This last weekend I had the privilege to take a 4-hour First Aid for Pets class that led to certification. I did not even know that these classes existed until about a week ago when I was researching vet schools on the internet. The class was offered on the UC Davis campus by a seasoned first aid instructor who is also a professional deeply involved in Emergency Disaster Preparedness.
Here are some interesting facts I learned from the first aid for pets class:
1. In California, dogs are considered personal property. Cats are not. Thus, if you come across a hurt dog and its owner says you cannot administer first aid, you cannot legally touch the animal.
2. Pets are similar to humans in that they can receive CPR. Many of the same steps in human CPR are used in pet CPR. For example, Look! Listen! Feel for a pulse! Look for breathing! However, it is different in some ways. Animals can bite when they are in pain or are being moved towards a position that produces pain. Cats scratch and bite, and their claws can act independently of each other! For this reason, safety first is always the most important concern when administering first aid to a pet.
3. Cats are particularly dangerous. When trapped by you, such as in your arms, they can jump to try to get away. In the process, they may strike out at you in vengeance. When this happens, look out! They can dig their claws into your legs as they 'climb' up your body to get to your head where they will scratch and scratch and scratch. We had the opportunity to watch a video flick of this happening. It was truly a sight to see!
4. Pet first aid instructors have pet dummies that can be used to simulate CPR. The best part about this is that after you have blown two quick breaths into the dog or cat's nostrils and done 15 compressions over the animal's heart for a few repetitions, the instructor asks you to check the animal dummy for a heart beat. If you administered CPR correctly, you will feel the animal's pulse.
5. One of the first things to do to an animal before treating it is muzzle it. If someone complains about how this is not important because their dog is a good dog, tell them that you are muzzling the animal because you want the dog to stay a good dog. He'll stay a good dog if he doesn't bite anyone.
6. Veterinarians use a type of tape that is similar to Velcro to hold the two sides of gauze or bandages together for wound closure.
There are a lot more facts that you can learn in pet first aid courses. Find out about the first aid for pets classes in your area.
See http://www.SacTopDogContest.com for information about the Sacramento Top K9 Police Dogs. You can receive a free ebook, Finding Miss Tilly and the Golden Thread, at the contest site or at http://www.milliondollarmemory.net/findingmisstilly.htm
Dr. Donna Schwontkowski(ret.) is the author of Million Dollar Memory for Names & Faces, a book on identification skills and how to remember names and faces like a pro. She is also a professional speaker and the President of MDM, Inc.
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