Dog First Aid: 5 Essential Emergency Skills

Top 5 Emergency Veterinary Skills Every Dog Parent Should Know

As a veterinarian, I’ve encountered countless emergencies, and I believe these five skills are crucial for every dog parent to master. Knowing how to assess and act in a crisis can make all the difference for your pet.

1. Assess the Emergency: Is it Critical or Not?

The most important skill you need is knowing how to assess whether something is an emergency. In my experience, many dog owners either wait too long or panic over something minor.

For example, I’ve seen people ignore serious symptoms like a distended abdomen with vomiting, thinking their dog just ate something bad. This could be bloat, a life-threatening condition that needs immediate attention. On the flip side, I’ve received late-night emergency calls about minor issues, such as fleas, which are definitely not urgent.

So, how can you tell if it’s an emergency? Look for key signs like respiratory distress—labored breathing could indicate heart failure. Check your dog’s gums; healthy gums should be bright pink, which indicates good blood circulation. If your dog’s gums are pale, they could be in shock.

2. What to Do if Your Dog is in Shock from Bleeding

One of the more common emergencies is trauma, such as being hit by a car, resulting in severe bleeding. The first thing you must do is assess your dog—check their gum color to see if they are going into shock. Pale gums can be an indicator.

If you identify the source of the bleeding, such as from a lacerated femoral artery in the leg, apply firm pressure over the wound. Use whatever you have available, even a tea towel, to slow the bleeding. Keep applying pressure, adding more layers if necessary. Having a basic emergency kit, like gauze and a cling bandage, can be life-saving.

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3. Handling Poisonings

Poisonings are incredibly common. One of the most frequent emergency calls I’ve received involved dogs consuming toxic substances, like dark chocolate. The first step is calculating the amount and type of chocolate consumed. A chocolate toxicity calculator can be helpful for this.

If your dog shows signs of poisoning—weakness, trembling, or excessive drooling—you may need to act fast, especially if it’s late at night. First, induce vomiting using 3% hydrogen peroxide (5 ml per 10 pounds of body weight). For a 20-pound dog, you’d administer 10 ml. If vomiting doesn’t occur within 10 minutes, repeat the dose.

After inducing vomiting, give activated charcoal to absorb any remaining toxins. One capsule (225 mg) per 10 pounds of body weight should suffice.

4. How to Help a Choking Dog

Imagine throwing a ball for your dog, and suddenly they are gasping for air. This could mean the ball is lodged in their trachea. First, try to remove the object by sweeping your finger in the back of their mouth.

If that doesn’t work, lift your dog up and apply five firm abdominal compressions—this puts pressure on the diaphragm, which could help expel the object. For larger dogs, you may not be able to lift them, but you can still perform abdominal thrusts by pressing upward on their belly toward the chest.

5. Recognizing and Managing Bloat

Bloat, or gastric dilation-volvulus (GDV), is one of the most critical emergencies. This usually occurs in large, deep-chested dogs, like Dobermans. The stomach fills with gas and can even twist, cutting off blood supply and leading to rapid deterioration.

Signs of bloat include repeated vomiting with little to no content coming up and a distended abdomen. Your dog may also appear pale or in shock.

If your dog has not yet progressed to torsion (twisting of the stomach), there are a few things you can try:

• Administer activated charcoal (one 250 mg capsule per 10 pounds of body weight) to reduce gas production.
• Use Gas-X (simethicone) to alleviate gas, with the dosage being one-quarter of a capsule per 10 pounds of body weight.
• Get your dog moving to help expel the gas naturally.

However, if your dog shows severe symptoms, such as shock or persistent vomiting, you must take them to the emergency vet immediately.

Thank you for watching this edition of Veterinary Secrets. These are the top five emergency skills I believe every dog parent should know. Knowing how to act quickly and confidently can save your dog’s life. Don’t forget to subscribe and click the notification bell for more tips like these. Also, check the link below for a free copy of my book!