Introduction
Your pet is your family. You love them, care for them and have their best interests at heart. But emergencies can happen quickly and suddenly—and now you need to know how to react. We’ve put together a guide to handling the most common emergencies that occur with pets: choking, bleeding, burns, bites, and more.
Stop, drop, and roll.
If you find yourself in an emergency situation, the first thing to do is stop, drop, and roll. This will help prevent further injury to yourself and your pet. Next, make sure that both of you are safe from further harm by making sure there are no other hazards nearby that could cause further damage should they come into contact with them (a burning stovetop may not seem like much of a threat but it can still cause serious burns). If it's safe for you to move around without endangering yourself or others nearby then do so; if not then stay where you are until help arrives or wait until someone else comes along who can provide assistance (if none is available call 911 immediately).
If either one of these situations arises:
- Your pet has been injured but appears stable enough not to require immediate medical attention yet needs monitoring while waiting for medical treatment - keep him/her calm by speaking softly while stroking gently behind his ears; keep him warm by wrapping up tightly in blankets/towels etc.; elevate any injured limbs above heart level if possible; avoid giving food or water since this may cause vomiting which could lead into choking if inhaled deeply into lungs during coughing fits caused by smoke inhalation
Call the vet.
- Call the vet immediately. If you have access to a phone, call your veterinarian or an emergency clinic and tell them what happened to your pet. They will be able to guide you through the next steps of treatment and help determine whether or not it is safe for you to move him/her on your own or whether they should come to pick up the animal themselves.
- Take him/her there if possible! If it's not too far away (or if there are other people around who can drive), take your injured pet directly over to the vet's office so they can treat him/her right away. This is especially important if he/she has suffered any kind of trauma such as falling off furniture or getting hit by a car; these kinds of injuries need immediate attention! It might seem like forever until someone arrives but it could mean life or death for your beloved companion so don't waste any time getting help from professionals who know how best to handle these situations.
Check the ABCs.
The first thing you should do is check the ABCs:
- Breathing. If your pet isn't breathing, begin rescue breathing immediately.
- Heartbeat. If you can't find a heartbeat, start chest compressions and continue until help arrives or your pet revives on its own (which may take several minutes).
Use pet first aid supplies.
- Use a pet first aid kit. A pet first aid kit is an essential part of any pet owner's emergency preparedness plan. It contains all the supplies you need in case your animal gets hurt or sick and you can't take them to the vet right away.
- Treat injuries with bandages, gauze pads, scissors, and pain relievers like ibuprofen (Advil). If an injury is serious enough that you can't wait until morning to get help from a professional veterinary clinic or hospital, then apply pressure with a clean cloth overtop of any bleeding wounds until paramedics arrive at your doorstep!
- Treat allergic reactions with antihistamines like diphenhydramine (Benadryl) as well as hydrocortisone cream for itching relief if needed.
Relax, you can do this!
You are not alone. You can do this. Your pet will be okay, and you have done everything you can for them at this point in time. You've done the right thing by calling your vet and getting medical help on the way--now all that's left is to wait for them to arrive.
First aid isn't an alternative to professional medical treatment; it's basic care that can be given immediately while waiting for a vet or emergency services (911), but it cannot take the place of proper treatment by a qualified professional who has access to equipment and medications unavailable to most people in their homes or cars when they need them most! To put it another way: if I cut my finger off with a chainsaw, I'm not going home first because I know how to clean wounds myself--I'm going directly into surgery so they can reattach my hand before any infection sets in! The same goes here--if your dog has been hit by a car or attacked by another animal then call 9-1-1 immediately because there may be internal injuries that require immediate attention from professionals trained specifically for this type of situation.
An emergency for your pet happens quickly and you need to know how to act quickly and effectively.
An emergency for your pet happens quickly and you need to know how to act quickly and effectively.
The first thing to do is stop, drop, and roll. This means that if there is an emergency with your pet, you should call the vet immediately--don't try anything else. If it's an injury or other medical emergency where the animal needs immediate care from a veterinary professional, call 911 instead of trying to treat them yourself!
Next check their ABCs (airway, breathing, circulation). If they're not breathing or have no pulse at all then begin mouth-to-nose resuscitation until help arrives; if they are breathing but not moving around normally then check their airway by lifting up their chin so that their tongue doesn't block their windpipe; also check for bleeding wounds on top of head/neck area which could indicate internal bleeding inside chest cavity leading away from heart where blood vessels may rupture due pressure build-up during cardiac arrest scenario caused by insufficient oxygen supply throughout body tissue due lack sufficient blood flow through arteries supplying muscles throughout body parts including head region causing loss consciousness followed shortly thereafter death unless treated immediately following initial injury while still alive prior onset cardiac arrest scenario happening within minutes after sustaining trauma caused bleeding wound(s) causing rapid loss fluids needed maintain healthy levels throughout body systems resulting death within minutes without intervention treatment efforts taken immediately upon waking up after falling asleep peacefully during normal routine activities such as eating dinner listening music reading book etcetera without realizing danger lurking ahead
Conclusion
If you ever find yourself in a situation where your pet is injured or sick, don't panic! Take a deep breath and remember that there are steps you can take to help. The most important thing is to remain calm and make sure that your pet stays calm too so they can heal faster.
