First Aid Techniques

Credit to Jim Humphries, D.V.M. and Family Circle Magazine

Remember... The following are guidelines and basic maneuvers for animal first aid and should not be a replacement for veterinary care. Use at your own risk.

Choking

Symptoms: gagging, drooling, pawing at mouth or crying in pain.
Solutions: Act fast. Pull down jaw and remove object with fingers or tweezers. If object remains lodged, and your pet is still breathing, get to an animal hospital right away. If breathing stops, perform the Heimlich maneuver for animals (see below).

Heimlich Maneuver for Pets

The Heimlich Maneuver for Pets is similar to the method for humans. As your pet faces away from you, wrap your arms around its belly, below the rib cage. With the heels of both hands, press up in a quick, jerking motion. It may take several attempts to dislodge an object.
For big dogs try this technique: As the dog lies on a table (tail to your left, head to your right), wrap your arms around its waist. Join hands below the rib cage. Push up forcibly, toward its head.

Minor Cut

Symptoms: shallow cut with minimal bleeding.
Solutions: Before starting first aid, dogs should be muzzled: Wrap a strip of gauze twice around nose, cross under chin, and tie behind ears. Do not muzzle an unconscious animal or one with breathing difficulties. For a short-nosed dog or for a cat, cover head loosely with a towel or pillowcase.
Control bleeding: Using clean gauze or a towel, apply direct and gentle pressure to the wound. Bleeding should stop in several minutes. Carefully trim surrounding hair. (Trick: Water-soluble jelly (Vaseline) prevents loose strands from entering the cut.) Clean with iodine based soap and rinse thoroughly with warm water. Dab with antibiotic ointment and let heal uncovered. Repeat daily as needed.

Bee Sting

Symptoms: swelling, pain, pawing or biting at sting site.
Solutions: Scrape away stinger with dull edge of a butter knife. Place ice pack over sting site to reduce swelling. Let a vet treat any allergic reactions including vomiting, breathing difficulties, diarrhea, prolonged swelling.

Snake Bite

Symptoms: extreme swelling , pain, bluish color at bite site (on face / chest).
Solutions: If fang marks are visible, the snake was probably poisonous. Place a cold pack (ice in moist towel) at bite site to slow venom. Go to the animal hospital immediately.

Heat Exhaustion

Symptoms: prolonged panting, gasping, weakness, unsteady gait, fainting.
Solutions: Move animal to a cool, ventilated place. Immerse in cool water. DO NOT treat with ice water which could lead to shock. Offer drinks of cool water and take the animal to the animal hospital.

Exposure to Cold

Symptoms: shivering, lethargy, fainting, gray gums and tongue.
Solutions: Move to warm area and dry with a towel. Warm the body with heating pads or place near heater. Offer warm broth to raise internal body temperature. Wrap in blankets and take to the animal hospital right away.

Household Toxins

Symptoms: vomiting, diarrhea, convulsions, fainting, strange breath odor, bluish gums and tongue.
Solutions: Wrap in blanket. Determine poison source (antifreeze, cleaning com-pound); call vet for instructions. Or call the ASPCA National Animal Poison Control Hotline, 1-800-548-2423 (cost is about $30).

Do-It-Yourself First Aid Kit

Credit to Jim Humphries, D.V.M. and Family Circle Magazine

Remember... The following are guidelines and basic maneuvers for animal first aid and should not be a replacement for veterinary care. Use at your own risk.

Got an old shoe or shipping box? Make your own kit with these supplies from a pet store (or local pharmacy).

• 2 gauze rolls
• 6 gauze pads
• 1 adhesive tape roll
• Chemical ice pack
• Water-soluble jelly (Vaseline)
• Rectal thermometer
• Antiseptic lotion
• Antibiotic ointment
• Eyewash
• Tweezers

Animal Care and First Aid

Credit to statson.org

When you get your new dog, you might already have pets that you will need to introduce the new dog to. Exactly what you will need to do depends on the kinds and temperaments of the animals involved.

Introducing a puppy to an older dog is probably the easiest combination. If the older dog is properly socialized with other dogs, you will not have problems. If the older dog is not, you may have to keep the dogs separated until you're more confident about their getting along. (In any case, a puppy will often be restrained as per housetraining efforts when you are not at home.)

If you are introducing a puppy to a cat, you will probably have some trouble for a few months. Older cats, unless they've dealt well with dogs before, will probably hiss and spit at the puppy or avoid it for a long time. As long as the cat has a place to retreat to and you teach the puppy to leave the cat alone (granted, easier said than done), you will work through problems eventually.

Puppies and kittens tend to get along just fine. Watch out for possible accidental injuries if the puppy is (or will become) much bigger than the cats.

If you are introducing an adult dog to an adult dog, it will depend on their temperament and how well they get along with other dogs. You might have some scuffles to establish a hierarchy -- keep an eye on it but don't forbid it unless things get out of hand. If one dog reacts very poorly to the other, you will have to separate them for a while and work on introducing them slowly. You may have to keep them separate when you are gone.

An adult dog with a cat can present problems if the dog thinks cats make tasty snacks, or if the cat takes a dim view of dogs. You may have to keep them separated, or expect a longer period of adjustement. If the dog is fine with cats, introducing it to a kitten is easy.

