Here at Healthy Spot we are big advocates of making sure your fur-child is happy and healthy. That means eating right, exercising and giving them all the love that they deserve. But one thing that is not talked about as frequently is Pet First Aid. April is National Pet First Aid Awareness month so we invited our long time partner Melanie Monteiro of The Safe Dog to talk to us about pet first aid.
Melanie is the author of The Safe Dog Handbook and her mission in life is to keep dogs safe. She provides training for pet businesses, pet professionals and pet parents. She has even trained our Healthy Spot staff.
Here is what she had to say about pet first aid:
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KNOW WHAT’S NORMAL
Being keenly attuned to what your pet looks and acts like when she’s feeling well will give you a basis for comparison if she ever becomes ill or injured — enabling you to detect warning signs early and seek prompt treatment if needed. Notice the appearance of your pet’s eyes, gait, energy level, behavior, eating/drinking and elimination habits. Changes (such as lethargy, increased thirst or restlessness) can be signs of trouble that should be reported to your vet right away. It’s also important to be familiar with your pet’s normal vital signs such as her heart rate, breathing rate, gum color/capillary refill time, body temperature and hydration. These can be practiced at home during quiet times when you’re relaxing with your pet (sneak them in with cuddles)! For the best way to learn and master these skills, see #5.
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LOAD YOUR SMARTPHONE WITH EMERGENCY INFO
For fast access to help in an emergency, create a contact in your smartphone under your pet’s name that includes the number of your pet’s regular vet, the nearest after-hours emergency vet, microchip company hotline, your pet’s microchip number, and ASPCA poison control hotline (888-426-4435, fees apply). You should also have a pet first aid app and GPS vet locator app for times when you and your pet are far from home.
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KNOW WHERE TO GO IN AN EMERGENCY
When every moment counts, you don’t want to be driving to the emergency vet for the very first time! Do a test run so you’ll be familiar with the exact route, where to enter and park and the hours of operation. This will not only save precious time, but can help save your sanity in a stressful situation!
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PUT TOGETHER A PET FIRST AID KIT
Although there are several good ready-made kits you can order online (we like this one), you can assemble your own kit more economically, almost entirely with items available at your local drugstore. This list will help guide you.
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GET TRAINED IN PET FIRST AID
In a true emergency, what you do (or don’t do) in the critical minutes until you reach the vet can make the difference between life and death for a pet in your care. Taking a pet first aid class will teach you how to be that lifeline for your pet in incidents like choking, car accidents, poisoning, heatstroke, collapse, bite wounds and more. Watch for hands-on training certification workshops coming from Healthy Spot this summer from our safety partner Melanie Monteiro, or use code: HealthySpot to save $15 on Melanie’s online certificate course.
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