first aid
Basic First Aid at home
In all cases you are advised to contact the Hospital for advice from one of our staff before administering emergency care at home. The following specific basic first aid information may however, be useful in emergencies.
In all instances do not put yourself at risk, pets that are injured or unwell will be scared, can act unusually and bite or scratch. If the pet seems unhappy with what you are doing stop and seek further advice.
Bleeding wounds
If you pet has a wound that is bleeding a lot:
- Try and put a clean dressing on the wound area
- Then apply a wad of material (cotton wool or if not available then material such as a clean towel or cloth) on top of the dressing to apply some pressure to the bleeding area
- Bandage gently on top of this padding to secure it in place
- Telephone the Hospital and bring your pet in to see us.
Stings
Most insect stings area not dangerous. Problems usually only arise if the sting results in swelling around the face or if the pet has an allergic reaction to the sting.
o If the sting is still visible do not rub or squeeze it as this may release more venom, instead gently remove with tweezers grasping low down, or bring the pet to the Hospital.
o Bee and wasp stings can be neutralised by applying a compress (a large piece of cotton wool soaked in the liquid) of opposite acidity:
- Wasp stings – apply a compress of vinegar
- Bee stings – apply a compress of bicarbonate of soda (baking powder)
- In all other cases, or where the type of sting is unknown, simply apply a compress of cold water to reduce the swelling and pain in the affected area.
- If the sting is around the head area, an area becomes very swollen or the pet appears unwell then telephone the Hospital straight away.
Fitting
If a pet fits it can be a very frightening experience for you. Most fits however, only last a few minutes and many never occur again. It is not usually necessary to immediately bring the pet to the Hospital and indeed this may be dangerous to both pet and owner. When the pet has a fit:
- Unless the pet is in a dangerous position (e.g. near a fire) do not attempt to touch or move it.
- Leave the pet alone when it is fitting and immediately afterwards as it will be disorientated and may bite or scratch.
- Keep the room the pet is in quiet and dark both during and after the fit.
- Telephone the Hospital and you will be advised as to how and when to bring the pet to us.
Vomiting and diarrhoea
Tummy upsets resulting in vomiting and diarrhoea are common in dogs and cats as very few of us have full control over everything our pets may eat! As long as the pet is bright and well the following advice will resolve most problems. Medication is rarely needed for most cases. The following advice is for ADULT pets only, for puppies and kittens please telephone the Hospital.
- For the first few hours allow access to water only, little and often. Pets that are nauseous often drink a lot at one time and cause themselves to vomit.
- Withhold all food from the pet for 12-24hrs.
- For the following two days (days 2 and 3) feed small amounts of a bland diet, little and often. Suitable foods are plain cooked chicken or white fish mixed with a little rice, or if you are able to come into the Hospital we can provide you with a special diet for vomiting and diarrhoea.
- For the subsequent two days (days 4 and 5) feed a mixture of the bland diet mixed with the pets’ usual food. Gradually make the move back to the normal feeding amounts and regime.
- If the sickness persists for more than 24hrs or diarrhoea persists for more than a few days then it is essential to contact the Hospital.
Problems with pets giving birth
Most dogs, cats and other pets give birth unassisted without any problems. If you know your pet is pregnant then the following advice may be useful:
- If you have not had a pregnant pet before then telephone the Hospital as we have lots of information we can send to you.
- If you know when your pet is due to give birth then make an appointment for it to be check approximately two weeks before the due date. If you don’t know when it is due make and appointment anyway!
- Gestation (pregnancy) can vary several days between individuals but as a guide is usually:
- average 63-65 days in dogs
- average 65-67 days in cats
- average 28-32 days in rabbits
- A few week before the birth try and encourage the pet to use a ‘whelping’ or ‘kittening’ box as a bed. This should be placed somewhere quiet
- If your pet is showing signs of starting to give birth then try and leave it alone to settle; interference or disturbance can disrupt and delay the birth process.
- If your pet is straining unproductively for more than 20-30 minutes , if there is any coloured discharge (red, black or green) or nothing at all seems to be happening (for over 60 minutes) then telephone the Hospital straight away for advice.
- Most pets appear very settled once all their offspring have been born but if for any reason you think your pet might not have finished giving birth and it is 1 hour after the last puppy or kitten then telephone the Hospital straight away for advice.
Poisoning
If you think your pet has eaten poison then:
- Do not attempt to make it vomit as this is not the correct course of action in all cases.
- Assess as accurately as possible what and how much of the substance has been eaten (e.g number of tablets, weight or quantity of toxin).
- Telephone the hospital for advice (have information about the toxin and amount eaten ready).
- If advised bring the poison container (or if large any written information) and as much information about the toxin and quantity eaten as possible to the Hospital with your pet.
|
