What Would You Do?

What Would You Do?

When Pirate had his eye injury, I was totally unprepared for it.  Luckily, I did do the right thing.  I stayed as calm as I could, put him in his little kennel and took him straight to the vet.  I was fortunate that I was not alone and had someone there to help me not only stay calm but find the keys, and drive.

Now that the days are getting longer and the temperature is getting warmer, our pets will be enjoying the outdoors with us.  Great time for fun, playtime, and bonding but also prime season for injuries.  Are you prepared in case of an injury?  What would you do if your pet got stung by an insect or bit by a snake?  Broke a limb?  Fell in the lake or got an eye injury?

Knowing what to do in advance will help your pets’ survival and recovery.  It is important to know what to do and what NOT to do.  How do you protect them and yourself from further injury or transport them safely to the vet?  People have fire drills, hurricane preparation etc.  Now is the time to prepare in case of emergency for your pet.

Do you have the proper first aid kit for your pet?  Know how to preform CPR for your best friend?  Do you have a safe transport solution and muzzle for your protection?    Here are just some web sites that have first aid instructions for your pet:

•  Animal Poison Control Center
• http://www.avma.org/firstaid/handling.asp
• http://vetmed.illinois.edu/petcolumns/petcols_article_page.php?OLDPETCOLID=530
• http://www.veterinarypartner.com/Content.plx?P=SRC&S=1&SourceID=20

In my next few blogs, I will cover specific emergencies and solutions to help prepare just in case.  If you have specific situations you would like me to cover, just leave a comment.  Check out http://www.4thedogs.com/med/ for fully supplied first aid kits with instruction cards.