First Aid Basics For Pet Owners

Once you become a pet owner, it is important to understand a few of the first aid basics because an emergency can happen at any moment. While your pet may be healthy for the most part, it can end up getting into certain things, such as foods that it should not have. For example, dogs cannot eat chocolate because it can harm them and even cause them to die. If you left a package of chocolate chip cookies out on a table and your dog got to them while you were in the bathroom, you would want to know what to do to save your pet.

You should have a list of phone numbers to important places that pertain to your pet, such as the poison control center and local veterinary clinic. If your dog did swallow chocolate, you would first call the poison control center. They may suggest that you have your dog swallow a tiny amount of hydrogen peroxide, which would then cause it to vomit so that the chocolate would not be digested. While that would temporarily handle the situation, you would still want to bring your dog into the veterinary clinic as soon as possible.

If your dog or cat gets hurt and starts limping, you should wrap the specific paw in a gauze bandage until you are able to get it to the veterinarian. Wrapping it up will keep it protected until a medical professional can have a look at it to determine what is wrong. It may also offer some relief for your pet until they are able to get medical assistance.

If your pet begins to have a seizure, do not touch the animal until they are done. The seizure may only last a few minutes, although it may seem much longer. However, if you touch your pet during a seizure, you can end up causing more harm than good by injuring them. During the seizure, you could contact the veterinary clinic to explain your pet's movements over the phone.

A veterinarian could tell you which steps to take after a seizure occurs. In most instances, the veterinarian would tell you to bring the animal in for an evaluation. There are many different causes of seizures, but the only way to truly find out why they are happening is to bring your animal into the veterinarian's office.

By understanding some of these first aid basics for pet owners, you can make sure that any pet you have is kept safe and protected until you are able to get them to a medical professional. It is possible that one or more of these tips can help you save your pet's life if an emergency did occur.

For more on cat first aid, general veterinary care or dog dental care in Morgan Hill, click here.