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Who knows basic first aid for dogs?

I mean beyond the obvious like bandaging superficial wounds, which anyone with half a braincell should be able to work out how to do.

I realised I know nothing beyond that. Is there a mouth-to-mouth type thing for dog and if so, how would you do it? I mean, what DO you do if your dog stops breathing?

Are there crash courses out there for people who want to learn dog first aid or is it a case of learning the theory and hoping you can put it into practice should any situation arise?

I know this may sound daft but I'm slightly worried now. I always thought of myself as a responsible dog owner but if my dog just stopped breathing, I wouldn't know what the eff to do.

(In reality I'd call an emergency vet and get them to guide me through everything like they do when you call the emergency services.. but you get my drift, right?)

Public Comments

1. I do know how to give mouth to mouth to a dog, although I guess it shouldn't be called that because you don't actually have to put your mouth on the dog's mouth.

Beyond that, I know nothing. Although I really would like to learn some stuff; I'm sure it will come in handy some day.

2. I do. There is a Red Cross course you can take. Canine first aid. I am certified. I wouldn't consider myself a professional trainer or behaviorist without that certification. Contact your local Red Cross to be certified. Every pet owner should do it.

You learn what to do if your dog goes into shock, stops breathing, chokes, is poisoned, is bleeding to death... pretty much everything. Look into it.

http://www.redcrossstore.org/Shopper/Product.aspx?UniqueItemId=95

3. do the same as with people wrap your hands around dogs mouth and make it like a tube then do cpr and know were on the chest the heart is

4. http://www.pgaa.com/canine/health/dogcpr.html
here is a link on how to give doggy CPR

http://www.pettech.net/
here is a link on how to get involved in courses for doggy first aid

i hope i helped a little, and dont worry you are not a unresponsible dog owner for not knowing, it is just not something everyone thinks about, cause you dont hear all the time about a dog just stop breathing...but good luck i hope i helped you a little...

5. ugh I know what you mean.. I'm HORRIBLE at any first aid, I need to take a course.. you'd think I'd be great since my mum is a nurse lol

6. I took a Pet First-Aid course that was offered at our AKC training club. It's a certification course taught by the American Red Cross. Like their BLS certification for people. We learned everything, snakebites, poisoning, how to manage shock, dog/cat heimlich & dog/cat CPR. You can contact your American Red Cross about courses they are offering near you, or having them do a course for a concerned pet group.
Here is the info about the course:
http://www.redcross.org/portal/site/en/menuitem.1a019a978f421296e81ec89e43181aa0/?vgnextoid=6317f46306b5b110VgnVCM10000089f0870aRCRD&vgnextfmt=default

This is the text book that they taught us from & that I got with the course.
http://www.amazon.com/Pet-First-Aid-Cats-Dogs/dp/157857000X

It looks like American Red Cross has new Canine & Cat First-Aid books with DVD available to purchase on their website store.
http://www.redcrossstore.org/shopper/ProdList.aspx?LocationId=26

7. I do!
I took a class in school a couple years ago.
We practiced CPR and rescue breaths and all that.
We never practiced the heimlech, but we went through it.

I feel fairly confident I could do something if my dog was choking, not breathing, etc..


If your dog stops breathing, you would check the airway, if there is something visible remove it, if it's too far in, you'd do the heimlech. You lift your dog up, upside down, back to you, and give 3-5 thrusts into their abdomen. Then, you would check to see if the object is reachable and grab it (making sure you won't just push it down further)
If there is no object in sight, you would do some rescue breaths. Position their necks straight. Grab their snout and blow into their nose 2-3 times. If the air won't go through, you need to do the heimlech.
If the air does go through, check heart beat.
No heart beat, you'd begin CPR. Lay dog on their side, and compress the middle of their rib cage 15 (maybe it's 20?) times in a steady beat (do it to the beat of Stayin' Alive by the BeeGees, that's how I remember, haha) Check the heart beat.
Do 2-3 rescue breaths, check heart beat, then CPR.

That's how I remember it. I'm pretty sure that's what you'd do, but I could be wrong. I might need to brush up.

8. I do, It was part of my animal course I did this year, the first aid part of it was a 1 day a week 10 week course.
I have a sheet at we got during the course that outlines it.

1. Open the airway
2. For cats and small dogs (less then 15 kgs) your mouth should seal the mouth and lips, this applies to neonates as well
For medium-large dogs- seal the mouth and lips my placing your hand around the lips, gently holding the muzzle closed.
3. Place your mouth over the animals nose and forcefully exhale . Be aware the size of the patient, if the patient is a very small breed , watch the chest to gauge if enough air has gotten into the lungs by the rise of the chest, small puffs is all that will be needed for small animals.
4. Give four or five breaths rapidly, cheek to see if they are breathing without assistance. If the animal begins to breath, but the breathing is shallow or irregular, or if the breathing dose not begin, continue artificial respiration until you reach the veterinary clinic of for a maximum of about 20minutes. There is little chance of reviving an animal after 20 minutes.

The course covered
CPR
EAR
Bandaging
Shock
Poisoning (toxic chemicals/ food as well as animals)
Risk assessment
Pulse/ breathing rates
Temperature/ MMC
etc.

9. Yes there is mouth to "..."snout"...( @baree..lol) CPR. And of course the Heimlich for dogs. Someone else asked where to find basic courses on this. Best choices are Grooming Centers can often tell you where classes will be held, your vet, the Humane Society and the old favorite...the Red Cross offers classes.

10. I'm a Certified Vet Tech. Not only do I know pet (and horse too) first aid, I teach a class on it as part of my household obedience classes. I include things like how to give oral medication, how to take a temperature, what normal is, CPR, what to do for shock, what to do for rattlesnake bite, when the vet needs to be contacted, major emergencies vs minor problems and many other scenarios. Many areas offer classes in pet first aid. I think that it's agood idea for pet owners to take them as they contain a wealth of information. I also give instructions over the phone to paniced clients too.

11. First aid for dogs, just like first aid for humans, is an effective combination of knowledge, supplies and skills, put into action for the benefit of your four-legged friend.