Written By : M Samy

Emergency Care and First Aid for dog

How to do emergency care  and first aid for a dog

emergency care for dogs and cats

Feeding your pet well will not prevent it from getting sick, and although your home or apartment is Pet-Friendly, your pet may fall or bend down at any time, if it is not in the house, the risk that you need to use an Emergency Kit is high, so be prepared to save your pet’s life in case of an emergency

How to save your dog’s life in a medical emergency?

emergency care for a dog and pet in general

When you adopt a pet, in this case a dog, you absolutely must know what to do in case your pet is the victim of an accident, poisoning…etc

I will show you what to do in case of a medical emergency, how to give your puppy or dog emergency first aid before taking him to see your veterinarian and save his life

I will talk to you about the basics and first aid to do for your dog in case of a medical emergency to save his life and prevent your dog’s condition from getting worse before a veterinarian examines him , cases like shaking and small or most serious  injuries  , cases like shaking and small or most serious  injuries

Here is the list of actions you should take if your dog shows worrying signs of illness or seems to be suffering from something:

Call your veterinarian or emergency clinic immediately

What to do if dog emergency

The first reflex you should have in case your puppy or dog shows signs of discomfort is to call your vet, you will preferably bring your dog to him as soon as possible

In case your dog has had an accident outside your city, you must go to the nearest clinic, have the reflex to ask the first person to come the way or to see directly on google the route to follow, get your dog on the back seat and do the lying down and join the nearest clinic

You must therefore have the telephone numbers of your veterinarian registered in your phone as well as the numbers of medical clinics and other emergency veterinarians who are open 24 hours a day in the area where you live.

When you have a veterinarian on the phone, describe your dog’s symptoms and ask him for the actions and emergency care you can give your pet.

If you are travelling with your dog, find out beforehand the phone numbers of clinics and veterinarians who are open 24 hours a day in your destination city and record them in your phone.

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What to do in practice if your dog has a medical emergency?

Pet emergency

Above all, you must absolutely keep calm even if you have to act quickly, before giving yourself the first aid to do for your dog, make sure you

  • If he’s still breathing
  • Is he still conscious?
  • Does he have a wound?
  • Run your hand over him to see if there’s any blood.
  • Does your dog stand on all four legs?
  • Does he lick a particular part of his body?
  • Is he trying to regurgitate something?
  • Doesn’t he have an object like a bone stuck in his throat?
  • Is there a packaging, a half-chewed object, an empty plate, a shredded bottle….etc next to your dog?

You must pay attention to all these remarks in order to know what to answer your vet on the phone so that he can give you the instructions to follow before you arrive at the clinic, ask your husband or child to accompany you, he can do the first aid himself in the back seat of your car when you go to the veterinary clinic, remember to take your first aid kit with you, and before I tell you the symptoms and how you will handle each one in case of a medical emergency and if you do not yet have an emergency kit to administer first aid to your dog, read the following chapter

Have an emergency kit for your dog

How to give a fist emergency aid for a dog

Having a first aid kit especially for your dog is essential if you want to be able to intervene during medical emergencies.

Your dog or cat or any other pet could be injured at any time, the risk of injury is very high for pets, especially if you live in the countryside

The first aid kit specially designed for dogs must contain the following elements

  • Thermometer and lubricant (water-based)
  • Latex or nitrile gloves Cleaner
  • Antiseptic for wounds and/or wipes (betadine or chlorhexidine based, no alcohol or hydrogen peroxide)
  • Antibacterial dressing for wounds
  • Bandages (adhesive and non-adhesive) sterile wound pads non-adherent
  • Tweezers
  • Sterile saline solution to clean your dog’s eyes
    towels, toilet gloves and blankets
  • Nail clippers and styptic powder
  • First aid book for dogs

You can also buy a ready-made first aid kit for pets ( from amazon) ( Puppy and Dogs), the link will take you to Amazon where I have chosen the best first aid kit for dogs ( Articles/Quality/Price)

Your veterinarian can add a few items or medication if your dog is on medical treatment or diet, but the items I told you about are essential for a special first aid kit for dogs

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Keep your first aid kit in a place that is accessible even to your children, you may have to send one of them to bring it back when you have to stay next to your injured or sick dog

Also remember to put it in the car if you are travelling with your dog, so it would be accessible in case of emergencies outside the house

Now let’s get back to the symptoms your dog may have and what you need to do as emergency care for each symptom:

What to do if your dog is bleeding?

  • If your dog is healthy from an orifice such as the mouth and nose…etc. you must take him immediately to a veterinarian or to the emergency medical centre because the injury is internal and probably due to a trauma that you cannot treat yourself
  • If blood flows from a wound you can see, quickly place a clean cloth over the wound and press it down, then apply a tight but not too tight bandage and go directly to a veterinary clinic so that the wound is better treated and the veterinarian can stitch it up for your dog’s wound if necessary.
  • If your dog’s wound is bleeding heavily, clean the wound with sterile saline solution and then cover the wound with a non-stick pad, wrap it with gauze and secure it with tape until you can go to the vet.

What to do if you suspect that your dog has a fracture (a broken bone)

emergency care for a dog and all pets

  • Don’t call your dog but go to him
  • See if he lifts one of his legs and limps while walking or standing
  • if you notice a bump or wound, inspect the area of the injury with your hand while monitoring your dog’s reaction
  • If you confirm that your dog has a problem in one of his bones, such as a fracture, you should avoid too many movements and take him directly to your vet.
  • Put him with someone in the back seat of your car and ask him to stop the dog from doing a lot of movement and drive slowly with your car.

What to do if your pet is poisoned

  • If you think your dog or cat has been in contact with a dangerous substance and you notice that they seem to pass out or they can’t stand on their feet, they fall and get up and vomit too, you should absolutely call a veterinary or poison control service
  • If your pet has just been in contact with a toxin or poison and it does not seem to have ingested it, you must wash it thoroughly, give it a good shower while watching your pet and avoiding that it licks its fur or drinks shower water
  • Then take him to your veterinarian for a thorough examination
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Final Thoughts

Knowing how to administer first aid for your dog or cat or any other pet is not a choice but an obligation , the same thing for pet insurance !!

Everyone is responsible for the good health of their pets, so learn to react quickly to your pet’s distress, learn to do first aid that may one day save your pet’s life, get the necessary knowledge and tools such as a good first aid kit, emergency medical and veterinary numbers in the area where you live or where you are about to go if your pet is accompanying you

M Samy pet blogger and author at famillypet

About Author

Hey! Samy here , Welcome to my Blog I'm an animal lover, especially pets and Really concerned about their well being ; I've been around and caring for all my life and Now ; a full-time Pet blogger at your service . My motto here at Famillypet is: "Pets First" ... Read More

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