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Pet Tips

From time to time, this page will be updated with other useful information, articles, FAQs, and links to other pet resources, so be sure to stop back!   To read the current or archived Pet Tips articles, use the menu below!

Holiday Pet Safety Tips - Pet Poisoning

Archived Articles:

EMERGENCY TREATMENT FOR TRAUMA AND FRACTURES
EMERGENCY TREATMENT FOR HEAT RELATED INJURY
SUMMER SAFETY FOR YOUR DOG!
BASIC TIPS FOR A SAFE, HEALTHY, AND HAPPY PUPPY

    Dogs sustain fractures and other traumas, just as humans do, most commonly as a result of being hit by a car, falls, abuse, and blunt trauma.  Fractures can manifest themselves from dogs riding in cars when not properly restrained, from great falls, or from abuse.  Depending on the mechanism of injury and what bones you suspect are broken or what other injuries are sustained will determine what emergency treatment technique is used.

    For the safety of the rescuer, it is important to muzzle the animal before evaluation and treatment commences, as even a friendly animal may attempt to bite if in pain.  However, if the dog is unconscious and/or breathing difficulties are present, muzzling should not be done.

    In evaluating a dog with unwitnessed trauma, you should assess the Airway, Breathing, and Circulation. These are the A, B, Cs that are always part of a primary evaluation. Once any problems with the ABCs are corrected, airway maintained and bleeding controlled, you should quickly move to the secondary assessment of the animals condition.   You may evaluate the dog’s level of consciousness by brushing a finger against the dogs “eyebrow” whiskers. If the dog in not deeply comatose, you will observe the eyelid twitch.  If the dog is breathless and pulseless, mouth to snout CPR should be started.  You may receive special training in animal CPR.  See the resources at the end of this article.

     Start at the head and work your way along the dog’s body to the tail, palpating and examining each area.  Then, examine all extremities.  If you see blood in the ears, suspect skull fracture or brain injury.  The dog’s pupils should be equal in size, otherwise there may be brain injury.  Vomiting of blood may indicate brain injury or damage to internal organs in the chest or abdominal cavity.  Any swelling of the abdomen could be related to the effects of the trauma or could be a sign of shock due to internal bleeding.  Bloody froth coming from the snout or mouth is an indicator of internal injuries to the lungs and is a life threatening emergency. Deviation of the dog’s trachea, which is normally inline with the center of the neck,  indicates a collapsed lung and requires immediate emergency care by a vet.   Blood coming from the rectum or urinary tract may also indicate internal injuries.

    You can evaluate the strength, character, and rate of pulse by palpating the blood vessel in the dogs rear leg. You will feel a chord like structure on the inside of the dog’s upper hind leg, what we would consider the thigh.  Use your fingertips to lightly press the vessel against the bone. Use an uninjured leg for this test. Do not use your thumb, because your thumb has a pulse and you will not be able to discern your pulse from the dogs.  The pulse should be taken for 30 seconds (multiply the result by two to obtain the beats per minute)  and should be strong, with no skips. The rate for a normal adult dog is around 70 - 180 beats per minute, a puppy is around 200.  Weak, thready, or rapid pulse is indicative of shock. To treat a dog for shock, first immobilize the dog’s body as indicated below for spinal injury. Then, elevate the dog’s body so that the head is lower than the heart.

    Although there are many types of fractures, the emergency treatment is basically the same. For a compound fracture, where bone in sticking through the skin, do not attempt to straighten the extremity.  You will need to use padded boards, rolled up newspaper, anything stiff to splint the injury with.  All fractures must be immobilized “as they lay,” to prevent further damage. If bone is protruding and there is only oozing blood, protect the wound and broken bone ends with a clean, preferably sterile gauze pad moistened with saline or plain water.  If there is spurting blood, a sign of blood coming from a damaged artery, you will have to use the animal’s pressure points to control bleeding.

    If there are no breaks in the skin and the dog is limping, you should look for deformities in the extremities, which are most commonly fractures, sprains, or strains.  Treat any limp as though the extremity may be broken. Splint the extremity to prevent further damage and transport the animal to the veterinary hospital as soon as possible. Splinting will also reduce pain. Apply ice packs to any injured areas to reduce pain and swelling.  The ice will also promote control of bleeding.

    If the animal has sustained a serious injury, such as being hit by a car and the dog cannot move its extremities, suspect a broken back.  Gently pinch each extremity and the tail.  If there is no response, the dog may be paralyzed. To transport an animal suspected of having a broken back, you must immobilize the entire animal. Enlist the help of bystanders to place the injured dog on a rigid surface, such as a board, even an ironing board may work in a pinch, large enough to hold the dog. One person should ensure that the dog’s neck moves as a unit with the rest of the animal as you log roll it or drag it onto the backboard.  Use roller gauze, tape, rag strips, belts, or padded rope to help secure the dog to the board.  Be sure to control any bleeding if present. For bleeding due to cuts or punctures, direct pressure is best.  If the dog’s extremity is seriously mangled hanging by a thread, it may be best to use a tourniquet above the break.  Loosen it slightly every 5 minutes and then re-tighten. Repeat the cycle as needed, but do not totally remove the tourniquet.  Leave the tourniquet in place for the veterinarian.   Use a wide strap or a belt, as thin materials, like rubber bands or string, may cause further damage to blood vessels.

