Dog First Aid Care
Information provided by:
EMERGENCY CARE
The following list is by no means complete, but it does cover some of the more common problems you
may encounter.
Vomiting
An occasional bout isn't that uncommon, but you should discontinue feeding and offer Gatorade
or pedialyte until the problem is resolved. If it is more than a couple of time in a 24 hour period,
you should call you vet because puppies can dehydrate very quickly. Vomiting without any stool
passing is possibly very serious and you should contact your vet immediately.
Diarrhea
As with vomiting, an occasional bout is not uncommon, but anything beyond 24 hours should
receive vet attention. Discontinue feeding at the first sign and feed gentle food for a day or two
following (i.e. boiled hamburger or ground turkey and white rice mixed half and half) and offer
pedilyte or Gatorade in addition to water. Profuse water diarrhea is a sign of parvo and if your
pup has not been fully vaccinated, you should see your vet immediately and don't let your dog
come into contact with any other dogs.
Wounds
Minor scrapes and cuts happen with rambunctious pups. As long as the wound is minor and not
red, inflamed, or oozing you should be fine. Clean the wound with mild soap and rinse well with
water. Avoid hydrogen peroxide, it's to drying fro delicate skin and if the wound is in a spot the
pup can lick, don't use any type of ointment. Keep a close eye on it daily until heels. If the
wound is deep (full thickness of the skin), actively bleeding, or not healing, call your vet as soon
as possible. Apply pressure to the actively bleeding wounds and if possible, elevate above the
heart. Be very careful when handling a wounded dog. Even the most mild mannered dog will
bite if in pain, so muzzle the dog with a strip of cloth or a length of gauze to ensure your safety
when handling the animal. Bite wounds should always receive vet attention, as they get infected
very easily.
Poisoning
If caught immediately and on the list as ok to induce vomiting, do so immediately and call your
vet. If after three tries, no vomit is produced or if ingestion occurs more than one hour before
noticed, call your vet immediately. If not on the ok to induce vomiting list, get to your vet
immediately. SEE POISON INFORMATION
Hit By Car
Even if the pup seems fine, have the pup checked out immediate, you can't see internal bleeding
and if left unchecked, the pup could die very quickly.
Won't Eat
Pups don't have a lot of reserves to fall back on, so more than 18 hours without food (8-10 for
toybreeds) can send a pup into a crisis and requires vet attention. For older dogs, more than 2436 hours without food requires vet attention.
Bee Stings / Insect Bites
IF the swelling is localized, try soaking the area in warm water with Dreft baby detergent to
reduce inflammation and ease discomfort. 1f the pup shows any sign of breathing difficulty or
facial swelling, call your vet.
Limping / Limb Injury
If the dog is bearing weight on the limb, it's probably not broken, so just watch it for a day. If
you see no improvement the next day, call the vet. 1f the dog will not bear weight on the limb,
there is swelling, bleeding or if the bone is exposed, call immediately.
Eye Injury/Problems
A small amount of clear to cloudy discharge occasionally is not uncommon and nothing to be
concerned about, but lots of discharge with color or a foul odor should be checked out. Redness
of the whites of his eye can indicate many problems and should be checked out if it persists.
Pawing at the eye, squinting or obvious discomfort should be checked out right away.
Skin/Coat
Shedding (profuse in very hot weather or during times of stress) is normal. Hair falling out in
clumps is not and should be checked out. Balding or thinning should also be checked out.
Coughing or Sneezing
An occasional cough or sneeze is common, and should not cause too much worry. A wet cough
or sneezing with colored or snotty discharge should be investigated by your vet, as should and
breathing difficulty.
Gagging
Occasionally dogs do what is referred to as reverse sneezing and has a honking sound to it and
as long as it is infrequent, it should be no cause for concern. Continuous gagging can indicate an
obstruction of the throat or another serious problem and should be checked out. If it only
happens on leash, switch to a head collar or a harness.
Fever
Normal temp for a dog is 100-101, ith pups running slightly higher 101-102. Anything higher
should be checked by a vet. Keep a separate dog thermometer and some water based lubricant
handy in case you have any doubts.
POISON INFORMATION
Animal poison hotline 1-888-232-8870
 There is a $35.00 fee for this service.
Prevention is the best option whenever possible. Look around your house for these common household
things and make sure it is impossible for your dog to get to them—most can cause severe health
problems, even death.
