19 Mar 2006
In your pets life there will normally be a time when you need to visit or call a vet for advice for an injury, sickness or an emergency. Accidents can happen and can’t always be prevented so by being prepared you can help small problems turning into big ones. There are ways that you can assist your vet by learning some first aid techniques and being able to read your pets “vital” signs so you can relay to your vet over the phone and hopefully avoid an unnecessary visit to the clinic. “Vitals” are the temperature, heart and respiration rates, mucous membrane colour, capillary refill time and the hydration level of your pet.
In the case of an emergency there are a few things to try and remember and its not always easy to stay calm yourself when your pet is in pain but it will help if you can as if you demonstrate calmness then your pet will feel more secure. Keep your pet comfortable physically and mentally, make sure the surrounding area is clear of any obstructions, Stop any bleeding, reduce any swelling and try to control pain and always be very aware that a pet is a different animal when in pain so stay safe and do not get yourself into a situation where you may get hurt.
Remember stay calm and demonstrate common sense.
A normal temperature for a dog is 38.3 to 38.8 C. And for cats is 38 - 39.2 C.
Listen to your pets breathing, it should be smooth and quiet. If laboured or rattling he could have a respiratory problem. To measure your pets respiratory rate count the number of breaths for 15 seconds and multiply by 4, this gives you the number of breaths per minute. Dogs usually breathe 10 - 30 times a minute, cats 10 - 40 times a minute. A panting dog will breathe much faster, up to 200 times a minute, open mouth breathing or panting in cats should be considered an emergency.
The heartbeat should be strong and regular, to check your pets pulse place your hand against his chest near his elbow and count the number of beats in 15 seconds then multiply by 4. Cats are normally about 110-180 beats a minute and dogs generally range between 70 – 130 beats per minute. Puppies and kittens are always higher as the heart beats faster.
Checking your pets gum color is one way to alert you when something is wrong. The gum tissue should be nice and pink. Pale pink or white mucous membranes could spell shock or anemia, blue generally means your pet is having trouble breathing and not getting oxygen, yellow mucous membranes generally means your pet is jaundice and having liver problems, and bright red mucous membranes could mean heat stroke for your pet or carbon monoxide poisoning.
Capillary Refill Time - This test helps to judge your pet’s blood circulation. Press your finger against the gum tissue and release, there should be a white spot where your finger was, time how quickly the white spot becomes pink again. Normal ranges from 1 - 2 seconds, 2 - 4 seconds generally means shock or dehydration, more then 4 seconds is an emergency.
To check your pets hydration grasp the skin at the back of the neck and pull up, the skin should fall back rather quickly, the longer it takes to retract the more dehydrated your pet is. If the skin remains standing up you should call your veterinarian immediately.
If you take your pets vital signs at home you can relay more information to your pet’s veterinarian and help them to be ready when you arrive with your pet during an emergency.
There are many natural herbal and flower essence remedies that are very handy to have in your first aid kit at home, some of these include rescue remedy for emergencies, arnica for trauma, calendula – natures antiseptic, cayenne for bleeding and comfrey for fractures, bruises and scar tissue to name but a few.
Sharon Osmond
| 