    If the dog has sustained a penetrating injury, such as a gunshot , stabbing, puncture, or other penetrating injury, control the bleeding with direct pressure, but do not remove any impaled  object. if the object, such as an arrow or stick is impaled in the dog, leave it in place and immobilize it with tape, gauze, and even a paper or styrofoam cup to prevent it from moving, causing further injury.

    Remember, time is of the essence, so conduct your assessment and treatment carefully but quickly. Then, package the animal for transport and proceed to the closest veterinary facility carefully and quickly.

    An untrained person can learn to save an animal's life, but the safest thing for you and the animal is to get some training.  Check the resources below to learn where you may receive low cost training to assist animals in difficulty.

Pet First Aid Resources:

American Red Cross Pet CPR
American Red Cross Pet First Aid
Detailed info on bone fractures
Muzzling a dog
 
 

        Heat prostration, when not treated in time, can cause your pet permanent brain injury, blood disorders, and
eventually death. The signs and symptoms of heat prostration are disorientation, a drugged or dazed appearance,
difficulty breathing, and heavy, excessive panting.  Other signs and symptoms may include muscle twitching and/or bright red (brick red) tongue and mucous membranes.  In severe cases, the dog may be lethargic or unconscious.   All of these symptoms indicate heatstroke and require that you get your dog to a veterinarian immediately after stabilization.

    When it is not possible to get immediate medical aid for your animal, there are some emergency techniques you can do to stabilize the animal prior to transport.  If the dog is conscious and breathing, the first thing to do is to remove
the dog from the source of heat to a cool place.  Dogs sweat through their tongues and the pads in their paws, so an
effective method to cool them is to stand them in cool (not ice cold) water and apply cool water on their belly and
chest.  You may also use a hose, cool compresses, fans, a kiddie pool, or anything that will help cool the animal.  Do
not cool the animal too rapidly or shock may result.  If the dog is not breathing or if the dog stops breathing, you will
have to perform mouth to snout CPR.  To assess a dog's breathing, look, listen and feel.  Look at the dog's chest to
determine if it is rising and falling.  Put your ear near the dog's nose or on it's chest and listen for the exchange of
air.  Put your hand on the dog's chest and see if you can feel the chest rise and fall. To learn more about how to
perform dog CPR, use the links at the end of the article.

    If the dog is conscious, you may give it ice chips. Do not give anything by mouth to an unconscious dog.  After
cooling the dog, you must then transport the dog to an animal emergency room quickly.  During transport, cover the
dog with towels that have been soaked with cool water and then wrung out.  The evaporation will help continue the
cooling process during transport.  Keep the vehicle's air conditioning set to low or moderate to prevent chilling the
dog.  No matter how seriously ill your dog is, never drive carelessly during transport.  Obey all traffic laws, rules, and
regulations.  Remember, if you get in an accident, you will not be helping your pet.  Know where the closest animal
emergency treatment facility is to your home and the quickest route to get there.

    Among some of the advanced treatments for heat prostration administered by a vet include the intravenous
administration of fluids to treat dehydration and cooling enemas, to further lower the dog's core body temperature.

    Perhaps the best way to learn first aid and CPR for your dog is to take a course.  Several certification courses are offered by the Red Cross.  Feel free to use the resources below to find a chapter near you.

American Red Cross Pet CPR
American Red Cross Pet First Aid
Detailed Information on Heat Prostration by a Veterinarian

    During the summer months, the danger to the family dog rises with the thermometer.  As with humans, pets can also suffer from heat related injuries and death. Humans suffer heat-related illness when the body's temperature control system is overloaded. The human body normally cools itself by sweating, but under some conditions, sweating just isn't enough. In such cases, the human body temperature rises rapidly. Very high body temperatures can damage the brain and/or other vital organs.

     Because dogs do not sweat as humans do, the danger of heat related injury and death is even greater.  The normal body temperature of a dog ranges between 38.9 - 39 degrees Centigrade.  This translates to about 101.0-103.0 degrees Fahrenheit.  (Puppies’ normal temperatures are about 1 degree lower until 6-8 weeks old) Dogs and cats maintain their temperature through panting, although sometimes they may be unable to “vent” enough heat. Dogs suffer from heat cramps and heat exhaustion/prostration just like humans. The symptoms are varied and not always obvious to the untrained eye.  As exposure to heat increases, injuries quickly escalate to heat stroke and death. The best medicine for these conditions prevention.

• Never, ever leave your pet in your car. The temperature inside a closed car rises most quickly during the first 15 minutes that it is left in the sun, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.  When temperatures outside range from 80 degrees to 100 degrees, the temperature inside a car parked in direct sunlight can quickly climb to between 130 to 172 degrees, according to the CDC.

• In warm weather, you must always provide dogs (and cats) adequate shade and plenty of fresh, cool water.

