As the owner of a bird dog, one learns very quickly how important it is to have a good dog first aid kit on hand. I've been in my fair share of canine first aid situations: lacerations and abrasions from barbed wire and sticks, cactus barbs and porcupine quills, canine hypoglycemia, heat exhaustion. I'll be the first to admit, however, that more times than not I was just lucky. When it came down to it, I was not properly prepared or didn't know how to use the resources at hand.
Know First Aid- Save Your Hunting Dog's Life
The more time you spend in the backcountry with your dog, the more likely you are to face a canine first aid situation. My upcoming class, First Aid & CPR for Sporting and Backcountry Dogs, will teach owners to provide the best care possible in a first aid situation. You will learn to use a primary assessment to recognize when your dog needs first aid, rescue breathing, and/ or CPR and how to administer it.
Other skills covered will include restraining and muzzling, choking management, bleeding and shock management, insect bites and stings, heat and cold injury, what to do in the case of seizure and assessing your pet's vitals. Students will also be taught how to conduct a snout-to-tail wellness assessment and how to assemble the best pet first aid kit.
Sue Melus is a Certified Pet Tech Instructor. She teaches pet first aid, trains dogs and writes on the Western Slope of Colorado.
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