Natural disasters can strike at any time; when they do is not the time to try to prepare. Having your family and pets prepared for such catastrophes as earthquakes, hurricanes, tornadoes, and floods will save you time to respond and evacuate, if necessary, and could very possibly save your or your pet’s life. The images of last year’s hurricanes along the Gulf Coast told it all. Thousand of pets became separated from their owners and were left behind. Some survived but, like their owners, found themselves homeless. Others found new homes, and a few were miraculously reunited with their owners.

Plan now by ID’ing your pet.

Wouldn’t you want to be able to find your pet in case of such an emergency? Start now by checking with your vet or shelter about a microchip that can easily be implanted under your pet’s skin. They’re about the size of a grain of rice and can be read by a handheld scanner. If microchips aren’t for you, by all means have an ID tag on your pet’s collar that includes a cell phone number or a number where you can be easily reached. Keep in mind that home phone numbers in disaster areas could potentially be out of service.

Your dog can easily go into a state of shock, caused by any amount of pain, toxin, or injury. And when it comes to the treatment of shock, veterinarians are not in full agreement as to the term treat for shock.

One side states that treating for canine shock includes the administration of intravenous fluids, oxygen, and possibly blood transfusions; procedures which are not possible for the layman to undertake.

Of course this is agreeable, however, on the opposite side of the controversy there are also veterinarians who feel that if the dog owner will implement a few emergency procedures, the onset of shock can be prevented and in cases where shock is already present, the effects can be minimized.

Basic Procedures You Can Do

So, while the full procedures for treating for shock include some things not within the scope of the layman, we will still us the term treat for shock in describing those procedures which can and should be implemented by anyone on the street.

The first step in the emergency first aid procedures for treatment (or prevention) of shock is to keep the dog calm and warm. Anything available to accomplish this should be used: blankets, hot water bottles, your own coat anything to keep the dog warm and keep its temperature from falling.

Ever consider a first aid kit for Fido or Fluffy? There are a number of items and techniques to help a pet stay comfortable until professional help can be reached. Of course in any emergency situation, your veterinarian should be notified for immediate treatment.

· Choking – The Heimlich Maneuver can be very effective for pets. Even if your vet is just a phone call away, every pet owner should be able to perform this life saving technique. Be sure to ask your veterinarian how to properly perform the Heimlich Maneuver on your pet.

· Burns – Thermal burns on pets are treated much the same way humans treat burns. Apply a topical, soothing ointment such as aloe vera or Vitamin E oil to promote healing and ease the “sting” of the burn. Electrical burns are very serious, as they can stop a pet’s heart, so contact your veterinarian immediately if this is the case.

· Poisoning – One good product to keep in your first aid kit is “activated charcoal”. This is commonly used for children as well. Activated charcoal will absorb toxins or poisons that were ingested, so that it can harmlessly pass through the digestive system.

It is very common for puppies to wind up in troublesome situations where they get hurt from their adventures. Like small children, puppies see everything as a possibility for fun, even dangerous situations which adult dogs may have the wisdom to ignore.

Puppies can be injured from electric shock when chewing on wiring, they can suffer head trauma from items falling on them when they reach up to play with it, and they can suffer deep cuts and scrapes when messing around with sharp objects.

Today we are going to discuss how you can quickly help stop the bleeding should your puppy suffer from a cut. There are three general forms of bleeding as a result of an injury. Below are each of these types of bleeds along with a quick tip on treating the cut so that the bleeding can come to an end.

1. The first type of cut would be considered a normal cut or scrape as a result from normal everyday action. These type of injuries are not alarming and are just a regular part of your dog’s life. However, even though the cut or scrape is no big deal, that doesn’t mean it should be ignored. Simply treat the affected area with hydrogen peroxide twice per day until the healing has taken place. This will keep the cut from being infected as well as promote faster healing.

As thousands of families struggled with the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, many of them were also missing pets. Many people have plans to deal with emergencies for themselves, but fail to make arrangements for the animal members of their family. Whether it’s a small emergency such as a house fire, or a large emergency like a tornado, hurricane, flood or manmade disaster, advanced planning always gives the best chance of keeping all of your family members safe.

Preparation
Start by talking with your family about what you will do in various situations. Responses to localized emergencies like fires, small storms and power outages will likely differ from emergency plans for large scale emergencies such as hurricanes, tornadoes and manmade attacks. Plan evacuation routes to designated meeting points.

