6 Common Dog
Emergencies
Sure, you may
be a master of human First Aid. But do you know what to do in a dog
health emergency?
Approaching Dog Health Emergencies: Two Steps
In any dog health emergency, stay calm and think.
Approach the dog cautiously. The dog may become aggressive because
of fear or pain. You can't help the dog if you're hurt yourself.
Dog
Emergency 1: Traffic Accident:
If possible,
do not to move the dog. Call the nearest Humane Society or ASPCA
office. If the animal workers can't or won't come and you must move
the dog, slide a blanket under the animal. Lift the animal to safety
with the help of another person. Check for a heartbeat and bleeding.
Try to stop the excessive loss of blood by holding a clean cloth or
pad over the wound and securing it tightly with a makeshift bandage.
Take the dog to the nearest vet, calling ahead to prepare them for
the emergency.
Dog
Healthcare Emergency 2: Burns:
1. Immerse the
burned body part in cold running water for as long as possible. 2.
If the burn is from a caustic substance, wash it off. 3. Call the
vet.
Canine
Health Emergency 3: Heat stroke
Warning signs:
The dog is overheated and without sufficient air. The dog might be
panting, vomiting, frothing at the mouth, or already collapsed. 1.
Remove the froth, 2. Place or douse the dog with cold water to lower
body temperature. 3. Take the dog immediately to the veterinarian
for treatment. Treatment usually consists of more cold water, drugs
and observation.
Emergency 4: Dog Poisoning
Warning signs:
Look for muscular twitching, vomiting, bleeding, convulsion or
collapse. 1. Have someone call the vet. 2. Follow the vet's advice.
Different poisoning cases sometimes have to be treated differently.
3. If you cannot reach the vet, try to induce vomiting. Salt and
mustard in water usually will do the trick. 4. If you know what the
poison is, take some of it with you to the vet's office.
Emergency 5: Dog Choking
Open the dog's
mouth carefully and try to see what is causing the problem. It could
be anything: a small ball, bone, stick, meat wrapping. Pump the
chest by pressing down on the ribs and releasing immediately at
5-second intervals. If this doesn't dislodge the object within a few
moments, rush the dog to the nearest animal hospital to have the
foreign object removed under aesthetic.
Dog
Emergency 6: Drowning
Remove the dog
from the water. Try to get the water out of the dog's lungs as soon
as possible by pumping the chest as for choking (see above). Take
the dog to the vet to be checked out. Hopefully, you will never have
to handle any of these emergencies. But if you do, you have the dog
health advice that you need.
Recommended Resource Canine 911
Dog Article
courtesy of I-Love-Dogs.com