Dog Health by LowchensAustralia.com

WHAT TO DO IN AN EMERGENCY!

Check your dog’s mucus membrane colour (gums, inside cheeks). They should be light pink, moist and when pressed on return to their original colour in less then 2 seconds. If they are pale, white, blue or yellow and do not return to that colour within 2 secs then veterinary attention is required

Vital Statistics: Pulse and Heart Rate
Normal resting rates: 

Small dogs: 90-120 bpm 
Medium dogs: 70-110 bpm 
Large dogs: 60-90 bpm 
Pulse should be strong, regular and easy to locate.

Checking the pulse
The easiest place to locate a pulse is the femoral artery in the groin area. Place your fingers on the inside of the hind leg and slide your hand upward until the back of your fingers touches the abdomen. Gently move your fingers back and forth on the inside of the hind leg until you feel the pulsing blood. Count the number of pulses in 15 seconds and multiply that number by 4. This will give you the beats per minute (bpm). 

Temperature
Normal temp. for dogs: 100-102.5 degrees
Thermometer should be almost clean when removed.
Abnormalities are indicated by blood, diarrhoea, or black, tarry stool.

Basic First Aid Procedures
All of the following situations require immediate veterinary care:

For Fractures 
Muzzle animal. 
Gently lay animal on a board, wooden door, tarp, etc. padded with blankets. 
Secure animal to the support. 
Do not attempt to set the fracture. 
If a limb is broken, wrap the leg in cotton padding, then wrap with a magazine, rolled newspaper, towel or two sticks. Splint should extend one joint above the fracture and one joint below. Secure with tape. Make sure wrap does not constrict blood flow. 
If the spine, ribs, hip, etc. appears injured or broken, gently place the animal on the stretcher and immobilize it if possible.

If Bleeding (external) 
If an open wound is bleeding, the first priority is to control it. Before attempting to do anything, be sure the animal is properly restrained and, if necessary, apply a muzzle. To stop bleeding, apply direct pressure to the wound using a sterile or clean gauze sponge or cloth. When applying pressure, do not keep lifting the gauze to see if the bleeding has stopped. This only disrupts the clot that may have formed. Likewise, if blood soaks through the gauze, do not discard the soaked bandage since it contains important clotting factors. Instead, keep adding more bandage material on top of the soaked bandage. If possible, elevate the wound.

For severe bleeding, it may be necessary to apply direct pressure to the arteries that supply the affected area. These pressure points are located at the upper inside (armpit) of the front legs, the upper inside of the hind legs and the underside of the tail. The use of a tourniquet should be avoided. However, if a tourniquet is to be used, it must be used only as a last resort and then only if it is loosened every few minutes to restore blood circulation.

Muzzle animal. 
Press thick gauze pad over wound. Hold firmly until clotting occurs. 
If bleeding is severe, apply a tourniquet between the wound and the heart. 
Loosen tourniquet for 20 seconds every 15-20 minutes. 
A tourniquet is dangerous and should only be used in life-threatening haemorrhaging of a limb. It may result in amputation or disability of the limb.

If Bleeding (internal) 
Symptoms: bleeding from nose, mouth, rectum; coughing blood; blood in urine; pale gums; collapse; rapid or weak pulse. 
Keep animal as warm and quiet as possible.

Burns 
Chemical 
Muzzle animal. 
Flush immediately with large quantities of cold water.
Severe
Muzzle animal. 
Quickly apply ice water compresses. 
Treat for shock if necessary. 
Shock 
Symptoms: weak pulse; shallow breathing; nervousness; dazed appearance. 
Often accompanies severe injury or extreme fright. 
Keep animal restrained, quiet and warm. 
If unconscious, keep head level with rest of body. 

Restraint Methods
If your animal is injured, you must restrain him/her for your safety as well as your pet's. Muzzle your pet to restrain it unless it is unconscious, has difficulty breathing or has a mouth injury.

Dogs - Muzzles 
Speak and move calmly and quietly. 
Have someone restrain the dog with a leash. 
Approach dog from the side and behind its head; do not attempt to put muzzle on from the front. 
Quickly slip a nylon or wire cage muzzle over nose, secure snugly behind ears. 
If a muzzle is not available, you can make one from a strip of gauze, rag, necktie, belt or rope about 3 feet long. 
Make a large loop in the centre. Quickly slip loop over dog's nose. 
Bring ends under chin. Tie snugly behind ears.

Prevent wound contamination 
A clean, protective dressing should be applied to open wounds whenever possible to prevent infection and contamination. Never use cotton batting directly on an open wound, since the fibres will contaminate the wound. 

If the wound is minor and superficial, gently cleanse it with ordinary soap and water. Try to clip back the hairs with a pair of scissors, being careful not to cut the skin accidentally. Apply an antiseptic or antibiotic ointment, followed by a snug dressing. Be careful not to restrict the circulation by making the bandage too tight. If a wound is major and deep, do not probe or clean it, but simply apply a dressing and contact your veterinarian. As a rule, cats and dogs do not require tetanus shots.

For bite wounds, clip back the hairs away from the puncture sites with scissors and then thoroughly wash the wound with copious amounts of soap and water. Three per cent hydrogen peroxide may also be used after washing.

It is wise to have all bite wounds examined by a veterinarian, no matter how minor they appear. Very often, there may be more extensive damage to the tissues under the skin that is not immediately evident. Most, if not all, pets with open wounds and bite wounds also require antibiotics to prevent infection.

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• DogLeggs Products
• Thera-Paw Products: For Injured Paws
• Pro-Active Paws Boots
• MediVet Protective Boots
• MuttLuk Boots & Clothing
• Ortho-Vet Splints
• Leg Splints for Dogs and Cats
• Animal Leg Splints for Support & Healing
• Canine Orthopedic Leg Braces
• WoundWear Body Suits for Dogs
• RuffTuff Pet Bandage Guard
• K9 Top Coat
• Animal Magnetism Pet Beds
• 3M Vetrap & Elizabethan Collars
• Bite Not Collars (Eliz. Collar alternative)
• Soft-E-Collar (Eliz. Collar alternative)
• Ruff Tuff Elizabethan Collars
• Trimline Veterinary Recovery Collar
• Elizabethan Collars for Toy Breeds
• RuffTuff Pet Bandage Guard
• Trimline Veterinary Recovery Collar
• Eddie's Wheels -- Wheelchairs for dogs
• Carts and Wheelchairs
• Animal Bandages

This is the elastic bandage that I always keep in my own First Aid Kit and Grooming Box. It sticks only to itself, not to hair or skin. Eliminates the need for pins, clips and adhesive tape. It is ideal to hold a dressing in place, or for use as a running bandage, leg wrap, tail wrap etc.