First Aid for Dogs on Holiday
Following my recent article on taking your dog on holiday, it occurred to me that, although I mentioned taking a first aid kit for dogs, I did not mention what should be included in the kit and perhaps more importantly how to administer first aid to a dog.
Many of us do not know how to administer basic first aid to humans let alone an animal whose treatment, in certain cases, will be quite different to that of a human. Medication being the obvious example.
Dogs can die or react badly to certain human medicines, so the general rule is DO NOT administer human medicine to your pet dog. One ibuprofen tablet can kill a terrier sized dog.
The main course of action in the event of illness or injury is to get your dog to the vet as soon as possible.
THE FIRST AID KIT should include the following items:
The above list is a guide suggested by veterinary surgeons and the Blue Cross
INJURIES TO LOOK OUT FOR WHILST ON HOLIDAY
Depending on your holiday destination the type of injury may vary. A walking holiday for instance is more likely to involve sprains, lameness and extremely rarely, a snake bite.
A beach holiday may also see sprains and broken bones, but also stings from wasps and jelly fish. Injuries involving the water and problems caused by contaminated coats and paws from substances like Tar washed up and deposited onto the beach by the tides.
Dog fights are also more common due to the number of dogs on the beach, all trying to claim the beach as their territory.
TREATMENT Let’s not go in for heroics! if you can get your dog to a vet make that the priority, the following information is given to assist your pet prior to seeking qualified assistance.
In Britain the only poisonous snake is the adder. During the summer months adders can be seen basking on heathland or amongst warm south facing hedgerows. The tell tale signs of an adder bite are the fang marks, swelling occurs rapidly around the area thus the marks will be quite visible.
If possible carry your pet to your car, or if they are too heavy, walk them very slowly. The idea is to keep the poison from spreading by keeping the heart rate and blood flow slowed down. It is human nature to panic and try and rush the animal to get help, this will have an adverse effect. The same also applies to humans receiving a snake bite.
Try and ring the vet whilst getting your dog back to your transport to alert them of your imminent arrival.
A grass snake, although not poisonous, can give a nasty bite, bathe the wound with a saline solution, keep the wound clean and dry and prevent your dog from licking the wound excessively, a dog’s natural reaction to pain or cuts is to lick the area.
The above applies to bites from other dogs.
If the bite causes bleeding apply a dressing or bandage, for very deep cuts where there is excessive bleeding or spurting of blood, apply pressure to the area and bandage heavily. Where bandages are not available improvise with clothing, blankets, towels etc. Only use a tourniquet as a last resort. For areas where a bandage cannot be applied, place a pad on the wound and hold in place.
If you do have a first aid kit handy, place a non adhesive dressing on the wound, and cover with swabs or cotton bandage. Then place a layer of cotton wool over the bandage. Cover this with more cotton bandage. Stick this to the hair at the top with surgical tape, and cover the whole with adhesive bandage or tape. Do not stick elastoplast to the hair.
When bandaging limbs, the foot should be included or it may swell up.
Never leave a bandage on for more than 24 hours.
In all the instances above a trip to the vet is necessary as your dog will probably require antibiotics for the minor cuts and possible surgery for the major injuries.
The most common stings that might affect your dog whilst on holiday are bees and wasps.
A beach or public place where ice cream and fast food vendors are in abundance will attract wasps in vast numbers, August being an especially popular month for the striped insect.
We all loathe them, they make our lives a misery. It is a common sight to see arms and hands thrashing about trying to deter the pests. Dogs have a habit of biting at them, this of course greatly increases the dog’s chance of being stung.
Should your dog be stung by a wasp firstly try and pull out the sting, not an easy task! Bathe the area with a saline solution comprising 1 teaspoon of salt mixed in a pint of boiling water. Allow the water to cool before applying the solution.
Vinegar will help reduce the effects of a wasp sting.
If the sting is from a bee bicarbonate of soda should be applied in place of vinegar.
Jelly Fish can be a problem on British beaches, although most species found around our shores are not as harmful as those found elsewhere in the world. As Jelly Fish are an extremely complex subject it is not easy advising on treatment of their stings, as with wasps, vinegar would appear to be the common method, however, it has the opposite effect should the Jelly Fish be a Portugese Man O’ War (although this particular creature is not actually a Jelly Fish)
Most Jelly Fish are seen apparently dead, washed up on the tide line, they can still sting several days even weeks after their demise.
Ice will constrict the blood vessels of the stung person or animal, slowing down the rate at which the toxins spread throughout the body.
One last stinger found buried in the sand is the Weaver Fish, which has spines on its back which release a sting if trodden on. They are not a particularly harmful fish, however, the sting can be very painful for a while.
The best treatment for a Weaver sting is to immerse the paw in hot water and then apply heat to the area.
