Dogs sometimes have a bad habit of putting anything they find inside their mouths. Actually, let me correct that statement, dogs always seem to find a way to put objects in their mouth that do not belong there! They tend to pick up all types of stuff, ranging from balls to rocks, small toys to articles of clothing, basically anything they deem fun to play with.

Unfortunately, there are many times when a dog accidentally swallows these objects and it becomes lodged in his throat. If this object is not removed immediately then there is the chance for the animal to stop breathing and become unconscious.

Since this occurrence is very common with all pets, it would behoove of you to learn the basic moves that it takes to help your dog from choking. This can invariably save the life of your pet.

Below are basic First Aid steps which can come in handy for a choking dog:

If Your Dog Is Choking, But Remains Conscious

1. With two hands, open your dog’s mouth and look inside to see if you can see the object. If you can see it, try your best to remove it.

2. If you cannot see the object, place your dog on its side and elevate the hindquarters.

3. Now place your hand below the rib cage and another on the dog’s back. Press in and then up, all in one fluid motion. Keep pressing until the object is coughed up.

4. If the object does not come up then your dog may become unconscious. If this happens, then follow the steps below.

If Your Dog Becomes Unconscious

1. As stated above, be sure that the dog is placed on his side with elevated hindquarters.

2. Open the airway and be sure the tongue is pulled out as far as possible and placed to the side.

3. Now perform several compressions in the same area that you had attempted to press in the rib cage. After two to three compressions, check the mouth for any foreign objects by using the sweep of your finger.

4. Now give the dog a few breaths.

5. Repeat this cycle of compressions, finger sweeps, and artificial respiration breaths until your dog starts breathing by himself and dislodges the object.

Related posts:

1. First Aid For Dogs with Respiratory Problems
2. Emergency First Aid For Dogs 2 – Treatment Of Shock
3. Emergency First Aid For Dogs 3 – The Shock/Stimulant Controversy

The most common of all accidents involving dogs is the one in which the dog is struck by a car. To help you prepare as best possible should, you run into this type of scenario with a hurt canine, please read along and take notes of the following steps. And please, take these steps to heart as it can save your dog someday, or someone else’s family pet.

Approaching A Hurt Dog
When approaching a dog that has been struck by a car, care must be taken that you aren’t bitten by the dog you’re trying to help. An injured dog knows only that it hurts and probably won’t be aware that you are on the scene in an attempt to help. Slowly approach the animal and see what his injuries might be.

While you evaluate the extent of the dog’s injuries, prepare an emergency muzzle using a necktie, belt, gauze bandage – or anything else from which such a muzzle can be fashioned. Affix it around the dog’s mouth and tie it behind the head. If the dog is bleeding severely, quickly apply a pressure bandage, tie off the exposed artery, or apply a tourniquet between the wound and the dog’s heart.

Broken Limbs
In the event of a broken limb, immobilize the limb to prevent bone-grating action, or the possibility of the bone protruding through the skin. Use cardboard, wood, chicken wire – whatever is immediately available. Even a couple of sticks of wood, with the aid of a belt, can be secured to a dog’s limb to help immobilize it.

Creating A Stretcher
A coat can be placed on the ground to double as a stretcher and as a means of keeping the dog warm while he’s being transported to the nearest veterinary clinic. Please lift the dog as gently as possible. This is extremely important in the event that internal injuries are present.

The primary concern in the event of an auto accident should be the presence of shock and internal injuries; therefore, speed, and an absolute minimum of lost motion is essential if a dog’s life is to be saved. Broken legs and external injuries are relatively unimportant in the beginning, and saving the dog’s life comes first.

No Food Or Water
One of the first things a person usually wants to do when aiding an injured animal is to give it food or water – perhaps as a way of reassuring the dog. This, however, should not be done since it could aggravate any possible internal injuries. A chain reaction of vomiting and further internal bleeding from severe vomiting spasms could then be brought on.

Every dog owner should become aware of the necessary steps in administering first aid. First aid – promptly administered – can save a dog’s life… and who knows, it may just be your own dog! But always remember, first aid, by itself, is no substitute for professional veterinary care. First aid is emergency aid, and does not replace the need for professional attention.

