First Aid for Puppies

Name: Hands Free Dog Leash for One Large Dog (Short Version)
Brand: Pet Dreamland
SKU: PD-HFOPH001-BCK
Price: 28.99 USD
Availability: InStock

Image by Валентин Симеонов from Pixabay

What to do in an emergency

It is wise to have a procedure in place if your dog has an emergency, but it is even more important for new puppies. Puppies have weaker immune systems, underdeveloped digestive systems, and they can get themselves into trouble as they are still learning about the world.

Be prepared for emergencies.

Having quick access to a vet could be the difference between life and death for your puppy. Therefore you should:

Have your local Vet's number stored on your phone or a card in your wallet or purse.
If you are out of the area, make sure you have numbers for Vets on your traveling site.
If you are taking your puppy abroad, make sure you have done all the necessary paperwork, have all the required ID, and have all the injections they need.

Assess the emergency

It is essential to remain calm in an emergency and keep the puppy calm because they will likely be stressed and anxious.

It would help if you rang the Vet for advice as soon as possible, but you also should try to help your dog as much as possible until help is sought. You can:

Make the area around you and the dog as safe as possible. If it is safe to do so, then you can move the dog to a safer location but be careful as sometimes moving the dog could cause more harm than good.
Keep them awake and responsive. Talk to them, say their name, and stroke them.
Ensure their airway is unrestricted, and they are breathing as normally as possible in the current situation.
Keep checking their pulse for a heartbeat and report it to the Vet when you get to their clinic or come to you.
Stop any bleeding as best you can.

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First Aid Kit for Puppies and Dogs

Having a first aid kit is something you should have but will hopefully never need. They are easy to keep in your rucksack, car, and home.

There is no way to prepare for every emergency that a puppy or adult dog can get itself into, but there are some essential items that will cover many bases.

You can buy complete first aid kits, or you can build your own. Here are some examples of what you might include:

Whistle
Scissors
Emergency foil blanket or bag
Triangular bandage
Gauze dressing
Assorted bandages
Antiseptic wipes
Tick removers
Tape
Surgical gloves

Learn Dog CPR

Again, hopefully, you will never need to administer this, but it could be a valuable thing to know. Some Vets, Rescue Centres, and dog trainers may offer courses locally or learn from YouTube and blogs.

Below is a quick guide to what you can do:

Take the dog's tongue between your finger and thumb and pull it forward so they do not swallow it.
Make sure the throat is free from obstructions. Try to remove any you find.
Check they are breathing by observing that their chest is moving up and down. If you cannot tell if they are living, then check for a pulse/heartbeat.
If you are positive, they are not breathing / any heartbeat… then you should start CPR.
If you can move the dog, then move it to the flattest and firm place possible.
Then you should lay the dog down on its right side; however, if you have a barrel-shaped dog, it is best to do their CPR on their backs midway down their chest.
Now compress the chest twice per second—each time leaving it to return to its resting position.
Do this 30 times.
Then extend their neck away from its body, close their mouths and hold their nose, then blow down the dog's nostrils.
Then check for a heartbeat. If nothing, repeat the process.

Obviously, with small dogs or puppies, you must be careful. It would help if you were forceful enough for the CPR to work but not too bold where you could break their ribs.

Heimlich Maneuver for Dogs

The Heimlich Maneuver is another first aid procedure that is useful to learn, especially for puppies. Puppies are much more likely to get things stuck in their throats because they have smaller throats and perhaps have not known what they should and should not try to put in their mouths.

If you think your dog has something stuck in its throat, then try this:

Hold their mouth open and sweep your fingers from side to side in their mouth to see if you can feel it and dislodge it.
Take their hind legs and hold them up, so they are in a wheelbarrow position, with their head facing down and only their front paws on the floor. They then might be able to wretch the item out themselves.
Have the dog on all fours facing away from you, with their bottom press up against you. Then with your fists, press up to compress the abdomen. You need to be quite forceful when doing this, especially if it is a big dog.
If they still have something stuck, then from the same position as in Number 3, give the dog a sharp blow with the palm of your hands, right between the shoulder blades.

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Final thoughts

Learning a few first aid techniques and having a first aid kit on you could be the difference between life and death. They do not cost much, and the techniques do not take long to learn.

Your main concern is causing no more significant harm and getting the dog to the Vet as soon as possible. Even if you think everything is now fine, still take them to the Vet for a check-up.

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