How You Can Help Save Your Dog's Life

Table of Contents

IN ALL CASES OF CRISIS, maintain a calm and reassuring attitude, and get to a veterinarian if necessary.

Approaching an Injured Dog

1. Walk up slowly and carefully
2. Let the dog smell your hand

Methods of Restraint

1. Capture with blanket
2. Muzzle

Breathing and Pulse Rate

1. Normal breathing: 12-30 times per minute
2. Normal pulse: 70-160 beats per minute
3. Check pulse on inside of upper hind let, half to three-quarters of the way up or directly feel the heart about 3-4 ribs back of left front leg

CPR

1. Place dog on right side
2. Pull tongue forward and clear mouth of blood/mucus
3. Pull tongue forward again, close dog's mouth, and administer artificial respiration
4. Give 2 fairly quick breaths, then pause 5-6 seconds and repeat sequence
5. For heart measure, place towel or clothing on under side of rib cage
6. Use both hands to compress about 3-4 ribs back of left front leg
7. Compress 60-80 times per minute
8. One person doing both artificial respiration and heart massage (CPR)
1. Give 2-3 quick breaths and massage heart 15 times
9. Two people doing CPR
1. One person give 2 good breaths and the other 5 good heart compressions
10. Keep dog covered for shock
11. Avoid heart massage in case of chest injury
12. Bandage chest area if air escaping from lungs

External Bleeding

1. Bandage
2. Use tourniquet if on leg and loosen every 3-5 minutes
3. Apply thick cotton or towel pad with pressure if still bleeding

Fractures

1. DO NOT attempt to set unless veterinarian not readily available
2. Control serious bleeding
3. If necessary, apply temporary splint using rolled newspaper or flatsticks

Internal Bleeding

1. Do not attempt first aid
2. Keep dog quiet and warm, and watch for paleness

Drowning

1. Hold dog upside down for 10-15 seconds
2. Remove foreign matter from mouth and throat, pulling the tongue out
3. Begin CPR if necessary

Choking

1. Carefully open mouth and remove foreign object if present with pliers or blunt instrument
2. If fails, try a sharp blow on back of neck between the shoulders
3. If fails, attempt Heimlich maneuver
1. Stand or kneel behind dog, grasp his/her body at bottom of rib cage, apply quick and firm pressure, repeat 2-5 times

Heat Stroke

1. Immerse in tub of cold water or hose down
2. Apply ice packs to head
3. Begin CPR if necessary

Burns

1. Muzzle dog
2. Flush chemical burns with cold water
3. All other burns: apply ice water compresses or cold damp cloth. Do not use cotton

Moving an Injured Dog

1. Carefully slide him/her onto a padded board, blanket, or makeshift stretcher

Poisoning

1. Induce vomiting if not already vomiting
2. Give 1 tsp hydrogen peroxide or 2-4 tsp ipecac or 1 tsp salt on the tongue
3. DO NOT induce vomitting if dog is incoordinated and does not have a gag reflex
4. DO NOT induce vomitting if poison is a petroleum product, acid, or alkali. In this case, give milk or water to dilute poison
5. DO NOT induce vomitting if several hours have passed since ingestion of poison
6. If staggering or convulsing, prevent injury with a blanket
7. If poison is known, contact poison control center through your veterinarian

Antifreeze (Ethylene Glycol)

1. Induce vomitting

Snail Bait (Metaldehyde)

1. Symptoms are muscle tremors and convulsions
2. Induce vomitting
3. Protect with blanket to prevent injury

D-Con (Blood Anticoagulant)

1. Causes death by bleeding internally
2. Induce vomitting

Lead Poisoning

1. No appetite and colic
2. Induce vomitting

Strychnine Poisoning

1. Violent spasms
2. Induce vomitting if not convulsing

Poisonous Plants

Oleander

1. Nausea and diarrhea
2. Induce vomitting

Poinsetta

1. skin irritation and gastritis
2. Flush skin and give fluids if persistent vomitting

Castor Bean

1. 1-4 seeds can be fatal
2. Induce vomitting

Hydrangea

1. Can produce cyanide poisoning and coma
2. Induce vomitting

Daffodil and Tulip Bulbs

1. Nausea and labored breathing
2. Induce vomitting

Mushrooms

1. Extreme abdominal pain
2. Induce vomitting

Poisonous Snake Bite

1. Keep dog quiet
2. If leg wound, apply flat tourniquet above wound (not too tight). Be able to insert finger under tourniquet. May leave on up to 2 hours.
3. Use ice packs to slow spread of venom

Tick Paralysis

1. Paralysis of front and hind legs
2. Remove ticks carefully and take to our veterinarian

Salmon Poisoning Disease

1. Caused by eating raw salmon or trout
2. High fever, not eating, depression
3. take to your veterinarian

Eclampsia (Milk Fever)

1. Occurs in female dogs in late pregnancy or after whelping
2. Incoordination and convulsions
3. Consult with your veterinarian if your dog is pregnant

Foxtails

1. For foxtail in ear, place a few drops of mineral oil or olive oil in ear until can be removed
2. For foxtail in nose, take to your veterinarian
3. Trim hair on paws and ears for prevention
4. Comb and check your dog after being in weeded areas