Knowing how to act quickly in an emergency can make the difference between life and death for your pet. Although veterinary care is always necessary, first aid stabilizes the pet until arrival at the hospital.
First aid kit
Put together a kit with: sterile gauze, adhesive tape, saline solution, disposable gloves, blunt-tip scissors, tweezers, a rectal thermometer, and the emergency veterinary numbers for your area.
Choking
If the animal is choking, carefully open its mouth and try to see the object. For dogs, a modified Heimlich maneuver can be applied: position yourself behind the animal and apply firm pressure below the ribs.
Poisoning
Do not induce vomiting without veterinary guidance, as corrosive substances can cause further damage on the way back up. Identify the ingested product and bring the packaging to the veterinarian. Chocolate, grapes, onion, and xylitol are toxic to dogs.
Wounds and bleeding
Apply pressure with clean gauze over the wound. Do not remove embedded objects. In case of a fracture, immobilize the limb with an improvised splint and transport the animal with as little movement as possible.
