Whenever your pet becomes ill or injured, it is always a stressful situation for both you and your companion. That is why we wanted to provide you with some guidance on how you can act, and what you can do to help, when these incidents occur.
The following is always important to remember in any emergency:
- Always assess the situation before acting – as your pet is most likely in pain, and as a result frightened, they may act differently to usual if you try to touch the injured area (such as trying to bite).
- Always contact us as soon as you can – we are best placed to provide you with any immediate action you may need to make.
- Never administer human medicine to your pet as in most cases this can be harmful.
There may be occasions where you might need to provide basic first aid to your pet before they are seen by us.
Dealing with bleeds
- Keep your pet quiet and calm
- Stem any bleeding with pads and dressings
- If advised by us, you can apply a bandage to the wound. If on a limb then the foot should also be included to avoid swelling.
Dealing with broken bones
- If any serious bleeding, then this can be controlled as above.
- You should not apply a splint as this can cause more pain to your pet and worsen the injury.
- The best action (after phoning us) is to keep the animal confined ready to get to our practice as soon as possible.
Dealing with burns/scalds
- The best action is to run cold water over any burn for at least five minutes before calling us, ensuring you keep your pet warm.
- Do not apply any creams or ointments. However, a saline dressing could be applied if there is likely to be a delay in you getting to the practice.
Dealing with Heatstroke
- Place your pet in a cool area that ideally has a draught and wet their coat with some tepid water (do not use cold water as this can slow down the heat loss process).
- Offer your pet a small amount of water.
As mentioned, the best action is always to contact us as soon as possible if you have concerns about your pet, so that we can advise you on the next steps and ensure that your animal receives the treatment it requires.
We are always here to help, therefore please do not hesitate to contact us.
