It is always difficult when your pet gets injured – and when that happens, you should seek the assistance of professional vetenarian. But until you can get your four-legged friend the help it needs, you can do act to lessen their pain and discomfort.
Here are a few basic First Aid Tips:
- Cut or Wound:
Symptoms: Broken skin and/or bleeding
What to do: Flush with tap or bottled water to clean and apply pressure until bleeding stops
- Broken Bone:
Symptoms: Exposed bone and/or limping
What to do: Do not apply pressure to the affected area, transport to the vet in a carrier
- Heatstroke:
Symptoms: Panting, Unconsciousness, Hot to the touch, Loose bowels, Seizures
What to do: Apply or drape with cool, damp towel, encourage pet to drink cool (not cold) water, use a fan to help cool the pet, transport to the vet ASAP
- Insect bite or bee sting:
Symptoms: Swelling, Itching or scratching, Facial or eyelid swelling, hives
What to do: If irritation doesn not stop within couple of hours, take to the vet to have your pet checked for allergic reaction
- Burns:
Symptoms: Missing hair, weeping sore, licking or worrying
What to do: Do not touch affected area, take to the vet immediately for treatment and pain control
- Porcupine quills:
What to do: Do not attempt to remove quills, take to teh vet immediately
- Poisoning:
Symptoms: Vomitting, Diarrhea, Lethargy, Unconsciousness
What to do: Take to the vet immediately with a sample of ingested substance if possible
- Skunk spray:
What to do: Unless the pet shows allergic reaction, wash with pet shampoo or commercial skunk spray removal solution, rinse thoroughly
These are just a few tips -I will welcome any additional ones you may have – please share your experiences!