Related posts:

1. Emergency First Aid For Dogs 4 – When A Dog Is Bleeding
2. Emergency First Aid For Dogs 1 – Symptoms Of Shock
3. Emergency First Aid For Dogs 3 – The Shock/Stimulant Controversy

It happens every day – a dog is crossing a street or busy intersection and becomes the target of thousands of pounds of crushing steel – injuring the poor animal to the brink of death.

If you ever have the unfortunate experience of bearing witness to this trauma, it is important to have a basic understanding of shock and any type of bleeding the animal may be experiencing. In fact, any bleeding must of course be considered an emergency condition, because the canine doesn’t really have any blood that it can safely spare.

There are three types of external bleeding that every dog owner should be aware of:
1) Arterial
2) Venous
3) Capillary

Arterial Bleeding
Arterial bleeding occurs when an artery has been severed. The blood from an arterial wound will be bright and red, and will flow in a pulsating manner in time with the dog’s heartbeat. This is the most dangerous of the three types of bleeding, and the flow of blood from the severed artery must be shut off, or clamped. If it cannot be seen, pressure must be applied between the wound and the loss of blood until professional help can be obtained.

Venous Bleeding
If a vein has been cut, the blood will be darker red, and will flow evenly. A pressure bandage – or any pressure at all – applied directly below the wound, will help stop bleeding from a severed vein. The pressure should be released every five to eight minutes, and then reapplied.

Capillary Bleeding
Capillary bleeding can be recognized as an oozing from the small, surface blood vessels. This will probably be the most common wound you’ll encounter. Direct pressure applied to the wound will stop the flow of blood. This can be accomplished by the use of gauze bandages – or whatever type of folded cloth may be available in an emergency.

Note: Cotton should never be applied directly to a wound as a pressure bandage.

Any internal bleeding must be regarded as extremely serious, and professional treatment is required for the necessary injections to help coagulate the blood. Internal bleeding can be caused by a ruptured organ inside the abdominal cavity (such as the liver or spleen).

Internal bleeding is usually indicated by grayish-white gums, which is also a visual symptom of shock. In any case, where internal bleeding is suspected, the dog should be treated for shock, since any extreme loss of blood will cause the dog’s blood pressure to drop. The loss of blood pressure alone can cause the dog to go into shock.

Related posts:

1. Emergency First Aid For Dogs 5 – Approaching An Injured Dog
2. Emergency First Aid For Dogs 2 – Treatment Of Shock
3. Emergency First Aid For Dogs 1 – Symptoms Of Shock

When a dog goes into shock, what stimulants are safe to give the animal? What exactly should you do in this situation? Life or death is waiting on your decision…

Before going into the differences of professional opinion on these very important questions, note the following basic guidelines:

A) If the dog is conscious then administer sweetened, warm coffee or whiskey.

B) If the dog is unconscious then do not give it anything at all. Instead, rush the animal immediately to the closest veterinarian’s office.

The Shock\Stimulant Controversy
It is interesting to note that many of the popular canine medical books on the market today are in complete opposition regarding a large number of the procedures for emergency first aid. Although these publications are written by knowledgeable, practicing veterinarians, their different views cause more questions than answers.

One major point of controversy is whether emergency first aid procedures should be instituted at all. One faction claims that time wasted looking for blankets or other material to keep an injured dog warm could spell the difference between life or death.

The other faction claims that failure to keep the dog warm could also spell the difference between life or death. The biggest controversy, however, seems to concern the type of stimulant to be used in an emergency situation: coffee, tea, or liquor.

The anti-liquor advocates state that liquor is a depressant, not a stimulant. The pro-liquor advocates counter by saying that liquor is a depressant only when consumed in large quantities, and that in an emergency situation, a shot of booze serves as an effective stimulant.

How can practicing veterinarians, men and women who are highly trained and closely skilled as one another in the same medical field, have such opposing views on something as simple as emergency first aid procedures? Hasn’t veterinary medicine progressed to the point of being an exact science? The answer is an unqualified no!

Make A Choice, Any Choice
It will be most interesting to know your personal opinions on the matter. This issue should warrant debate so that you can choose how to be prepared to help your dog (or any dog) that may be in an emergency situation and has fallen into a state of shock. Any help is better than just leaving the dog to die or mistakenly rushing it to the hospital without shock treatment.

In summary, then, remember the initial steps in the treatment for shock: Keep the dog calm and warm; administer a stimulant if (and only if) the dog is conscious; and rush the injured animal to the nearest veterinarian for the necessary supportive treatment.

