Our dogs are very precious to us and how we keep them safe is never far away from our thoughts. What happens when the unexpected rears its head, though? Some things are hard to imagine, but having the right practical skills at the right time could save your dog’s life.
On many occasions a little expertise in first aid and medical care could make all the difference should your dog fall foul of circumstance – other times you will need to act quickly and decisively. Find out how in this gateway guide, which is full of useful tips from PawAid that can help you give your dog effective first aid.
Learn what to keep in a dog’s first aid kit, how to perform CPR on a dog, and what to do if your pet is choking or vomiting; keep this blog in your bookmarks.
Skip to these first aid tips:
What is inside a dog first aid kit?
We think that having a small dog first aid kit at home and/or in your car is a good idea. You can buy many premade kits that cater for the wider basics but perhaps you would like to include items that you already own or to meet your pet’s specific needs.
Items to include in your dog first aid kit:
- Bandages (5cm+)
- Surgical adhesive tape
- Cotton wool
- Sterile absorbent gauze
- Curved, blunt-ended scissors
- A towel
- A dog cone (also known as an Elizabethan dog collar)
- Foil blanket
- Antiseptic wipes
Find out what else to keep on you when out and about with your dog with our Canine Checklist.
Performing CPR (Cardiopulmonary resuscitation) on your dog
CPR is a life saving technique used in emergencies to restore a human's or an animal’s breathing. This can be applied in the event of a heart attack or near drowning. There are special techniques for dogs, and they vary depending on the dog’s size.
Please note – never perform CPR on your pet if their heart is still beating/you can feel a pulse – as doing this could kill them.
Before you start giving your dog CPR
There are several checks that you need to perform before CPR:
- Is your dog unconscious? If they are conscious, there’s no need for CPR.
- Pull your dog’s tongue forward to clear their airway. If there is something in its throat, see our first aid for choking section below
- Is your dog breathing? If they are, DO NOT perform CPR.
- If your dog has stopped breathing, check their heartbeat by resting your ear on their chest where their front legs meet their torso.
- Double check your dog’s pulse on the inside of their upper thigh. If there is no pulse, contact your vet and commence CPR.
Performing dog CPR
- Lie your dog on their right-hand side on a firm, flat surface. Some breeds may need to lie on their backs, ie. bulldogs.
- Deep-chested breeds: Kneel behind their spine and interlock both hands over their heart.
- Large dogs (heavier than 10 kg): Kneel behind their spine and interlock both hands over the widest part of their chest.
- Small-medium dogs (5-10 kg): Kneel behind their spine and put one hand on the heart.
- Small dogs (lighter than 5 kg): Put one hand behind their back to steady them and the other around their chest with your thumb on top and fingers below.
- Flat-chested dogs (ie. bulldogs): Put both of your hands at their chest’s midpoint.
Next steps
- Extend your dog’s neck so that their nose is inline with their backbone. Close their mouth and form a tight air seal around their nostrils with your mouth.
- Breath into their nostrils and watch for their chest to rise and fall again. Then give them a second breath.
- Repeat 30 compressions.
- Then 2 more breaths. Check the dog’s heartbeat.
- Repeat this cycle for 2 minutes.
- If there are two of you, take turns to perform CPR.
- After 2 minutes, if there is no heartbeat, continue CPR and make urgent plans to transport your dog to the vet.
- If your dog has regained a heartbeat, cease CPR and make urgent plans to transport them to the vet.
Common pet emergencies
Choking
Everybody knows that dogs love food and sometimes they will choke if they are eating too much, too fast. Another choking risk is their dog toys. A great many times, they recover quickly but if it persists you need to spring into action to check and see if something is blocking their air ways.
What to do if your dog is choking
- Be mindful: Your dog may panic and bite, so approach them calmly, use your soothing voice, and don’t look them in the eye.
- Establish whether your pet is coughing, choking, or having a seizure. If it’s a cough, they can still inhale air. If they aren’t breathing at all, it’s choking.
- See if there’s anything in the dog’s mouth. If there is, use pliers or tweezers to extract it from the mouth. If there is nothing visible in the dog’s throat you should prepare to take further measures.
Ways to aid a choking dog
- Hold your animal up by the hind quarters
Or
- Compress the dog’s abdomen firmly by pushing a clenched fist against it (do this five times then check inside the dog’s mouth for anything they may have brought up)
Or
- Administer a blow with the palm of your hand between the shoulder blades (do this between compressions)
- If your dog persists to choke you should go to the vet or perform CPR if you can.
DO NOT PERFORM CPR UNLESS YOUR DOG HAS STOPPED BREATHING.
Where possible, repeat the compression exercise in the car.
Vomiting
Your dog could be being sick for a number of reasons. On many occasions, vomiting usually resolves itself in under 24 hours. If it persists for longer contact your vet.
What causes dog vomiting?
- Harmful ingestion
- Gut infections
- Twisted stomach
- Gastritis (inflammation of the stomach)
- Gastroenteritis (inflammation of the stomach and guts)
- Worms (common in pups and young dogs)
What to do if your dog is vomiting
- If your dog has vomited just once, consider starving it for a short period (12 to 24 hours) so that it can purge their stomach of any badness
- Give your dog plenty of water to drink (speak to your vet if they won’t drink)
- Avoid fatty foods and anything for rich for a 24-hour period
Dog muscle strains and sprains
Sometimes active dogs incur injuries like muscle strains, and sprains, and even broken bones through play and misadventure. Here’s what to do if your pet has come to mischief.