These will vary based on the situation. If dealing with flooding, you’ll want to take refuge in the highest room location in your home. For a tornado, you’ll want to take family and pets to the lowest level of your home. If dealing with a chemical or airborne emergency, the Red Cross advises families to go to an interior room without windows that is above ground level (in the case of a chemical threat, an above-ground location is preferable because some chemicals are heavier than air, and may seep into basements even if the windows are closed).

First Aid How To Administer CPR To Your Injured Dog

Do you know what to do if your puppy is suddenly lying on the ground after being seriously injured by a car accident, poisoned, electric shock, or is choking? I realize that the last thing you want to do is imagine your lovable pet being hurt in such a fashion, however, accidents do happen and if you are not prepared to administer basic first aid to your dog then it may be the last time you ever see him again should an unfortunate injury take place.

In today’s article we are going to discuss basic artificial respiration as well as CPR that you can give your dog in case the situation calls for it. Please know that the following steps are just basic guidelines and you are encouraged to take a small class on first aid so that you can be better equipped to handle an accidental injury to your puppy or dog.

1. The first thing you need to do upon finding your puppy injured and lying on the floor is to check for his heartbeat. If you cannot pick up a heartbeat then you must administer CPR immediately. Here are the basic steps:

Ill never forget my very first dog. Her name was Scarlet and she was the most well-behaved Golden Retriever anyone has ever seen. Loving, kind, playful and obedient – Scarlet was supposed to last forever at least in my young mind.

But my worst nightmare happened as I never expected to see her lying in the street across from our house, bleeding, hurt, broken bones – in severe shock. I was not prepared and because of this I lost my lovable dog.

It May Happen To You

At one time or another there is a good chance that every dog owner will find him or herself in a position which requires immediate action if the dogs life is to be saved. All too often, people will simply rush their family pet to the nearest veterinarian, only to find their canine friend dead on arrival. Properly administered first aid could quite possibly have saved the animals life, since many deaths are the result of shock and not of the actual injury itself.

When a dog goes into shock, what stimulants are safe to give the animal? What exactly should you do in this situation? Life or death is waiting on your decision…

Before going into the differences of professional opinion on these very important questions, note the following basic guidelines:

A) If the dog is conscious then administer sweetened, warm coffee or whiskey.

B) If the dog is unconscious then do not give it anything at all. Instead, rush the animal immediately to the closest veterinarian’s office.

The ShockStimulant Controversy

It is interesting to note that many of the popular canine medical books on the market today are in complete opposition regarding a large number of the procedures for emergency first aid. Although these publications are written by knowledgeable, practicing veterinarians, their different views cause more questions than answers.

One major point of controversy is whether emergency first aid procedures should be instituted at all. One faction claims that time wasted looking for blankets or other material to keep an injured dog warm could spell the difference between life or death.

As a dog owner, you may find yourself needing to give your dog first aid. Dogs are curious creatures and sometimes get into dangerous situations. When they get into trouble, it will be your job to help. Many of the problems a dog faces are similar to those of our own.

Until you can get your dog to a vet, he will depend on you. Having the supplies you need on hand will really help you to be effective.

Rolls of gauze and tape are handy to slow or stop bleeding and are necessary in your doggie first aid kit. You can also find some great blood-clotting topical products too. Hydrogen peroxide is important for cleaning wounds. An old clean blanket is essential for wrapping a dog in shock.

A first aid kit should also include an antihistamine for bee or wasp stings, an antibiotic gel and an eye wash. Also, absorbent cotton, gauze rolls or pads, scissors (preferably with rounded tips), tweezers, a rectal thermometer; syringes (without the needle) for giving oral medications, elastic bandages.

First Aid How To Stop Severe Bleeding If Your Dog Is Involved In An Accident

When your dog is injured and there are signs of blood flow, it may be both external and internal. If your dog was hit by a moving vehicle and you do not see any blood, always assume that there is an internal injury that may be causing bleeding. A veterinarian should be the one to assess the possibility. However, at the scene of an accident there is no veterinarian and if you notice severe bleeding on the outside, then the following steps will help you be better prepared.

Applying Direct Pressure

To apply direct pressure in order to stop the bleeding, take your hand and press down on the injured area. If possible, try to cover your hand or use a cloth as this will help a blood clot to form faster. This cloth can also be combined with the bandage. If the cloth becomes blood soaked, you may be inclined to remove it in order to replace the cloth with a cleaner one. This is a mistake. Never remove a cloth from the bleeding area because it could damage the clot that is currently forming. Instead, place the new cloth on top of the blood-soaked one.