Dog Emergencies - Healthy Dog Experts

Emergency care is just that - care applied to a potentially serious condition as soon as possible while you are trying to reach your veterinarian or a 24 hour emergency clinic. One of the cardinal rules in dealing with any emergency is for you to remain calm. If you panic, you won't be thinking clearly and you will panic your dog. Take a deep breath, quietly reassure your dog and then do what is necessary. Don't hesitate to ask for help and remember your dog is relying on you.

Home Emergency Medical Kit
Container for equipment	Tweezers
Penlight	Scissors
Blanket	Grooming clippers
Nylon leash	Needle-nose pliers
Muzzle (nylon or leather)	K-Y lubricant or petroleum jelly
Rectal thermometer	Rubbing alcohol
Surgical gloves	Sterile saline eye wash
Cotton balls	Hydrogen Peroxide
Cotton swabs	Topical antibiotic ointment
Surgical adhesive tape (1 inch-25mm wide)	Betadine or similar antiseptic scrub
Gauze roll (3 inches-70mm wide)	List of Emergency Phone Numbers:
Ace bandage (3 inches-70mm wide)	Your veterinarian's office
Gauze pads (3 inches-70mm wide)	24 hour emergency clinic
Syringe (plastic) without a needle	Friend or neighbor
Compressed activated charcoal tablets (5 grams each)	ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center (888) 426-4435

Handling and Restraint

Any dog, no matter how docile he may be, has the potential to bite when he is severely injured, frightened, or in pain. It is important to recognize this and take proper precautions to keep from being bitten. An injured dog who growls, snarls or raises his hackles is sending a clear message. Do not approach or attempt to restrain this dog. Call your local animal shelter or animal care and control agency for help.

Muzzles

All dogs should be muzzled for any handling or treatment that may be frightening or painful. Cloth muzzles are easy to store and can be slipped on easily. Soft muzzles with velcro closures can be purchased at most pet supply stores. An open cage muzzle is preferred for an injured or sick dog. It allows the dog to breath easily and if the dog vomits he will not aspirate the vomitus. Keep the muzzle with your home emergency medical kit (see chart above). If you do not have a commercial muzzle, you can make an acceptable substitute using adhesive tape, a piece of cloth, a length of roll gauze or a leash. Wind the tape around the dog's muzzle. Or make a large loop with the other materials that you can slip over the dog's muzzle. Then tighten this down around the dog's muzzle, bring the two ends behind the dog's ears and tie the end behind his head. Make sure the muzzle is not so tight that the dog cannot open his mouth slightly to breathe. There are circumstances where a dog should not be muzzled. It can be dangerous to muzzle a dog who is vomiting, coughing, having difficulty breathing or aggressively resisting the muzzle. Never muzzle an unconscious dog.

Restraining for Examination and Treatment

For the cooperative dog, routine procedures such as grooming, bathing and even medicating seldom require restraint. Gentle handling and a soothing voice will coax most dogs to accept such handling. Approach the task with quiet confidence. Dogs are quick to sense anxiety in their owners and copy it. For examinations and treatments that may excite or hurt the dog, it is important to restrain the dog before attempting the treatment. Once a dog is restrained, he usually settles down and accepts the procedure with little complaint.

The headlock is an excellent restraint for a large dog. First muzzle the dog. Then hold the dog securely against your chest with one arm around his neck and the other arm around his waist. This is the most commonly used restraint for a quick procedure such as giving an injection. To restrain a small dog, support the abdomen with one arm and grasp the outside front leg. Immobilize the head with the other arm. Hold the dog close to your body.

An Elisabethan collar, named for the high neck ruff popular during the reign of Queen Elisabeth 1 of England is also an excellent way of restraining dogs who are prone to bite. The collar is also used to keep a dog from scratching at his ears, removing sutures and biting at wounds and skin sores. These collars can be purchased at most pet supply stores. The size of the collar must be tailored to the dog. For the dog to be able to eat and drink, the outer edge of the collar should not extend more than one to two inches beyond the dogs nose. Most dogs adjust well to an Elisabethan collar. If the dog refuses to eat or drink with the collar on, temporarily remove it.

A newer option is the bitenot collar.This high-necked collar prevents a dog from turning his head to bite. As with an Elisabethan collar, good fit is important. The collar must be just as long as the dog's neck.

Another way to restrain the dog is to restrain him on his side by grasping the inside front and back legs and then sliding the dog down your knees to the floor. Hold his legs out straight and keep pressure with your forearms on his chest and pelvis to prevent him from getting up.

Incorrectly picking up or carrying a dog can make injuries much worse. Never pick up a dog by his front legs, as this can result in a dislocated shoulder or elbow. Carry a small dog cuddled in your arms with the injured side away from your body. With a large dog, place one arm around his chest or between his front legs. Place the other arm around his rump - or between his back legs if you suspect a hind-limb injury. Hold the dog close to your chest so you can't drop him if he squirms.

A dog in shock should be lying down on a flat surface or in a hamhock stretcher to facilitate breathing and to prevent a sudden drop in blood pressure. Suspect a back or spinal cord injury in any dog who is unconscious or unable to stand after a fall from a height or after being struck by a car. These dogs require special handling.

Artificial respiration is the emergency procedure used to assist air exchange in an unconscious dog. Heart message (chest compressions) is used when no heartbeat can be felt or heard. When chest compressions combined with artificial respiration, it is called cardiopulmonary resuscitaion (CPR). Because cessation of breathing is soon followed by heart stoppage and vise-versa, CPR is required in most life-threatening situations. While CPR can be performed by one person, it is easier and more often successful when done by two. One person does the artificial respiration while the other does the chest compressions. To determine which basic life-support technique will be required in an unconsious dog see the chart below.

Artificial Respiration or CPR ?
Is the dog breathing ?	Observe the rise and fall of the chest. Feel for air against your cheek
If YES	Pull out the tongue and clear the airway, observe
If NO	Feel for a pulse
Does the dog have a pulse ?	Feel for the femoral artery located on the inside of the mid-thigh
If YES	Start artificial respiration
If NO	Start CPR

Lay the dog on a flat surface with his right side down. Open his mouth and pull his tongue forward as far as you can (without injuring the dog) Clear any secretions with a cloth or handkerchief. Check for a foreign body. If present remove it if possible. If it is impossible to dislodge, perform the Heimlich Maneuver.

CPR is a combination of artificial respiration and heart message. If a dog needs heart message, he also needs artificial respiration. On the other hand, if the dog resists your attempts to perform CPR, he probably does not need it!

Continue CPR until the dog breathes on its own and has a steady pulse. If vital signs do not return after 10 minutes of CPR, the likelyhood of success is remote. Consider stopping CPR.

Note: that CPR has the potential to cause complications, including broken ribs and pneumothorax. Also, never practice artificial respiration or heart message on a healthy dog; you can seriously injure the dog.