Pet First Aid

On Saturday, I attended/completed the Red Cross Pet First Aid class. The information I took away was so valuable, I highly recommend anyone who owns a cat or dog, or works with cats and dogs, to take this course.

We learned CPR, the ABCs of CPR, seizures, poisoning, choking, broken bones, bandaging, how to take the pulse and breathing rate, and how to deal with an eye popping out of a short snouted dog, plus more. We learned so much more than I had anticipated.

Here's something you can do now, to keep on hand incase of emergency:
Have a current picture of each of your pets, with their personal information on the back. This information is vital, because what might be normal for most dogs/cats, might be different for one of yours. Having this information available will help whoever is administering first aid know what is normal for that particular animal. The information should include:
Name:
Normal Pulse Rate:
Normal Breathing Rate:
Normal Body Temperature:
The rates and temperature should probably be taken a few times to get a good average, and also do it about an hour after dinner once they've settled down.

Here is another good tip. There are poison control centers that charge for their help. For instance, if you call a particular center for help, they will take your credit card information first, and then proceed to help you. Here is a number you can call in Washington State that is free of charge: (206) 222-1222. It is Poison Control Center for Washington, most of which is to serve humans, but 7-10% of the calls are animal related. Good to know!

Again, I highly recommend taking this course, or one like it. To get a first aid book and reading it just isn't the same as hands-on training. And when it comes to saving the life of your best furry friend, it's worth the time and effort!