 First Aid For Dogs: You’re in the park with your dog, when suddenly he jumps up from the bush he’s been sniffing. He’s yelping in pain, a nasty swelling already obvious from a bee sting. Would you know what to do? How about if your pet accidentally knocks over a grill, getting hot embers on her back? Dr. Jane Leon offers advice on how to handle some of the emergencies that can come up with our pets during the warm weather months. Act Quickly -- “Your biggest enemy in any emergency is time. The longer it takes to get an injured animal help, the greater the risk. So you should move fast to get your pet to a veterinarian right away. It’s a good idea to call the vet first, or have someone call when you’re on your way to the vet’s office, so he or she can start getting ready to deal with your emergency.” Bee Stings -- “Probably the most common ‘bite problem’ that vets see in the warm weather months are not really bites, but bee stings. If your dog is stung, you want to remove the bee’s stingers. This can be done easily using a very dull knife or the edge of a credit card to scrape the stingers out gently. Never pull out a stinger, because this will only release more venom into the bloodstream. “If your pet has a very localized hot red mark where the bee stung, don’t be alarmed. This is a normal reaction. However, if the swelling is severe, or if it’s by the face or neck and looks like it might interfere with breathing, you should get to a vet quickly.” Animal Bites -- Time is of the essence with animal bites. The first thing you want to do is rinse the bite area thoroughly with warm or cold water, clean it with soap, and rinse it again. This will flush as much of the saliva out of the wound as possible, and remove bacteria and viruses that are present. Even if there’s only a remote chance that the animal that bit your pet has rabies, you should protect yourself by wearing gloves before you clean out the wound.” Burns -- “With burns the key thing is to get something cold, either water or ice, on the burned area as soon as possible. The thing you want to watch out for with burns is infection, so once again, it’s critical to get to a vet quickly.” Transporting Injured Dogs -- “When picking up an injured dog, even your own pet, you have to be careful not to get bitten. Your dog loves you, but after being injured, he’s shocked and disoriented and his reaction can be to bite. Unless the injured animal is unconscious, or bleeding from the mouth, he should be muzzled. You can use gauze strips, a belt, or pantyhose to muzzle a dog’s mouth safely in an emergency. When transporting an injured dog, the most important thing is to evaluate his lung function. For example, if looks like a dog’s right lung might be collapsed, lay him down with his left side up to make it easier for him to breath.” Dr. Leon advises that the best first aid for dogs is preventing accidents before they happen by following common sense safety procedures.
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