Dog Emergencies & Dog First Aid

If your dog gets into a severe accident or becomes very ill all of a sudden, the first thing you must do in dog first aid is be calm; freaking out will only make you lose precious time in these types of emergencies. Call the veterinary clinic immediately to ask for advice and help. The following are some recommendations on what to do in case you are not able to get professional help right away. However, if you are not sure about how to do them the right way, the best advice is not to try them.

• Take out any objects the dog has in his mouth and place the dog's tongue on one side.
• Place the dog on his left side and cover him with a blanket.
• Check to see if the dog's heart is beating by placing the lower part of your palm over the left side of the dog's chest, right behind the dog's elbow. If you are not able to feel a heartbeat, you will need to give the dog CPR.
• If the dog is bleeding excessively, stop the hemorrhaging.
• Take the dog to the veterinary clinic as quickly as possible.

Moving a hurt dog: It's very important to be very careful with hurt dogs as they usually tend to bite anyone that touches them. If the animal is conscious, you will need to use a muzzle. If the dog is very heavy, you will need another person to help you carry the dog into the car etc. Lift the dog and move him by using a blanket, or if you believe that the dog has suffered a back injury, carry him on a board or door very carefully, avoiding any forceful movements.

Dog hemorrhages:If a hemorrhage is not stopped right away it can cause the dog to go into shock and die.

Open wounds:

• You should press down on the wound by using cotton or gauze over the wound and sealing it with a band aid. If the wound continues to bleed, repeat the same process without removing the other band aid.
• If the dog is bleeding excessively on one of his paws or his tail, make a tourniquet by surrounding the affected area with a long piece of cloth, on top of the wound, around it and tie it. Place a pencil or a stick to stretch out the cloth band and wait for the hemorrhaging to stop. Tourniquets should never be left on for more than fifteen minutes.