Mary Allen
Suddenly it happens. The accident strikes and your dog lies lifeless and bleeding in front of you. Gain knowledge of how to gain control of the situation.
Drama without warning, that’s what always happens. No one is allowed to know the time and place of accidents in advance. The knowledge of how to act in an accident must always be included in order to be picked up, in an hour, tomorrow, or in ten years.
The most serious incidents need rapid action, but the steps to urgently save lives in the first stage are not many, it is important to gain control over breathing, bleeding, and circulation.
First, it is important to make an assessment of the situation. What has happened? Is there a risk of further damage? The dog may be lying unprotected on a road after a car accident with vehicles passing by. Should you move the dog or warn passers-by?
More important than anything else, whatever happens, is that you remain calm.
Get Control of Breathing
Watch, listen, feel. First of all, make it clear to you if the dog is breathing. Does the chest move? Can you hear the breaths? Do you feel your breasts rise? Large dogs breathe between ten and twenty times a minute, small dogs a little more often.
Check the airways. Depending on what has happened, the mouth and throat must be checked so that the airways are clear. Open your mouth and pull out your tongue. Maybe there is rubbish in the road that needs to be removed.
Does the heartbeat? Feel the pulse on the inside of the thigh, or on the left side of the chest next to the elbow.
Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation
If the dog is not breathing and you can not feel the pulse, start cardiopulmonary resuscitation. Lay the dog on its side with the left side up. Place your hands on top of each other on the dog’s chest at the elbow and press firmly a few times. Adjust the pressure to the size of the dog. If nothing happens, you move on with artificial respiration.
Artificial Breathing
Do this: Stretch your throat, hold your mouth shut and blow air through your nose. Not too much, adjust to the size of the dog. Small dogs do not have large lungs. Watch as your chest rises as you inflate.
First, take a few quick breaths, and then continue to blow in the air about twenty times per minute. So one breath every three seconds.
Check if the breathing has started and if the heart is beating. If not, artificial respiration must be alternated with cardiac massage: 20 breaths followed by some definite pressure over the chest.
The easiest way is for two people to work together, where one takes care of the breathing and the other stimulates the heart with a couple of quick shocks every two seconds.
Stop the Bleeding
Rather about the nose. If the dog has injured itself so that it bleeds heavily, you can count on it being in pain. If the dog is conscious, you should put on a snout before connecting the wound.
Print. Heavy bleeding where the blood flows or pulsates is stopped by grasping the wound edges and pushing inwards. Hold the injured body part high, above the heart. Apply pressure to the wound, a folded handkerchief, or similar. Reinforce the pressure by inserting a stick before pulling anything around to hold the dressing in place. If the injury is on the neck, it is better to hold the wound edges together and push inwards.
Stasa. The fastest way to stop blood on the legs is by stasis. You tighten hard below or above the wound depending on whether it is a vein or an artery that is damaged. A stasis should not sit for too long because it restricts the blood supply completely to that part of the body.
Make a Simple Stretcher
Small dogs are most easily carried in the arms. Lift gently and be careful not to squeeze the spine but strive to keep the dog’s back straight. For larger dogs, some type of stretcher is needed. A blanket works to carry if you are at least two people. A disc of some kind is good because the dog then lies with his spine straight. With the help of one or a pair of jackets and a pair of sturdy sticks, you can make a stretcher for longer transports. Close the jacket and turn the sleeves inside out so that they are inside the jacket. Wood in the disturbances. One or two jackets are needed depending on the size of the dog.
If the Dog Falls Into the Water
All dogs can swim, but despite that, drowning accidents occur. No one sees that the dog falls overboard and that it does not come up. The dog may swim too far out, become exhausted to swim. The reasons can be many.
Empty the unconscious dog of water. Lift it in the hind legs so the water flows out. Clear the airways and begin cardiopulmonary resuscitation.