Shih Tzu/Dogs/First Aid
by: Connie Limon
Goals of first
aid are: Keep your safety in mind at all
times. Attend to any severe bleeding that is
present. Administer CPR if needed.
Immobilize injuries and/or pet for
transport. Take your pet to the vet as soon
as possible. Delay in seeking professional
help often increase costs and decreases
treatment success.
When you do
encounter an emergency situation, do not
panic! Look around your surroundings to be
sure there are no moving vehicles, broken
glass, chemical spills, fire and electrical
hazards. Approach the injured or ill pet
slowly and with caution. Use a calm
reassuring voice. You might need to apply a
muzzle. Injured or ill animals might bite
out of pain or fear. If this occurs, don't
take it personally and don't feel like your
animal is now vicious or worthless and needs
to be gotten rid of. Be understanding that
the animal is under extreme stress and
hardly knows what to do himself.
Never use a
muzzle on an animal that is vomiting,
choking, convulsing or having breathing
difficulties. If you cannot muzzle, use
heavy-duty gloves or drape a blanket or
thick towel over the animal's head prior to
handling.
Determine
whether a life-threatening situation exists
and give appropriate first aid. Look for
unconsciousness, shock, hemorrhage, look for
breathing difficulties. Trauma (like hit by
a car), poisoning, and air leakage from
chest are all life-threatening. Transport
the animal to the vet or emergency vet
hospital. Transport securely - use a travel
kennel most preferably. If a travel kennel
is not available, place the animal in a box.
If head or
spinal injury is suspected, use a board,
plywood, window screen or any flat, firm
surface to transport. If this type of flat
support is not available, transport the pet
in a large towel or small blanket. You might
call the vet clinic in advance of your
arrival giving them the circumstances of the
accident, or illness.
Planning for
an emergency:
Decide what
you need to do ahead of time and rehearse.
Have important telephone numbers such as
your local vet and two of the closest
24-hour veterinary emergency clinics in a
place you can find easily in a sudden
emergency. The Poison Control Center number
should be easily found: (800) 548-2423.
Items for your
pet first aid kit:
Muzzle
Leash, Welder's gloves
Stretch bandage
Roll gauze
Solar blanket
Bandage tape
Sterile nonstick wound pads
Clean hand towel
Cotton balls and/or swabs
Chlorhexidine wash (0.5%)
Saline solution
Sterile eye ointment
Lubricating jelly
Clotting powder
Kydrogen peroxide
Kaolin-pectin
Activated charcoal
Triple antibiotic ointment
Splint
Forceps and/or tweezers
Scissors
Bulb syringe
Plastic digital thermometer
Reusable cold pack
12-milliliter syringe
Disposable gloves
Feeding Tubes
Home remedies
