take a look at how put together an integrative first aid kit and how you can be prepared to help ensure your dog has the best chance of survival in an emergency situation.
We all know that if our dogs have been seriously hurt we need to get them to their veterinarian in a hurry, but did you know that there are some basic common sense steps you can take to help raise the odds of not only your dog's survival but also make recovery quicker? Just by having some basic first aid items on hand and knowing some basics such as CPR and the Heimlich maneuver, you can be much more certain of a happy outcome for your dog.
Here is what you'll want to keep in your integrative first aid kit:
• Disposable gloves
• Tweezers
• Bandages
• Gauze pads
• Adhesive tape
• Scissors
• Rolled bandages
• Blanket
• In place of peroxide, iodine and a betadine scrub I use a natural anti-bacterial soap, a lavender essential oil spray for burns, scrapes, or any skin conditions. I also use an essential oil blend spray that is a disinfectant and cleanser. I would highly caution you to NOT purchase these essential oils in a health food store as they are usually adulterated with synthetics that can make the problem even worse. Use only therapeutic grade essential oils, OR go back to using the standard peroxide, iodine and a betadine soap if you're uncertain of the essential oils you have on hand.
For any of the following incidences you want to rush your dog to your veterinarian:
• Heatstroke - get your dog cooled off quickly but do not use ice. The fastest way is to pour cold water on the paws and under the neck where the jugular vein is located. Then you can apply along the spine and head if you have time, and if you can get your dog to drink a bit that is also good. Make sure you get your dog to your veterinarian as soon as possible following a heatstroke.
• Poisoning of any kind which includes antifreeze, chocolate, paints, fertilizers, herbicides and pesticides, household cleaning chemicals, any of these and be sure to bring along any labels or products you suspect your dog may have ingested. Keep your dog warm (cover with a blanket).
• Severe vomiting and /or diarrhea -there can be a whole lot of different reasons for this but err on the side of caution and get your dog to your veterinarian immediately.
• Shock -from being hit by a car, severe injury from a dog fight, or any other acute situation. Keep your dog warm, and keep the head slightly lower than the body while on your way to your veterinarian.
• Cuts and/or wounds -again this can be a critical situation so do exactly as with humans and keep pressure on the open or bleeding wound, keep your dog warm (use the blanket in your first aid kit)
• Any severe allergic reaction
• Choking and/or gagging
You can take a class in animal first aid in your area in order for you to be better prepared to handle an emergency should it arise. You will also learn how to do CPR and the Heimlich maneuver for your dog, along with other ways in being prepared to tackle a dog emergency.
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