April is National Pet First Aid Awareness Month

Posted on April 10, 2024

You can never be overprepared for an emergency when it comes to pets. Oftentimes, emergencies arise after business hours or on weekends when your regular veterinary practice is closed.

I encourage you to make a list of all 24-hour vet emergency care hospitals in your area. Time is of the essence, so you will want to know your options to take your pet if an emergency arises.

I recommend installing the American Red Cross Pet First Aid app on your phone. It contains instructional videos and information regarding allergic reactions to wound care.

I strongly recommend keeping a copy of your pet’s medical records in a safe spot. If you need to take them to an Emergency Veterinary hospital, you will want those records handy. No one wants to have to search for these things if an emergency occurs.

Here are circumstances that necessitate immediate veterinary attention (this list is by no means exhaustive). If your pet has any of these injuries, you must go to a vet immediately!

• Trauma to head, chest, or abdomen
• An unconscious animal
• First-time seizure a seizure lasting more than five minutes, or in cases of an epileptic animal, a seizure lasting longer than normal for that animal.
• Arterial bleeding
• Fractures or suspected muscle strains
• Wounds that are more than 1’inch in length and/or ½ inch deep including bites and puncture wounds
• Poisoning (drooling, vomiting, swelling, lethargy, redness of the skin, ears, eyes)
• Bites by another animal
• Shock (rapid heart rate, panting, weak or unstable)
• Respiratory distress or the inability to walk.
  

If you ever find yourself in a position where you must take a pet for emergency medical care, remember to tell the veterinarian on call everything that occurred. Something you might think is insignificant may be the most important thing you can tell the vet. They need to be able to triage your pet quickly and every piece of information can help them figure out how to treat your pet.