Related posts:

1. Emergency First Aid For Dogs 2 – Treatment Of Shock
2. Emergency First Aid For Dogs 1 – Symptoms Of Shock
3. Emergency First Aid For Dogs 4 – When A Dog Is Bleeding

Your dog can easily go into a state of shock, caused by any amount of pain, toxin, or injury. And when it comes to the treatment of shock, veterinarians are not in full agreement as to the term “treat for shock.”

One side states that treating for canine shock includes the administration of intravenous fluids, oxygen, and possibly blood transfusions; procedures which are not possible for the layman to undertake.

Of course this is agreeable, however, on the opposite side of the controversy there are also veterinarians who feel that if the dog owner will implement a few emergency procedures, the onset of shock can be prevented – and in cases where shock is already present, the effects can be minimized.

Basic Procedures You Can Do
So, while the full procedures for treating for shock include some things not within the scope of the layman, we will still us the term “treat for shock” in describing those procedures which can and should be implemented by anyone on the street.

The first step in the emergency first aid procedures for treatment (or prevention) of shock is to keep the dog calm and warm. Anything available to accomplish this should be used: blankets, hot water bottles, your own coat… anything to keep the dog warm and keep its temperature from falling.

The second step depends upon whether the dog is conscious or unconscious. If the dog is conscious, you should administer stimulants such as warm coffee, bourbon, or brandy.

Note: It is also interesting to note that the type of stimulant used is also a big controversy among veterinarians, as will be discussed later.

If warm coffee is used, mix in some sugar and cream (or honey) so that the dog will not find the stimulant bitter and end up trying to fight its administration. Some veterinarians find brandy or whiskey, mixed with equal parts of honey or syrup, to be more effective.

Never Force A Stimulant
Stimulants such as these, spilled into the corner of your dog’s mouth, can help to keep it alive until you reach your veterinarian. However, if your dog fights the administration of the stimulant, stop! Step one is to keep the dog calm and warm; if it fights the stimulant, the excitement and distress which result are far worse for the dog’s condition than the value it would receive from the stimulant.

If the dog is unconscious – or semi-conscious – do not administer any liquid supplement at all! To do so would probably cause strangulation. The liquids could also go into the lungs causing inhalation pneumonia. When you have done all that you can in the treatment for shock, the dog must be taken to a veterinarian as quickly as possible for supportive treatment and the administration of the necessary intravenous fluids.

Related posts:

1. Emergency First Aid For Dogs 3 – The Shock/Stimulant Controversy
2. Emergency First Aid For Dogs 1 – Symptoms Of Shock
3. Emergency First Aid For Dogs 4 – When A Dog Is Bleeding

I’ll never forget my very first dog. Her name was Scarlet and she was the most well-behaved Golden Retriever anyone has ever seen. Loving, kind, playful and obedient – Scarlet was supposed to last forever – at least in my young mind.

But my worst nightmare happened as I never expected to see her lying in the street across from our house, bleeding, hurt, broken bones – in severe shock. I was not prepared and because of this I lost my lovable dog.

It May Happen To You
At one time or another there is a good chance that every dog owner will find him or herself in a position which requires immediate action if the dog’s life is to be saved. All too often, people will simply rush their family pet to the nearest veterinarian, only to find their canine friend dead on arrival. Properly administered first aid could quite possibly have saved the animal’s life, since many deaths are the result of shock and not of the actual injury itself.

Any time a dog is injured – whether it be a major a minor injury – there are two primary steps that should be taken. Step one is to stop the bleeding, and step two is to treat for shock. If the injury is considered major, a third step is indicated: getting the dog to the nearest veterinarian. Too often, steps one and two are overlooked – and step three is then no longer applicable due to the death of the dog.

Proper Education
Any person who has ever sat through first aid lectures, whether given by military personnel, public schools, or Red Cross representatives, has heard the terms “in shock” or “going into shock”, as well as the term “treat for shock”. Too often, such lectures fail to tell the student just exactly what “shock” is, why it is, and just why treating for “it” is important; yet shock can be the primary cause of death.

Shock can accompany such things as bee stings, snake or insect bites, fear, trauma, hemorrhage, burns and certain toxins or other forms of intense pain. It can occur in any situation in which something unusual has happened. Every dog owner should be aware of the simple treatment steps to follow. And even if a dog shows no signs of shock following an injury, it should be treated for it as a preventative measure.

