The idea of an injured or poisoned pet is terrifying, but pet owners can equip themselves to respond quickly until they’re able to get their pet professional medical help. Here are three common pet emergencies and how you can help.
#1: A pet is poisoned
Pets eat things they aren’t supposed to all the time. Some common toxins ingested by pets include:
- Toxic foods, including chocolate
- Human over-the-counter and prescription medications
- Veterinary medications and products
- Household and garden items, including cleaning products, glue, rodenticides, and insecticides
- Toxic plants
If your pet ingests a toxic substance, call our office immediately. We may recommend that you induce vomiting to remove the toxin. To make your pet vomit, you’ll use a syringe to inject hydrogen peroxide into her mouth slowly. You’ll need 0.4 ml of hydrogen peroxide per pound of your pet’s body weight (one teaspoon per 5.6 kilograms). After she vomits, bring your pet to our hospital for follow-up care. Note: Never induce vomiting in a pet without speaking with our veterinary health care team first.
#2: A pet is bleeding
If your pet is bleeding, press gauze squares firmly against the wound and hold them there for several minutes. After the bleeding has stopped, remove the gauze and take a look at the wound. If the wound is superficial and small, rinse it with sterile saline, dry it (be careful not to wipe too hard, which may remove the clot that has formed), apply antibiotic ointment, and bandage the area. If the wound is deep or large, bandage it and call our office.
#3: A pet is burned
If your pet is burned, immediately apply a burn cream and bandage the area. Then, call our office, because many burns can become infected and require prescription medications to help them heal properly.
Be prepared with a pet first-aid kit
To be adequately prepared to help your injured pet, you must have the appropriate supplies on-hand. Your pet first-aid kit should include:
- Gauze squares
- Roll gauze
- Non-adherent square bandages
- Self-adherent bandages
- White porous tape
- A 20-ml syringe
- An antiseptic, like iodine or alcohol
- Hydrogen peroxide
- Antibiotic ointment
- Hydrocortisone cream
- Sterile saline
- Burn cream
Questions about helping an injured pet? We’re here to help. Contact us.
