| Do you have a 24 hour emergency veterinary clinic in | | | | Be sure to properly store these items out of harms |
| your vicinity? Do you know where its located? Many | | | | way. |
| communities don't have access to 24 hour pet health | | | | Do you know how to give CPR to your dog or cat? |
| care, so what do you do if your dog cuts his paw? | | | | There are a few differences based on the size of |
| You can be trained in pet first aid by the Red Cross. | | | | the dog as well as for cats. For medium to large |
| Knowing some pet first aid helps. | | | | dogs you lay the dog on its right side. Look for signs |
| Let's start with a simple cut on your pet's leg. Put | | | | of breathing by the chest moving. Check for a pulse |
| direct pressure on the wound with clean gauze. Then, | | | | on the femoral artery of the rear legs. If there's no |
| wrap a roll of gauze firmly around the leg. Be sure it's | | | | breathing, blow into the nostrils and then give three |
| secure but circulation is still good. Tie the end of the | | | | compressions pushing in two to three inches, then |
| gauze in a knot with the knot on top of the wound | | | | another breath. Repeat if necessary. For cats and |
| area for additional pressure. | | | | small dogs you blow one breath into the nostrils and |
| What about poisoning? If your pet has gotten into | | | | compress both sides of the chest in about one-half |
| something toxic, the best thing to do is make them | | | | inch five times. Then repeat, if necessary. |
| vomit. When we use the word toxic, we typically | | | | Just these few basic first aid procedures are |
| think of chemicals or medicines. But when we're | | | | important for all pet owners to know. For further |
| talking about animals, there's several more things to | | | | information on first aid for your pet, contact your |
| consider as toxic. Things like garlic, chocolate, onions, | | | | local Red Cross. |
| grapes, raisins and even coffee grounds can be toxic. | | | | |