Remember that with all injuries or discomfort that your dog suffers, they will not want you or anybody else tending their wound. Take care when treating an injured pet as they will not always behave in their usual loving manner. They will want to treat themselves, usually this treatment takes the form of licking the wound which is not always in their best interest.
Minor stings may not require veterinary treatment unless the sting is in the mouth. Any stings to the mouth should be monitored and expert treatment sought as soon as possible as there is always the possibility of choking due to the mouth or tongue swelling.
If a ball or unknown object gets stuck in your dog’s throat immediate attention is required.
In such instances it will help if you have a second person to assist. Both need to be careful they are not bitten by the panicking animal.
With one hand check the airway by holding the mouth open. Using the other hand pull the tongue as far forward as possible.
Assuming there is an obstruction in the dog’s mouth, the second person should try and remove the object with pliers or tweezers. If the object is a ball do not try removing with pliers etc as this may push the ball further down the throat. Instead, place your fingers at the base of the jaw, apply pressure inwards and upwards on the jaw, throat and neck which may force the ball forwards out of the stuck position.
If this procedure does not work try laying the pet on its side. Push down suddenly and sharply on the tummy just behind the last rib.
Sometimes unpleasant chemicals and substances can be washed up on our coastline. Tar is the most common item seen on the beach.
Dogs can be sensitive to certain substances on their coat and feet. Their nature will make them lick the substance which can cause serious problems, especially if the substance is toxic.
The measures you should take involve preventing the animal from licking the area, wash the area with water containing a mild detergent or washing up liquid and then thoroughly rinse the area with clean water.
To remove tar use vegetable oil or butter, for oil use swarfega, similarly if paint is the problem use swarfega or try and clip the fur that is contaminated.
With a very heavy contamination get your pet to the vet as soon as possible.
I have already mentioned leaving dogs in hot cars, the result at very least can be heat stroke, at worse, death.
Cars are not the only places where a dog can suffer from heat stroke. A hot sunny day on the beach with little or no shade can have the same effect.
Try and take a parasol or something similar which will provide some shade from the sun and also plenty of fresh water. It is advisable to take more water than you will need as inevitably sand will get into the drinking bowl causing the dog to get more thirsty from the extra salt.
The signs to look out for are distress and heavy panting. Move your dog into the shade, preferably in a draught, stop exercising or playing, bathe the dog with tepid water if possible, cold water will contract the blood vessels and slow heat loss. Offer your pet small amounts of water.
Short nosed dogs tend to suffer more.
Dogs will rummage amongst things, some possibly containing a poisonous substance, they may also come into contact with plants that are poisonous.
If possible identify and keep the packaging or plant containing the poison for identification by the vet.
Immediate treatment will be to induce vomiting, a crystal of washing soda or strong salt solution can be used to induce vomiting. The next stage is straight to the vets.
This is really a job for the vet. If there is bleeding with the break that can be treated first as mentioned above. Do not apply a splint as this can be painful and cause the broken bone to pierce the skin. Try and keep your pet as still as possible and transport to the vet.
A fairly unlikely injury to occur on the beach unless you are having a barbecue. More likely to happen on the campsite where cookers and stoves are in a confined space.
To treat a burn, pour cold water over the burn for at least five minutes. Do not apply ointments or cream. A saline dressing can be applied to the burn whilst waiting for or travelling to the vets. Keep the animal warm.
Again fairly unlikely on the beach but should your dog receive an electric shock, turn off the power source causing the shock and move the animal away from the source using a broom or other non-conductive (dry and non-metallic) device. Do not touch the animal as you may also receive an electric shock. Once safe to do so check whether the animal is breathing and if not apply resuscitation as indicated in that section below.
If the shock is caused by high voltage, in other words, a non domestic supply, stay at least 18m (20 yards) away from the animal and do not let anybody else approach, notify the emergency services and await their arrival.
Never put yourself at risk.
Clear any debris from the dog’s airways, nose and mouth, hold the dog upside down by the hind legs to allow any water to drain out of its lungs, check to see if the animal is breathing, if not give artificial respiration as discussed below. A swinging motion can be used to encourage breathing. Dry your pet and wrap in a blanket to keep warm.
Hopefully your dog will recover, in which case still take to the vets as complications might occur later.
Place the animal on its side, check for breathing by holding a wisp of fur or something lightweight against its nostrils.
If there is no sign of breathing, open the mouth and pull the tongue forward and check the airways and remove any blockages from the mouth.
Once you have decided there is no blockage or the animal has not responded following removal of a blockage, apply resuscitation as follows
Continue for several minutes until your pet revives. If breathing does not restart after approximately five minutes, sadly your pet will probably not recover.
Hopefully those of us on holiday with our dogs will not need to use any of the information given above but for anybody who does find the information useful in the event of an accident or injury the article will have served its purpose.