If your dog is limping or has a swelling, it may have experienced a fall and is in pain. If you need to, calm your dog down and, with it lying on its side, cover the injured limb or part of the body with an icepack.
Apply the ice for 5 to 15 minutes every day, three to four times a day, until the injury heals. After the initial 24 hours, alternate the ice with a warm compress.
If you see no improvement, or a deterioration in your dog’s condition (beyond 24 hours), then contact your vet.
What to do if your dog breaks a bone
- Look for disfigurement of the body and limbs, or bones sticking through the skin.
- Also look for lameness, limping and swelling.
- For all fractures and breaks, administer CPR if your dog has stopped breathing.
- Cover the wound with sterile gauze and wrap adhesive tape around it loosely.
What to do if your dog has a dislocated hip or elbow
Common joint dislocations in dogs occur at the elbows and hips. Often a dog will limp when a dislocation has occurred. Tell-tale signs include:
- Your dog feels pain when the affected area is touched.
- One of its feet do not touch the ground or your dog is limping.
- Limbs may be misaligned, bent away from the body more than normal.
Treatment
- Splint the limb (but only if you are trained) then take your dog to the vet.
- Alternatively, and in most cases, don’t splint and take your dog to the vet.
Poisoning: What do I do if my dog has been poisoned?
If you think your dog has been poisoned and can identify what has been ingested, collect a sample or take it in a container to the vet.
Do not induce vomiting in your dog unless the vet has instructed you to do so.
What to do if your dog has breathed in poison
- Your dog will need fresh air
- Monitor your pet for shock (see below).
- If you pet stops breathing, begin CPR.
Skin damage – rashes, abrasions, fur loss
- Topical (skin) poisoning can be treatable quickly if you know what the toxin is.
- Water-based toxins: You can prepare a salve by mixing a mild blend of washing-up liquid and water and rinse the skin thoroughly until it is clean.
- Oil-based toxins: Apply butter, mayonnaise, peanut butter, or hand degreaser. Then clean off with a mild blend of washing-up liquid/water and rinse the skin thoroughly until it is clean.
Other considerations
- If the poison is in your dog’s eye, rinse their optics with cool water
- You can hoover powdered toxins off your dog’s fur or by dusting their coat
Shock - Symptoms to look for if your dog goes into shock
There are three distinct stages of shock that applies to dogs. It is a life-threatening condition that occurs when the body fails to get enough oxygen to operate.
Symptoms of mild shock
- Low body temperature (see below)
- Increased heart rate (see below)
- Discoloured gums (dark red / pink)
Symptoms of severe shock
- Hypothermia (extremely low body temperature)
- Increased heart rate
- Weaker pulse
- Discoloured gums (white)
- Cool limbs
Symptoms of terminal shock
- Weak or absent pulse
- Semi-conscious or unconsciousness
- Slow heart rate (see below)
What to do when your dog has gone into shock
- If you dog is bleeding attend to the wound to stem the flow
- Perform CPR (if your dog has stopped breathing)
- Wrap your dog in a towel or thermal blanket
- Take your pet to your vet. Shock can be fatal.
Seizures - How to identify if your dog is having a seizure
There are a few different kinds of seizures in dogs; the main ones are focal and generalised.
Signs of focal seizures
These types of seizures affect a section of the dog’s brain and there are several symptoms to look out for.
- Involuntary jerky body movements
- Muscle contractions
- Raised fur
- Dilated pupils
- Barking and growling
- Balance problems
- Hallucinations
Signs of generalised seizures
- Involuntary jerky body movements
- Muscle contractions
- Sudden loss in muscle tone leading your pet to collapse
If your dog experiences a seizure, take it to your vet immediately.
General dog health knowledge
Dog heart rates (Beats Per Minute – BPM)
- All sizes – 160-220 BPM
- Small: (Under 13.6 kg) – 100-160 BPM
- Medium to large (From 13.6 kg to 40.8 kg) – 60-100 BPM
- Extra large (Over 40.8 kg) – 60-80 BPM
Breaths per minute
- Small: 20-30 breaths/300 pants (approx.)
- Large: 10-30 breaths/200 pants (approx.)
Normal temperatures for dogs
- Small: 100.5°F - 102.5°F (38.1°C – 39.1°C)
- Large: 100.2°F - 102.8°F (37.9°C – 39.3°C)
You can also check your dog’s health by the colour of its faeces. However, whenever your dog presents you with a health problem that you cannot identify, consult your vet straight away.
Sign up for discounts
We offer a discount on the PawAid first aid kit for our club members. You can sign up to join our Canine Club by clicking the on the button below.
Treat your dog to a holiday at one of our pet-friendly cottages
What better idea to cheer up a healthy pup than a holiday after they have full recuperated from their emergency? Visit our collection of dog-friendly accommodation all across the UK today.
Disclaimer: Whilst every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of the information at the time of writing,
please ensure you check carefully before making any decisions based on the contents within this article.