I'm sure that you've probably had a couple pet emergencies in your time. They always seem to happen after vet business hours and quite often on the weekend. It's almost like they want to test your love for them by incurring large charges.

I recently adopted a little Chihuahua/Pomeranian puppy from a shelter in California. He's a spunky little trouble maker. Our other two dogs and the cat took him under their wing and are showing him the ropes. They all get along, play hard and nap often.

Last night, I went out to the garage to dig out some paint and heard a loud woof and then a lot of screaming. I ran back inside to see that our Husky X had bitten the little puppy on the head. The puppy was hiding in a kitchen corner just screaming for all he was worth. I tried to calm him down so I could see the damage and eventually he let me take a look at him. He started to develop a hematoma bruise between his eyes, on his cheek and another under his chin. There weren't any punctures to the skin that I could tell and I was starting to think that all would be ok until he started sneezing blood everywhere. I called our normal vet who was packed for the evening so I called my backup vet. They told me to come on in so my hubby and I jumped in the car and rushed over. By the time we got there, my arms and the interior of my car were coated in blood and the puppy had stopped crying. We walked in and saw the Doctor who poked and prodded and caused more squealing. They gave the puppy a pain killer which mellowed him right out and also a shot for inflamation. There weren't any broken bones, just a lot of swelling. They sent us home with a doped up puppy, some anti-biotics and a bill for $100.38.

Good thing we love the little squirt.

 Thinking back on the incident made me realize that I should know more about general first aid or at least how to handle an emergency.  I surfed the net to find these few tips:

• Try to calm your pet down.  Frightened or excited pets may bite when you are trying to examine them.  It took me a few minutes to calm my puppy down before I felt safe touching him.
• For bleeding, press a thick gauze or towel to the wound to help the blood clot.  Depending on the size of the wound, it may take several minutes.
• If your pet stops breathing, try to stay calm and help your pet.  Close your pets mouth with you hand and keep it closed while you breath into your pets nose until it's chest expands.  Repeat every 4-5 seconds until you can get medical help from your veterinarian.
• Know when to call for help.  If you are not comfortable/knowledgeable enough to help your pet, do not hesitate to call your vet.  It only takes a few precious seconds for life to slip away.

 It's easy to smother your pet in attention and extra care.  You've had a bad scare and you are just so happy to still have your friend.  Your pet probably won't understand why he/she is getting all the extra treatment.  Try to care for your pet the same way before the incident.  If you have to apply ointment, administer antibiotics or change a dressing, give praise as you do it but let your pet readjust to normal life.  I've seen many pets whose owner smothered them in love and extra privileges turn from well behaved to spoiled very quickly.  It's very hard to undo any behavior changes.