You will only need to have two items handy—an oral syringe (turkey baster works fine, especially for
larger dogs) and FRESH 3% Hydrogen Peroxide (must be store in dark bottle). Dosage is as follows and
may be repeated every 10-15 minutes until your dog vomits:
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0-20lbs.......1-2 Tablespoon
21-40lbs......2-3 Tab1espoons
40-601bs......3-4 Tablespoons
Leash your dog and head outside with all your supplies and a baggie to scoop up the offending stuff (to
prevent your dog from eating it again and because you may need to bring it to the vet for ID). Fill
syringe with the dosage and tilt dogs head back slightly. Put syringe into space behind the canine teeth
and administer. Hold the dogs mouth closed and either blow sharply in the nose or stroke the throat
until you feel him swallow. Expect a bit of a fight—this often takes two people with larger dogs. Call
your vet or the emergency clinic and tell them what your dog ate and follow their directions. Also—
throw down a few towels or an old blanket in the car to make any clean up easier if you need to go see
your vet.
Things move through your dog pretty quickly, so if it has been over 2 hours since he ate the offending
thing, inducing vomiting will not likely bring things up and you should head to the vet immediately so
they can start treatment. Also—remember, there are many toxins that are not safe to induce vomiting
with—so keep this list handy. A good rule of thumb is if it is caustic, never induce vomiting!
Induce vomiting and call your vet immediately
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Antifreeze
Arsenic
Aspirin (only if more than safe dose)
Chocolate
Crayons
Insecticide (check label)
Ibuprofen/Naproxen Sodium/Acetaminaphine (AKA Advil/Aleve/Tylenol)
Kitchen matches
Lead*(only if immediately following ingestion)
Medication (over the counter or prescription, human or other)
Mouse and Rat Poison
Shampoo
Shoe polish
Slug or snail bait*(only if organophosphate based and only if immediately following ingestion)
Strychnine
Toxic plants
Weed killer
DO NOT induce vomit—seek emergency treatment immediately
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Battery acid
Bleach
Carbolic acid (phenol)
Drain cleaner
Fertilizer
Furniture polish
Glue
Household cleaners
Kerosene
Laundry detergent
Lead
Motor oil
Nail polish
Paint thinner
Paintbrush cleaner
Paste
Putty
Sidewalk salt
Toilet bowl cleaner
Turpentine
FIRST AID KIT
Information card
One of the most important things in a first aid kit is an information card in a waterproof sleeve.
You may not be able to respond if there is an accident, so having this info can be extremely
important. Make sure this card has the following information on it:
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your info, including your name, address, phone number
your dog’s name, breed and color
vet info—include the closest emergency vet’s info, too
medical conditions, medications, allergies, etc.
microchip number and phone number
copy of rabies vaccination certificate
two dog friendly emergency contacts
Supplies
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gauze squares
gauze wrap
flex tape (vet wrap)
waterproof tape
ace bandage
antibiotic ointment
alcohol swabs
styptic powder
nail trimmer
cotton swabs
saline eye rinse
tweezers
scissors
oral syringe or small turkey baster
cold cack
FRESH Hydrogen peroxide
Diphenhydramine (Benadryl) 1-3 mg/lb every 8 hrs
buffered or coated aspirin 5 mg/lb. every 12 hrs
digital thermometer (normal rectal 100-102* F)
muzzle
medications specific to your dog—discuss with your vet
Puppy Proofing
Because puppies chew anything they can get their teeth on, you should go through each room of your
home and check for potentially fatal items.
Common items to keep in a secured area include...
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Household Cleaners
Antifreeze (Pet friendly types are available)
Pain killers (Advil, Aleve, aspirin, Tyienol, etc.)
Prescription drugs
Alcohol
Street drugs
Chocolate
Corncobs
Sanitary products (especially used tampons and napkins)
Poisonous plants (When in doubt, call Bachman's!)
Mouse and rat poison
Bones (other than beef knuckle bone)
Toothpaste (humane kind)
Cat Litter (clumping types are particularly dangerous)
Be careful with electrical cords, if chewed on, they can severely burn the mouth or kill a pup.
Spay these (unplugged) well with a taste deterrent like Bitter Apple.
Use child latches on cupboards that contain poisonous products, $5.00 and 10 minutes of installing
these can save you lots of vet bills and possibly your pups life.
Invest in a garbage can with a heavy lid (or strictly restrict your pup from this area). Pups and dogs will
eagerly eat anything (paper, plastic, etc) that has been stewing in food waste, causing intestinal
blockage (possibly fatal, and a very expensive vet bill) or "garbage gut" (pancreatic crisis, again
potentially fatal and expensive).
Always keep an animal poison hotline number on hand and call if needed. If you suspect your pup ate
something it shouldn't have, bring the evidence with you to the vet (i.e. pill bottle, cleaning product
bottle) to help with any needed treatment.