April Is Pet First Aid Awareness Month

Spring is in the air, the weather is warming up, and the snow piles on the side of the road are finally melting. Exploring trails and the great outdoors with your furry friends is becoming a reality once again. Being active with your pets is a great way to maintain a healthy lifestyle. But alongside all of those memories waiting to be made, also comes the greater potential for injuries. From getting stung, to trips and falls, to the ingestion of things when they don’t “DROP IT!”

The month of April is National Pet First Aid Awareness Month, and is aiming to bring these potentials to light, as well as educate pet owners on the best practices when it comes to your injured pets.

For many people, the idea of first aid for animals is not one of the top items that comes to mind. That is, until something goes wrong. Your pet ingests something they shouldn’t, or gets injured.

The Importance of Prevention

As with anything other potential risks, prevention is the best medicine. Accidents will always happen, but as it’s often said, “an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure,” and this applies to your pet’s safety and health as well. Some easily preventable accidents can be done by simply keeping spring cleaning products, specific plants, and certain foods that can be toxic to your pets out reach for your pets.

A lot of times this means not simply putting them up on a table or open shelf. Pets are curious and if they smell something new, once they find a way to reach what they are smelling, often times they will try more than just a little taste. From finding their way to rat poison you put out to catch the rats in the garage, or leaving your pills sitting out on the bathroom counter, there are plenty of easy ways for your pets to ingest large quantities of toxic items if you aren’t careful.

How You Can Be Prepared

Accidents are bound to happen. So it’s best to take the steps now to be sure you’re ready for when they do occur. We’ve listed out a few of the fastest and easiest steps you can take below:

• Learn what common symptoms to be on the lookout for. These include a change in eating habits, excessive thirst, eye appearance, vomiting, sudden weight loss, and lethargy, among others. Be sure to check American Kennel Club’s blog for more details around these.
• Have a first aid kit readily available for any minor bumps, bruises, cuts, or sprains they may experience during their day to day activities. Having one specifically made for pets is always a bonus as well, as there are different items you might need for a pet that you wouldn’t need for humans. Our Pet First Aid Kit is COMING SOON.
• Watch YouTube videos or other tutorials on how to properly perform CPR, or properly splint your pets paw or leg if you are taking them out on long hikes far away from the ability to get them emergency help quickly.

Common Pet First Aid Emergencies

When dealing with pets, it’s difficult to know exactly what is wrong because they can’t speak to us to tell us where they are hurting. But there are certain symptoms that can easily differentiate between things you can take care of at home with a first aid kit, versus symptoms where you either need to call a vet or go for emergency services. First aid kits are meant to treat only minor injuries. Any of the following symptoms either need emergency services or a visit to a vet:

Emergency Services:

• Obvious wounds or bites
• Ingestions of poisonous/toxic substances
• Wheezing, struggling to breathe
• Eye injuries
• Inability to walk
• Seizures

Veterinary Care:

• Digestion or weight changes
• Swelling of injuries
• Mouth and gum issues
• Skin and coat issues
• Unusual respiratory behavior

For a more exhaustive list about these, check out Banfield’s post about when to call the vet.