Important Steps in First Aid Care for Animals

Animals are very explorative and curious in general, they love to discover new smells wherever they go. But if something happens to them, it is your responsibility to make sure they get immediate treatment.

Steps to providing first aid care to animals

Short Answer: Having a pet first aid with you will allow you treat any wound

  • If you are unable to treat the wound at home, make sure the animal comfortable on the way to the vet
  • If the animal is bleeding, apply pressure to the wound with your hands and check the chest area
  • When treating the animal, your own safety is important as they might scratch or bite you out because they are in pain
Animal First Aid

What should be in an animal first aid kit?

A first aid kit for an animal should consist of all the basics that will be needed to treat your pet at home, saving you the hassle of visiting the vet.

A standard animal first aid kit that would treat your pet friend at home would have:

  • Bandages 
  • Wound dressings 
  • Scissors 
  • Cleaning wipes

If you are on the lookout for an animal first aid kit that’s ideal for both everyday or emergency use, the Survival Pet First Aid KIT is exactly what you’re looking for.

The first aid kit has been designed with our four legged friends in mind, it has everything a pet owner will need, which include:

  • Silicone Pet Bowl x 1
  • Digital Thermometer x 1 
  • Hypo allergenic tape x 1 
  • Cotton gauze swabs x 3 
  • 30 ml saline x 2 
  • Emergency foil blanket x 1
  • Eco-friendly poop bag roll x 1 
  • Nitrile gloves (pair) x 2 
  • Cohesive bandage 5 cm x 2 m x 1 
  • Cohesive bandage 10 cm x 2 m x 1 
  • Cohesive bandage 20 cm x 10 cm x 1
  • Cohesive bandage 7.5 cm x 2 m x 1 
  • Non Adherent Wound Dressing 7.5 cm x 7.5 cm x 2 
  • Non Adherent Wound Dressing 5 cm x 5 cm x 2 
  • SMART Snake Bandage (pressure bandage) x 1 
  • Skin cleaning wipes with cetrimide x 5
  • Shears x 1 
  • Snake and funnel-web bite instruction card x 1 
  • Tweezers x 1 
  • Tick removal 
  • Survival Wallet includes
    • Adhesive dressings x 50 
    • Splinter probes x 5 
    • Wound closures x 3

The wallet is ideal to have in case your pet bites or scratches you when they are in pain.

 For more information on the Survival Wallet, you can find out more here.

Animal First Aid

Principles of animal first aid

When it comes first aid with animals, there are certain principles that have to be followed, which include:

  • Remaining calm during the situation
  • Assess the situation
  • Using a first aid kit
  • Keep the animal comfortable and minimise their movement
  • Contact vet services

Having a first aid kit for your pets in your home is essential, because it is always best to be prepared for any type of emergency related to animals.

  • Remain calm during the situation

    • It may be a very stressful situation if an animal has encountered an infection, allergy or digestive issue and you don’t know what to do.

    But remain calm for one main reason - they will be able to sense your distress and are counting on you to help them.

  • Assess the situation

    • Assess the situation, whether it is manageable at home or further action will have to be taken.

    Since these types of emergencies can happen so quickly, it can be overwhelming for any person who takes care of animals.

    These principles I have covered have the potential to help save their life.

  • Using a first aid kit

    • As a first aid kit has the basic necessities that include bandages, adhesive dressings and gauze swabs to name a few.

    One of these items could be used to temporarily put pressure on the pet with a bandage if it is bleeding.

  • Keep the animal comfortable and minimise their movement

    • During these moments where everyone panics, the best thing to do is to keep the animal comfortable and minimise their movement.

    Minimising their movement is even more important if they are in a critical position, as movement could make things worse.

  • Contact vet services

    • If your information on first aid care with animals is limited, contact the vet services and let them know exactly what is going on.

This way, they will be prepared when you arrive at the vet.

Who can give first aid to animals?

If there is an emergency, anyone can step in and give the animal first aid with an animal first aid kit.

However, there are certain things only a veterinarian can do since they are trained and qualified to treat animals.

Their main aim is to make sure that the animal is comfortable and has a chance of survival as well.

There are certain things a person who can’t provide the following medical treatments because they are not licensed to treat animals:

  • Prescribe and administer medication
  • Give advice on diagnoses
  • Perform surgical procedures
  • Perform any tests

As I mentioned before, animals could become aggressive when they are in pain and either bite or scratch you.

It is for that exact reason a person who is not trained should assess the situation for any risk before getting involved.

Safety tips to follow when giving first aid to animals

When it comes to giving first aid to animals, safety tips will have to be followed to avoid any further harm.

  • Keep calm 
  • Check their airway 
  • Know how to administer CPR 
  • Have a safety kit for yourself if you’re treating an animal at home

Remaining calm is very important since animals can pick up on your emotional distress very quickly.

As they tend to choke on a lot of household objects, don’t forget to check their airway in case.

Having the knowledge of knowing how to administer CPR (Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation) will effectively change the situation for a more positive outcome.

Due to the mere reason they are in pain, there is a possibility they could bite or injure you in any way, so take care of yourself as well with a mini first aid kit like the Survival Wallet.

Animal First Aid

Related Questions:

How do I recognize an emergency with an animal?

One of the main points highlighted in first aid is learning how to recognize an emergency.

There are several potential emergency situations where you would need to take your pet to the nearest vet, which include:

  • They are unresponsive
  • Have broken bones 
  • Have difficulty with breathing or not breathing 
  • They are having a fit or seizure 
  • They may have eaten something dangerous 
  • They are unable to move

These are just a couple of situations that I have mentioned, as there are a lot of other unexpected cases that could happen to your pet.

What do I do if an animal has no heartbeat?

Firstly, stay calm and have someone call a vet while you figure out what to do.

Next, check to see if your pet is unconscious, and then secure an airway and start with rescue breathing.

If it is a dog, press gently down on its chest where the heart is located, using more force for bigger dogs and lesser force for smaller dogs.

It has been advised not to perform chest compressions and rescue breathing at the same time, instead to alternate between the two.

Note that the pet’s chance of survival could still be low, but at the same time it may be the only way to save them.

Conclusion

Being prepared to deal with any type of animal emergency is very important, and it’s the best you can do before a veterinarian takes over.

You now know some important steps in first aid care for animals, and how you can help them.

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