Dog First Aid
Often one of the overlooked aspects of owning a dog is “What would you do if something happened to your dog?”
Dog first aid can be an essential course for any pet lover, particularly if you work with dogs but also highly important for those who own a dog. As someone who was a first aider in the workplace I already had some knowledge on what to do for humans in an emergency, however, to further my knowledge of dogs I have completed a course in Solihull with ‘Dog First Aid’ who run training courses on first aid.
The topics covered were as follows:
- How to examine a dog correctly and safely
- Scene assessment – keeping yourself safe whilst helping the dog
- What a Dog First Aiders Role is – what you can and can’t do
- Canine CPR – NOT the same as with a human!
- How to act if a dog starts choking
- Dog Fights – how do you split up two dogs?
- Different Types of Bleeds and what to do
- Drowning Dogs – when can they drown and how to react
- Which burns to treat and how
- Heat stroke – a killer
- Road Traffic Accidents
- Eye Injuries
Dog First Aid – Seizures
One part of the course which I found interesting was around seizures in dogs. I’m sure we are all aware of what a seizure is. A video was played to us of a dog having a seizure and it was interesting to see how the owner reacted by staying calm and reassuring her dog by calling her name whilst also having to keep her other dog at bay. Seeing these incidents play out for real gives a very clear perspective as to why these courses can be so important and it is a great way to learn by seeing real case studies.
First Aid Kits
Another aspect worth considering is whether you own a pet first aid kit? These can be bought for a very reasonable price online and they are handy to carry with you or to at least leave in the car in case of emergency. Should your dog cut itself and start bleeding, you’ll soon be grateful for those bandages for some immediate treatment.
For those interested in learning more the course is a half day course and can be booked in a number of venues across the country. The course cost £49.50 and was very insightful, packed full of information and may just prove essential one day. To find out more click here for more details.