• In very hot weather, you should keep your pet indoors.

• Keep your pet’s exercise down to the minimum during hot days.

• Asphalt, concrete, and stones absorb heat, and get extremely hot. Prior to walking your dog on a surface of one of these types, reach down and touch it. If it's too hot for you, it may be too hot for your pet.  In addition to panting, dogs “sweat” through their foot pads.  Walking your dog on grass or dirt really makes a difference in your pet’s comfort.

     Excessive panting, salivating, vomiting, staring, anxiety, increased pulse rate can all be signs of heatstroke.

Care and Treatment of Heat Exposure Related Injuries

    First aid care includes, removing the dog from the source of the heat, preferably to an air conditioned place. Put the dog in the bathtub and gently hose the dog with cool water. Alternatively, you can place the dog in a cool bath to bring down its temperature or cover the dog with wet towels. Use cool, not ice cold water to gradually bring the dog’s temperature down safely. Placing the dog in front of a fan is also helpful, however, do not cool the dog to the point where it begins to shiver and/or the dog’s teeth begin to chatter.  Excessive cooling of the dog can be just as harmful as overheating.  After administering first aid, you should then take the dog to a veterinarian for evaluation and further treatment, in case the dog requires intravenous therapy for dehydration.

Comply with all state and local dog laws:

    Be sure your pup is licensed with your local animal licensing authorities. If your pup should get loose and run away, no matter how careful you are, your pup’s license will ensure that he or she is not put up for adoption or euthanized before you can claim your animal at the animal shelter. Keep your pup on a leash at all times when not confined on your property. Check your fences and gates frequently for places where your puppy can get over, under or through. If your puppy makes a mess, clean it up and dispose of it properly, in accordance with your local laws.  To be on the safe side, you may want to get an ID chip embedded beneath your dog’s skin. This way, if the dog and the collar should become separated, there will still be a means to identify you pet.  All shelters have the means to scan animals for these chips.  Many vets provide the implantation service for a reasonable fee.

Pay attention to your pup's health and medical needs:

    Keep your pup's vaccinations up to date. To protect against diseases that can cause great suffering and/or death to your pup, be sure to have his or her booster shots administered in a timely manner. Be aware of your pet's behavior and call your vet if the pup is not eating or drinking, losing weight, looking bloated, vomiting or exhibiting any other symptoms that are indicators that your puppy may be sick.  Puppy-proof your home, and keep the pup confined to an area where he or she will be safe from hazards such a electrical wires, choking hazards, and other dangers.

Housebreaking and Crate Training

    A puppy needs lots of training to ensure that your pet will always be on his or her best behavior. Housebreaking is the most important. It takes perseverance and praise to housebreak your pet. Start teaching your dog from day one where it is to relieve itself and how to "ask" to go outside.  Look for "signs" your pup is giving you, such as "circling" or sniffing around the perimeter of the house or by the doors. Encourage the dog to go outside immediately. Highly praise the dog when it relieves itself outside. If the pup has an accident, do not scold the pup or rub its nose in the mess. This is the worst thing you could do, as the pup will not understand why you are doing this and will only make your pet afraid of you. Instead, immediately take the pup to where it should relieve itself. Each and every time the pup goes where it should, lavish it with praise.

     If you must leave your pup home alone or when you cannot adequately supervise your pet, he or she should be crated. Crate training is an excellent tool in housebreaking your dog as it will not soil in the place where it sleeps. The crate also keeps your dog and possessions safe from harm.  Most pet stores sell crates and can assist you in selecting the appropriate one for your pet.  A dog should be able to stand erect, turn around, and stretch. Remember...... your pup will not be small forever, so buy a crate that will provide adequate space as your pup grows into an adult dog. If you decide to buy a crate large enough for an adult dog, you will need to block off some of the space for the young pup or else it will relieve itself on one side of the crate and "hang out" on the opposite side.  As your pup grows, you can enlarge the space inside the crate.  A puppy can "hold it" for 1 hour for every month of age plus one. (So a 3 month old puppy can hold it for 4 hours!)  Making a dog hold it for longer than that can cause health problems. If you are unable to get home in time to let your pup out of the crate for elimination breaks, hiring a pet walking service would be an invaluable asset for you and your dog.

Obedience training:

     Obedience training is also a must.  You and your pup will have a rewarding relationship once you establish who is in command.  Properly training your pup from day one helps to ensure that your pup will not develop behavioral problems in the future. Obedience classes are best, because a professional trainer will teach you how to work with and train your pup.

Transporting your pet:

    As with humans, pets should be properly restrained when traveling in a car. Pet carriers can be strapped into the back seat or elsewhere in your vehicle. There are also various pet seat belt/restraint devices that you can purchase in most pet stores. It is dangerous to drive while an unrestrained animal is in the vehicle, because a frightened dog (or cat) could distract the driver and cause an accident. In a collision, your unrestrained pet could become a high velocity missile and may be seriously injured or killed.  Additionally, never allow your pet to ride unrestrained in the pick up bed of your truck.