What do you plan to do when you have a serious pet emergency?

[swanska]

My dog park friends and I have occasionally discussed what would we do if there was a serious issue at the dog park, at home, on a walk or trail. Some of us walk a fair distance, some don't have cars, some have multiple dogs, some are single owners. As far as I know, my City's Animal Welfare League only has 2 control officers out in vehicles and they could be anywhere and might not make it in time.

-What happens if the dog is have a serious health issue like a heart attack or a seizure, a broken leg, or there is a dog fight and one is seriously injured and shouldn't be moved (you know you wouldn't move a human with the same injuries).

-While you might call 911 for a dogfight especially if people and their personalities are involved, will an ambulance/EMT's assist with your dog? Will they come when you are out for a walk and your dog collapses?

-How about transport to a vet if you don't have a car? Will an ambulance take you? I don't know if they are allowed to but maybe an sympathetic police officer would.

-Can you lift your dog and if not, how are you going to get your dog in your car or back home if you are out for a walk?

-if you end up being by yourself when the emergency happens do you feel competent enough to drive by yourself while your dog is having its problem. I envision myself grabbing the first person I see, handing them my car keys to drive and then I would climb in the backseat with my dog to apply pressure or soothing tones or to do whatever needed to be done. I don't think I could deal with a traffic jam and am just lucky that when Shadow had a vaccination reaction and hives were erupting that there wasn't any traffic or rain to get in our way and make a 4 minute journey 15 minutes.

-I was at the park when a woman had a medical issue. She had 2 dogs and refused to go with the EMTs. I, and the EMTs, think she was having a stroke. She had walked to the park. Ultimately, one owner left his 2 dogs at the park under the eye of someone trustworthy. He walked the woman and Shadow/I walked her 2 dogs several blocks home. Everyone survived. At the time, I wasn't sure if Shadow could deal with 2 more dogs at our house if the owner had gone to the Hospital and he wasn't overly fond of the male. Another lady threw a conniption when I suggested having the League board them (they do discounts for human medical emergencies) or taking them to the Owner's vet a few blocks away for boarding. Note: SHE didn't offer to take them in. But if you have multiple dogs, what are you going to do with them if you or one of them is having a medical emergency?

[xracer4844]

The majority of the points you listed are all related to first aid. Take a dog first aid course. They are offered by a lot of clubs, and there is tons of information on the internet. Dog first aid is not the same as HUMAN first aid...however, a lot of things can be related. I am active in search and rescue with my dog. I have an extensive kit for him that comes with me pretty much everywhere. There are many many many emergency vet clinics in my area, so it's not hard for me to get to a vet at any time 24/7...however, it is important to know how to deal with seizures, broken limbs, etc. Learn how to splint. Learn how to bind your dog to stop them from thrashing. I have a soft muzzle in my kit which is hugely important in emergency situations. Ambulances will not help you for any type of animal emergency. At least, I know they won't here. You are on your own. I have a truck. In my truck I have a first aid kit for him, garbage bags, blankets and all the necessary emergency equipment you could think of plus more. I really like being "prepared", it;s just something I was taught at a very young age. I have lots of trauma pads and things like that in the truck in my "human" fist aid kit. As for dealing with dog fights, I'm trained in wrangling so that doesn't really intimidate me.

Bottom line, educate yourself as much as possible. Be prepared. Build your own first aid kits, so you know what you have, and how to us everything in it.

[xracer4844]

Another super important thing I forgot to mention is CPR! CPR saves lives. Take a CPR course and be certified! It doesn't take long at all and I think it's an important skill to have. Learn the anatomy of your dog, and learn how to perform CPR on your K9.

[Jeff]

The American Red Cross has an app for your phone and also has training classes. These are pretty good, cover handling and bandaging and CPR, creating a muzzle, breaks and splints and other injuries, protecting your dog from shock.

Link to find classes
Pets, Sports and Wilderness First Aid Training Courses | Red Cross

Link to Phone App.
Pet First Aid App for iPhone Android | American Red Cross

And a young Hemi who was very curious about my name tag after taking the course he wore it around the house for a about an hour. Guess he wanted to be like dad.

[Tanya]

I think about it and get as far as "freak out" I live in the city and don't have a car and not sure I could lift Rocky (especially wtih nothing to help like a sling)

I had one "minor emergency" and close calls. One night I woke up (middle of the night) and had a bad feeling. I dragged myself out of bed to go check on my two fosters (crated seperately but close to one another in the kitchen). Blood ALL over. BOTH had ripped up their stiches from their spay that day. After calling the e-vet I decided to make my way there. Via - a taxi! yep, I dragged two bleeding dogs into a cab and we made our way to the e-vet (and then back home).

For the "close calls":
One day at the park Rocky jumepd up to catch a ball and landed on his butt (like straight up). he couldn't get up at first but luckily we shook it off and we slowly made our way home. We did two vet follow ups (one was a specialist) and all was good. phew.

the second was when I came home and he was shacking and there was cocoa all over the couch/floor. for this one, it's a godo thing I lived so close to a vet so we quickly walked over. I was able to have my brother drive us to the emergency vet later that day for an overnight.