Symptoms Of Shock
If an injured dog displays pale and grayish gums and a weak but rapid heartbeat, the animal is already in a state of shock. The body of the animal will be cold, producing a bluish skin and pale mucous membrane – this is especially noticeable around the lips. The dog may be panting quite heavily, and may be either conscious or unconscious.

Related posts:

1. Emergency First Aid For Dogs 3 – The Shock/Stimulant Controversy
2. Emergency First Aid For Dogs 2 – Treatment Of Shock
3. Emergency First Aid For Dogs 5 – Approaching An Injured Dog

First aid for dogs is important for a dog owner to learn, as it could even save your dog’s life at some point. But, it is also important for maintaining your dog’s health in those times when he or she gets scraped up due to curiosity and, even more so, when your dog sustains and eye injury. Eye injuries can be very serious for dogs since they really have no understanding of the need to protect their vision, even though their vision is very important to their general wellness and quality of life. For this reason, first aid for dogs can literally be a lifesaver in such moments.

First aid for dogs for eye injuries must be carried out very gently as the eye area is very delicate, as it is for humans. Consequently, many dog owners often perform it incorrectly resulting in more harm despite the good intentions. It is essential that dog owners know how to properly administer first aid around a dog’s eye area so to avoid making the injury even worse than it would have been.

The main principle of first aid for dogs when the eye is involved is to only use sterile fluid to treat the injury. You should be able to purchase an eye wash solution from any pharmacy that will be find for use in first aid for dogs. It is not costly and, most importantly, not harmful to your dog.

If something manages to get into your dog’s eye, not a lot of first aid should be required. Do not try to get the object out. Leave it alone, especially if it actually penetrates the eyeball. It is best to simply cover the eye with a cool, damp cloth and get to the vet immediately. In these situations, it is best to let a professional evaluate the severity of the problem and treat it appropriately.

However, some situations are not quite as serious and can use some first aid. For example, if your dog gets a black eye due to some type of accident, you can apply a cold cloth or compress to decrease the swelling. This can help prevent the injury from further affecting your dog’s overall vision. This is the type of first aid for dogs that is sufficient yet not harmful to your dog’s future eyesight!

Recommended: First Aid Guide For Your Dog

Related posts:

1. Emergency First Aid For Dogs 1 – Symptoms Of Shock
2. Emergency First Aid For Dogs 5 – Approaching An Injured Dog
3. Emergency First Aid For Dogs 2 – Treatment Of Shock

One of the most dangerous things that could happen is when someone stops breathing. The truth to this is undisputable and even rather obvious for anyone reading it, but interestingly this is something that dog owners rarely think about in relation to their dog. What would you do if your dog stopped breathing? Or, even began choking? No, panic is not the answer I was looking for!

The most common reason for respiratory problems in dogs is some type of blockage in the airways. For instance, there is a good chance that a dog will swallow his tongue if he somehow knocks himself unconscious. Should this happen, you must clear the airway with first aid for dogs and attempt to get him breathing again.

First aid for dogs pertaining to the respiratory system is, actually, fairly similar to first aid used with humans. Listen to the heartbeat, feel for a pulse and look for any respiration signs. In fact, artificial respiration is something to consider in first aid for dogs. Applying a combination of both a heart massage and the kiss of life can be equally effective in saving a dog’s life as it can on a human. For respiratory problems, first aid is fairly similar.

However, you should not attempt artificial respiration when giving first aid for dogs if you suspect poison has been used. Trying to resuscitate your dog when poison has been used puts you in danger. Always take your dog to the vet after you have given first aid for respiratory difficulties. But, when poison could be involved, always take him or her to the vest before administering first aid. Go ahead and try the heart massage technique but stay away from the mouth area.

First aid for dogs has saved many dogs’ lives and will continue to. Unfortunately, though, the odds are not great once he or she begins experiencing breathing problems. Performing artificial respiration may not save your dog’s life, but you must try as it has saved dogs’ lives in the past.

Related posts:

1. First Aid For Dogs – How To Save A Choking Dog
2. Emergency First Aid For Dogs 1 – Symptoms Of Shock
3. Emergency First Aid For Dogs 5 – Approaching An Injured Dog