First Aid for Pets
Happy March. March is the beginning of spring and people are starting to enjoy the great outdoors in the warmer weather. When families get outside they usually include all of the family including those beloved. I am a mother to a four legged fur child and I do all I can to make sure he is safe and out of harms way. Knowing some basic first aid tips for pets can help you handle some of the issues that we pets parents face.
This month I would like to remind you that there is such a thing as Pet First Aid. The American Red Cross has a great curriculum that is accompanied by a manual specifically for dogs and one specifically for cats. When we are outside and enjoying this nice weather our pets can become injured as well as daily maintenance people need to know about to be the best pet parent they can possibly be.
The American Red Cross curriculum covers dog topics such as: Protect Your Dog’s Health, Giving Your Dog Medications, Be Prepared, How to Know if It’s a Medical Emergency, Respond to a Breathing or Heart Emergency, First Aid Reference Guide: Allergies, Bite Wounds, Bone, Muscle and Joint Injuries, Choking, Ear Problems, Poisoning, and 63 other common canine medical emergencies
Similar to the Cat training the Dog First Aid is a valuable resource for dog owners, as well as dog handlers for therapy dogs, police K-9 units and search and rescue units. This guide provides information on:
- Symptoms and care for nearly 70 common canine ailments and emergencies
- Instructions for creating a pet first aid kit and giving medications
- How to recognize and respond to a medical emergency until veterinary care is available
- Tips for maintaining your pet’s health and well-being
- Includes a DVD demonstrating how to perform many of the first aid steps demonstrated in the book; running time: 30 min
Topics covered include:
- Chapter 1: Protect Your Dog’s Health
- Chapter 2: Giving Your Dog Medications
- Chapter 3: Be Prepared
- Chapter 4: How to Know if It’s a Medical Emergency
- Chapter 5: Respond to a Breathing or Heart Emergency
- Chapter 6: First Aid Reference Guide
- Allergies
- Bite Wounds
- Bone, Muscle and Joint Injuries
- Choking
- Ear Problems
The American Red Cross curriculum specifically for cats includes similar topics for dogs such as: Protect Your Cat’s Health, Giving Your Cat Medications, Be Prepared, How to Know if It’s a Medical Emergency, Respond to a Breathing or Heart Emergency, First Aid Reference Guide: Allergies and Allergic Reactions, Bone, Muscle and Joint Injuries, Fever, Insect Bites, Poisoning, and 55 other feline medical emergencies.
These topics seem trivial for some people but a fur parent, they are real issues and emergencies that can occur and we need to know what to do in the event we cannot immediately get to a vet to get the pet the care it needs and knowing when something isn’t quite normal and needs advanced medical care just like humans.
One great thing about this class is it can be taught in multiple settings to make it extremely fun! Encourage local vets to advertise and participate as well as doggie day cares and pet spas. People will definitely be willing to know what to do to get the knowledge and take home book that can better help them help their fur children.