In sum, it depends on the temperament and ages of the animals involved. In most cases, you can simply introduce them, let them work it out, and after a week to a month or so, things are fine. However, sometimes this is a lengthy process that you will have to work through, especially if it is cross-species. In general, this will work:

• Put the dog in its own room, where the original pet can smell it, but not see it. After a day or so of this, remove the dog from the room and let the original pet smell and explore the room thoroughly. Put the dog back in. Depending on the reactions involved, let the pets meet under supervision. If there is some hostility, separate them while you are gone until you are certain that they get along. It is best if you can arrange a "retreat" for each animal.

Meeting first in a neutral area such as someone else's house or in a park, if possible, may help.

Arrange a retreat for a cat by blocking off entrance to a room with a child's gate that the cat can jump over but the dog cannot.

Be sure that the original pet gets plenty of attention after the arrival of the new pet. Resentment at loss of attention and change in routine can exacerbate the problems with the two getting along.

Finally, remember that it can take several weeks to a year for the animals to adjust. Don't rush things. Your best resource is patience.

Credit to Pfizer Animal Health

Kittens and puppies are naturally inquisitive, which can often lead to serious injury. Here are some tips on how you can make your house safer for the new arrival.

• That's shocking - Young animals love to chew when they're teething. Keep electrical wires out of reach, or use a pet repellent spray.
• They'd die for some chocolate - Chocolate can be dangerous. It contains-theobromine, a powerful stimulant that is toxic to pets. Sweets, cakes, and cookies can also upset a young animals G.I. tract and lead to diarrhea and vomiting, which can be serious.
• Treats can be threats - Never give turkey, chicken, or rib bones as a treat. They can splinter and cause serious injury.
• Common Household Killers - Cleaning agents, bleach, ammonia, disinfectants, drain cleaner, oven cleaner, paint gasoline, rat poison, etc. Keep them locked up.
• Check the Antifreeze - Pets are attracted to the odor and sweet taste of antifreeze. Store it high and tightly sealed, wiping up any spills on the garage floor. Window-washing solution also contains antifreeze. And remember, engine warmth promotes catnaps, so honk your horn to wake pets under the hood.
• Killer house plants - poisonous plants include lilies, philodendron, dieffenbachia, elephant ear, eucalyptus, azalea, ivy, amaryllis, pyracantha, oleander, boxwood, Jerusalem Cherry and plant bulbs.
• Keep off the grass - if you treat your lawn with chemicals, keep pets away. Read and follow label instructions carefully
• It fit yesterday - Puppies and kittens will grow rapidly. Collars and harnesses can be rapidly outgrown, leading to serious wounds.
• Take care of personal care items and medications - Cosmetics, shampoos, skin creams, hair "perm" solutions, depilatories (hair removal), suntan lotions, sleeping pills, antihistamines, aspirin and acetaminophen can all be lethal to pets.
• It’s not a toy - Don’t leave plastic bags out. Inquisitive young animals, especially kittens, can suffocate.
• The heat is on - Watch out for hot irons, coffee pots, and space heaters. Kittens and puppies will suddenly be able to jump to new heights.
• A dip tip - Keep covers on hot tubs and swimming pools. Kittens and even young puppies can fall in and not be able to get out.
• ‘Tis the season - Keep holly, mistletoe, and especially Christmas tree tinsel out of reach.
• Cozy up - Always use a fireplace screen.
• Do you eat with that mouth? - Rule of thumb: If any, or all, of something will fit in a mouth, it’s dangerous. Watch out for cigar and cigarette butts, rubber bands, balloons, sewing needles, thread, string, ribbons, and yes, even pantyhose. Because what goes in, must come out, often via surgery.

Credit to petnetwork.org

Credit to Novartis Animal Health US, Inc.

Fighting Fleas

A few fleas can quickly become a full blown infestation which can be irritating and costly. The best way to fight a flea population is to make sure that it never occurs. Here are some tips:

• If you're using a flea preventive, use it year-round. Weather patterns are unpredictable, and flea season can start before you're ready. Under the right conditions, fleas can survive and even reproduce indoors during the winter. Don't give fleas even the smallest gap - use a flea preventive every month.
• All pets in your house should be treated for fleas. If you have more than one pet, treat them ALL for fleas. Fleas can reproduce and thrive on an untreated pet, undermining your efforts of treating your other pets.
• Be aware of pesticides. If you should choose to use a pesticide, carefully read all labels - ¬especially if you have small children. Strictly adhere to the recommended guidelines to minimize the risks to your pet, your family and the environment.
• An ounce of prevention. The best way to deal with a flea problem is before you have one, and the best time to use flea control is before you see fleas. It takes much less effort to prevent flea populations than it does to get rid of them.

Problematic Parasites

A common misconception is that fleas and other parasites are not a problem in the winter. This is not the case. The fact is your pets may be exposed to parasites more often than you think in the winter. Here's why:

• The onset of mosquito or flea season is impossible to predict.
• Midwinter warm spells can produce ideal conditions for fleas to emerge.
• Under the right environmental conditions, fleas can survive, and even reproduce, indoors during the winter.
• Whipworm and roundworm eggs are extremely resilient, surviving in the soil in the coldest conditions.

Your pets should be protected from parasites year-round - even in the winter. As winter continues, enjoy all that the season brings. Just be sure your pet enjoys it as well.