What Are the Basics of Pet First Aid?

Go-Now Signs

Any one of these means stop reading and call for emergency help.

1. Trouble breathing. Noisy or labored breathing, open-mouth breathing in a cat, or pale or blue-tinged gums.
2. A hard, swollen belly, especially with retching that brings nothing up, in any dog and most of all in large, deep-chested breeds.
3. Straining with no result, in the litter box or outside, or vomiting that won't stop.
4. A seizure lasting more than a couple of minutes, or several close together.
5. A known or suspected poison: chocolate, xylitol, a toxic plant, or a chewed medicine packet.

First Aid Buys Time

The goal is to keep an animal stable until a vet can take over: steady pressure on a bleeding wound, keeping an injured animal still and warm, and getting it safely into the car.

Never give your pet a human medicine or any treatment unless a vet tells you to: see your vet or a pet supply store with trained staff. Many common human painkillers are poisonous to dogs and cats, even in small amounts.

A pet first-aid course, offered by some vets and animal charities, is a good way to practice the basics before you need them.

What a Basic Kit Holds

• Wound covering: non-stick dressings, gauze and self-adhesive bandage.
• Restraint: a muzzle that fits your dog (frightened, hurting animals may bite) and a thick towel for wrapping a cat or small pet.
• A digital thermometer, so you can give your vet a real number on the phone.
• Blunt-ended scissors, a tick remover and disposable gloves.
• A card with your vet's number, the nearest emergency clinic and an animal poison line.

Size matters more than brand: a big-dog muzzle does nothing for a cat. Match the kit to the animals you actually keep.

Different Species, Different Warning Signs

Dogs in trouble often whine and move restlessly. Cats tend to hide and go quiet, so a withdrawn, unresponsive cat is as urgent as an obviously distressed dog.

Rabbits, small pets, birds and hens can go downhill fast with few outward signs. Any clear change in a normally lively small pet or hen deserves quicker action than the same change might in a dog.

If Poison Is Involved

Don't wait for signs; some poisons do damage before anything shows. Take the packaging, plant or substance with you to the vet. Our toxic foods guide lists the common dangers.