6 Common Dog Emergencies
Steve Austin
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
anesthetic.
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.
If you love dogs and puppies, visit
www.I-Love-Dogs.com now! You can
get, free dog email, send a free dog postcard, learn about the
different dog breeds and so much more!
Back to Dog Training Info
Awesome Dog Lover Gifts
You will Cherish
