Basic First Aid at Home: Overview

Basic First Aid at Home: Overview
Dog Care - Basic First Aid At Home
Basic first aid for your dog involves your dealing with injuries or other physical problems your pet might encounter in and around your home. Three precautions you should take immediately are to learn CPR for dogs in case you ever need it, put together a Dog First Aid Kit and program the phone numbers for your vet, the National Animal Poison Control Center and the closest animal hospital that offers emergency services (if you have one) as speed dial numbers on your home and/or cell phones.
Some of these first aid issues will be minor and you can handle them yourself. Others may involve a medical emergency where you might have to treat the problem immediately, prepare your dog for transporting in a way that minimizes the chance of further injury and then take him to the veterinary hospital. In either case, your responsibility as owner is to know the following:
What symptoms to look for
What the possible causes are
What you should do to treat the animal
What you should not do
When to call the vet or transport your dog to a veterinary hospital
The tables that follow provide this information at a glance, organized alphabetically by the type of problem. They also provide links to find more detailed information, if it's available, on each category.

Bite and Stings, Insect
Symptoms:
Redness and/or swelling
Possible Causes:
Mosquitoes, chiggers, spiders, other biting insects
What to Do:
1. Try to identify the insect.
2. If you see an embedded stinger, remove it by scraping it with a hard object such as your fingernail or a credit card.
3. Make a paste of baking soda and water and apply it to the affected area.
4. Apply ice or cold packs to the affected area to keep swelling and pain to a minimum.
5. You can apply Calamine lotion or Cortaid for itching and administer an antihistamine, such as Diphenhydramine, if your veterinarian approves. Small dogs (<30>50 lbs.=50 mg.).
6. Call your veterinarian.
What Not to Do:
1. Do not attempt to remove an embedded stinger as you would a splinter; this may release more toxins.
2. Do not attempt to give an antihistamine if your pet is unconscious, able to breathe and not vomiting.
When to Call the Vet or Transport to a Veterinary Hospital:
1. Transport immediately if your dog exhibits signs of an allergic reaction, such as swelling of the face and neck or difficulty breathing
2. If your dog goes into shock or otherwise seems ill.
Where to Look for More Information:
Allergic ReactionsCPR