First Aid

All good first aid kits for dogs should contain the following items:

1.       Bandages: Gauze, Cotton, Adhesive tape, and Cotton batting for gently wrapping broken legs.

2.       Tweezers: To remove Splinters and Ticks.

3.       Thermometer (Rectal): a dog's normal temperature is 99.5°-102.5°F.

4.       Petroleum Jelly: To lubricate the thermometer.

5.       Eyedropper: For administering medicines.

6.       Activated Charcoal: To absorb poison.

7.       Syrup of Ipecac: Helps induce vomiting.

8.       Hydrogen Peroxide: 3%, to clean wounds or induce vomiting.

9.       Bleach: 1 part bleach to 30 parts water to clean wounds.

10.   Emergency muzzle: Scared or hurt dogs may bite.

11.   Styptic pencil: To stop bleeding nails.

Emergency Procedure

In case of any kind of accident, the first thing to do is to check for signs of life. An unconscious animal may not react to external stimuli, similar to a dead animal. Opening and shutting eyes is not automatic, thus not being a discernable factor to check for life. In both conditions, the muscles relax and become limp. Urine and feces may also be passed. In case of death, the muscles become rigid after three to seven hours. Breathing and heart beats stop if the animal is dead.

Heartbeat can be felt by placing your fingertips on the lower left part of the chest wall on the side, just behind the front leg. For a very small dog, place hand around the lower part of the chest between or just behind the forelegs. With the finger and thumb on opposite sides of the chest, the heartbeat can be felt between them.

Normal pulse rate of dogs is 80-120 beats/minute. Smaller breeds have a higher pulse rate. To take the pulse, put your index and middle finger over the artery at the point where it crosses the thigh bone on the inside of the thigh. Count the pulse rate for 10 seconds and multiply by six.

Treatment of life-threatening signs, such as loss of consciousness, absence of breathing, arterial bleeding, etc., must receive priority. Leave cleaning of wounds till later. Concentrate on saving the dog's life.

If heartbeat can be felt, proceed immediately with the emergency drill.

The emergency drill consists of three steps known as the ABC Approach:

Airway, Bleeding and Collapse or lack of consciousness

Airway

Ensure there is nothing blocking the dog's nasal passages. Press down on the dog's nasal passage with a flat palm. Blowing into the nose also helps to clean the nasal passage. The method to do this is as follows:

1.       The animal should be laid down.

2.       Tilt its head slightly backward so as to stretch the neck and head area.

3.       Pull the tongue between the front teeth.

4.       Remove any foreign object, which is visible and easily retrievable, from the mouth.

5.       Do not put your fingers inside the mouth of a conscious animal as this might frighten it and cause it to bite.

6.       If airway is still obstructed, perform five to 10 abdominal thrusts to clear obstruction.

Breathing

If the dog is breathing normally, let it rest in a comfortable body position. If breathing is labored or absent, try artificial respiration.

For Small Dogs

1.       Make the dog lie down on its right side.

2.       With the dog's chest facing towards you, kneel next to it.

3.       Gently place your hand underneath the right side of the dog, below the shoulder and over the ribs, lock your elbows softly, press down firmly from 1-3 inches and release immediately.

4.       If the dog is lighter than 15 kg, it should breathe between 120-140 times per minute.

5.       Check the pulse after every five compressions.

Medium to Large Dogs

1.       Kneel with your dog's back towards you.

2.       Check for the pulse after every five compressions.

3.       If the dog weighs between 15-25 kg, it should breathe between 80-100 times per minute.

Very Large Dogs

1.       Follow the same procedure as above.

2.       Check the pulse after every ten compressions.

3.       Never assume that there is no heartbeat simply because the dog is not breathing.

4.       Never start compressions before checking the heart beat.

5.       Continue this procedure until the animal is breathing properly.

6.       If the dog weighs greater than 25 kg, it should breathe between 50-60 times per minute.

7.       If the dog still does not breathe, try mouth-to-mouth resuscitation.

For large and medium sized dogs (more than 14 kg), extend tongue out of the mouth. Close the jaws over the tongue, and blow into both nostrils. Blow at least 12 to 20 breaths.

For small dogs, seal mouth with your own. Now exhale forcefully, making sure that the air goes directly into the dog's mouth. Repeat this at least four to five times and check if the animal has started breathing on its own. Continue until breathing is regular.

Following breathing rates should be applied

• Small dog: 12-20 breaths/min for dogs less than 25 kg.
• Large Dog: 20-40 breaths/min for dogs greater than 25 kg.

Bleeding

Tie a strip of cloth and knot it above the bleeding artery or vein. At the knot, place a pencil and again tie a knot. Now wind the pencil clockwise to tighten. For heavy bleeding from the legs, apply a technique of releasing the pencil every one minute for a few seconds. Continue this procedure for 10 minutes till the bleeding stops.

Collapse, Convulsions & Loss of Consciousness

Move the animal to a safe place. Start artificial respiration immediately, and then mouth-to-mouth respiration. Convulsions occur in case of heat stroke, severe exhaustion and poisoning. Do not restrain the animal when it is having a spasm. Give glucose and a sweetened warm drink once the animal recovers from the fit.

Note:-

Always keep updated contact details of your Vet. Incase of emergency inform your Vet immediately. Self medication is not advisable.

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