Has your pup’s tail ever been closed in a door? Have you discovered ticks on your long-haired cat? What would you do if you found a dog in a parked car on a warm day or noticed your cat looked more like a bulldog due to a bee sting? April marks National Pet First-Aid Awareness Month, and 20 Pet Safety Crusader Pet First Aid & CPR Instructors will be sharing pet health & safety tips at 12nn EDT weekdays in April at www.Facebook.com/SunnyDogInk
Having taught more than 31,000 pet parents and professionals animal life-saving skills, I still stick to the facts that Veterinarians are the experts, but most of us are not lucky enough to have one velcroed to our hip 24/7. Odds are that when your dog stops breathing or kitty cuts her paw, you will be alone, and it will be after veterinary hours, so…knowing pressure points to minimize blood loss, how to induce vomiting or lower a pet’s body temperature can mean the difference between life and death. YOU can be your pet’s hero if you learn how to rescue Rover or help Fluffy feel better BEFORE professional medical care is available.”
By knowing Pet First Aid you can:
- Lower your pet’s body temperature to prevent brain damage or death.
- Minimize blood loss and prevent infection by properly bandaging a wound. Knowing where the critical arterial pressure points are on your pet could save a life!
- Alleviate choking.
- Expel poison from your pet’s system by properly inducing vomiting, but also knowing when NOT to do so.
- Be the pump your pet’s heart can’t be, moving life-giving blood and oxygen throughout his body, until you can get him to professional medical help.
Pet sitters, groomers and boarding attendants should also know these life-saving skills since they are your dog’s guardian when you are away. “One day after learning pet first-aid, I saved a little dog from choking,” shares Pet Sitter Tina Kenny. Sid Shapiro came to the rescue of a dog that had been hit by a car only weeks after taking a Pet First-Aid Class. Many of my students report having used Heimlich-like thrusts we practice in class to save choking pets, while other students have told me the biggest plus from taking the course is that they have gained confidence to react in any situation.
The last 7-years, I have focused on training the next generation of animal care instructors, so I daily train others to teach Pet First Aid & CPR. Although the course lasts 10-weeks, we stay in touch indefinitely and often work on projects and continue to learn together. We meet quarterly even after my instructor trainees are off teaching in their communities where industry professionals share with us the latest in pet health care. As mentioned above, April is Pet First Aid Awareness Month when 20 of my instructors will be sharing the 4-1-1 you need to know about your dog or cat’s health & safety, so please tune in 12nn EDT every weekday at www.facebook.com/SunnyDogInk.