[BaconsMom]

The American Red Cross has an app for your phone and also has training classes. These are pretty good, cover handling and bandaging and CPR, creating a muzzle, breaks and splints and other injuries, protecting your dog from shock.

Link to find classes
Pets, Sports and Wilderness First Aid Training Courses | Red Cross

Link to Phone App.
Pet First Aid App for iPhone Android | American Red Cross

And a young Hemi who was very curious about my name tag after taking the course he wore it around the house for a about an hour. Guess he wanted to be like dad.

Oh Hemi, you are ever so cute!!!! I am trained in CPR/AED and first aid for humans. I have talked with our vet and have gotten tons of pointers. Due to the fact that we hunt so often with Bacon, I am ready for anything, and there is a doggie first aid kit in both vehicles. I know what to do for cuts, punctures, sore/broken limbs, how to remove thorns, how to remove fish hooks, we have an escape for traps (the kind people use for fur bearing animals), etc. I think I am prepared and hope I never have to use any of these skills.

[Snowshoe]

Good points, I have thought about it. I can lift and carry my own dog and did once upon finding the highway I had to cross was being paved with hot asphalt when we went to go home. Not a long carry. Oban weighs nearly 20 pounds more than Jet's 56 pounds but he's easier to lift and carry because he doesn't mind being lifted and carried.

We tend to meet mostly a regular bunch of dog walkers, I think most of them would trust me with their dog, or me them with mine if there was an emergency. Providing the dogs got along ok, I'm not putting the Ridgie who doesn't like Oban in my car. But I have put strays in with him, after some careful observation. I live within about half an hour drive of the furthest places we walk and most times I could call the OH to put a dog in the covered bed of his pick up, if I had to.

I missed the emergency where a woman deliberately went into the partially frozen over pond to get her dog who fell in chasing a goose. She refused to go with EMT people till her daughter arrived to take the dog to the closest Vet. Both were fine. She was lucky her daughter was home from University.

One walking invitation to an accident, older and with a walker on rough ground, had a big dog that most other people had had trouble with. Some of us talked about what to do about her but fortunately did not have to do anything, she stopped walking the dog as far as I know. We don't see her now.

My human first aid has lapsed. I don't know any dog first aid, other than what might be obvious.

Good for you and that man for stepping in. Some folks wouldn't, some couldn't. Lucky you were there.

[POPTOP]

Excellent ideas.

I do have a basic first air kit in the car. I would be able to stabilize a broken bone, clean and dress a wound, vet tape to put compression on a bleeding site.

Around here, EMTs will not treat a dog. Our animal control would. If I was injured, EMT could be called and they will call AC to take care of the dog. Recently went to the local fire house to ask how they would handle our dogs in case I was injured. If the dog can be handled by them, they would make sure they were safe in the house. If the dog was upset/not easy to handle, they would call AC. Luckily, while not my choice of places for the dogs to spend time, our AC is very humane and clean. I would not have a problem with them having to be housed there until DH could get home.

I would have a problem lifting either of our dogs. However, the places I go there are others around. To ask someone else to help with a injured dog, be sure to secure your dog's muzzle. Any dog can bite while in extreme pain. A roll of gauze will do the trick, even a leash.

I have been in the position to have to drive an injured dog to the vet by myself. I can and did do it. Bandit had somehow tweaked his back and refused to move. After attaching his collar I tried to encourage him to move to the car. He was the sweetest lab ever but he was in pain and snapped at the leash. Luckily my neighbor helped me. I did muzzle Bandit and we carefully carried him to the car. The e-vet muzzled him also, to protect themselves, after I described what was going on. No way would Bandit ever need to be muzzled under normal circumstances, this was protection of anyone handling him. Luckily, all turned out OK.

Our vet is 15 minutes in one direction, the E-vet the same in the opposite direction. During rush hour/heavy traffic, I would not hesitate to call 911 and ask for assistance to get through.

[SunDance]

One thing that's good to remember is the kindness of strangers. If I needed help despite being as prepared as possible, I'd ask for it.

Gosh knows I've volunteered help many a time (the most serious dog-related one was for a Chow with heat stroke...Bob carried the dog to the owner's car...she was flipped out...and I called our vet on the way over, asking them to stay open for us....carried dog back out to car and directed owner to emergency hospital after dog was released by our vet...no overnight services and they used to close at 7). The Chow ended up being fine after getting iced by our vet and who knows what else. Yeah...Bob was soaked by the end of the night but the woman wouldn't have been able to carry the dog and when the husband joined us he was dressed for work.

[Labradorks]

I keep a first aid kit in the car, especially now that I do field work as we are in fields with holes and dogs going 100 mph. Plus, bee stings and all that, which has happened (human and dog). I keep bandanas in there, too. Can come in handy for many things.

Keep my phone on me.

Also, I got rid of SUV type vehicles and got a VW Wagon for easier transporting.

That's about it though...