I don't know about you, but I'm really thankful that we have doctors and paramedics who will attend to us in an emergency. You know, when we panic because something's happened that's out of our control and we don't know what to do. Where would we be without them?

Well it's the same with our pets. We never want to be in the situation where we have to deal with a bleeding wound or choking. I remember on a stormy day once when a pigeon had got into trouble in the sea, not being able to fly. It was blowing a gale but we couldn't leave him there. I went home and got a box and spade and went back and my partner managed to get to him with the help of the spade and we got him in the box. We rushed him 12 miles to a vet to see if he could help. The poor thing was so tired.

And then there was the time I found 2 baby birds who had fell out of their nest. We drove further that time to a bird sanctuary, hoping for help. A dear lady there stayed up all night nursing them, trying to make them pull through. Sadly they were too young to survive. I could tell you all sorts of stories about our love of animals, but that's for another day. My point is that we'd be lost if we couldn't turn to someone for help, wouldn't we?

I'm OK with theory, but not much good with practise. I can read and read 'till the cows come home, but give me an open wound and I'll go to pieces. We're so lucky that we can call the vet in times of emergency and this is something you should always do anyway, to get expert help for whatever has happened. You may need to take your pet straight along to see him and that way the vet will be expecting him.

It's very easy to panic when confronted with an emergency. Nobody wants to see their pet in pain and frightened. The trouble is, if we go to pieces, who can help them? It makes sense to try to avoid accidents as much as we can by being responsible.

Don't leave the gate open so your dog can run away, and be careful about what you plant in your garden. Some flowers and plants are poisonous. Don't leave saucepans of boiling water on stoves if you have a large dog who tends to jump up, and don't be tempted to give him bones that may splinter and get stuck in his throat.

Some older pets might have trouble with getting down the stairs and you know what it's like when someone knocks on the door; they charge down ready to see whoever it is. You don't want them to fall down, so take precautions. Now Toby our 14 year- old Jack Russell can't get down the stairs, we keep a child's stair gate at the bottom, and now he doesn't bother trying to get up them.

It's common sense really, I know, but even if we are careful some things are still out of our control. If your pet has a health problem, you'll know to watch out for things, but sometimes a symptom will show itself and we haven't got a clue what to do.

You've no doubt had to visit the vet in the past and may well have some items at home that you would need in an emergency, but below I've listed some things you should keep handy just in case.

The vet's phone number and an out of hours emergency number (preferably always kept in sight maybe attached to a wall board)

Put these numbers in your mobile/cellphone in case something happens when you're out

Any medical history the vet might need

A first aid for dogs leaflet or guide

Blunt edged scissors

Tweezers

Gauze pads and adhesive tape

Antibiotic ointment

A syringe without the needle to administer liquid medicine

A muzzle (yes, he might turn nasty if he's in pain and distress)

Clean tea-towels or rags

Vinegar solution for wasp stings (just like people really)

Bicarbonate of soda to make into a solution to ease bee stings

Of course, it's always a good idea to get your vet's guidance too.

Transporting An Injured Dog.

It's obviously distressing for us to try and help our pets but it's worse when they won't let us help. They can't understand that we're trying to make them better. Sometimes they can struggle but it is sometimes vital to get them to the vets as quickly as we can. You'll need a muzzle or something to wrap around his mouth like a bit of bandage if he's trying to bite you, but obviously not, if he's choking. 

A blanket or old coat is the handiest thing to wrap an injured dog in. Place it on the floor and lift him by his body onto it and then you're not putting any pressure on his legs. If you're trying to get him in the car, it won't be the easiest of things to do, especially with a larger dog. It'll take two people to lift him using the blanket as a stretcher and then the person who is walking backwards would need to get in the car and literally out the other side so the dog and blanket are positioned on the seat easily and he hasn't been jostled too much. Easier said than done, I know, especially if you've got a bad back, or you might end up with one. It's important though to try to get him moved without too much disruption.

Take bleeding. Apply a pad using lint or cloth and hold in position. Don't ever use a tourniquet or constricting material. Take to the vet immediately. If bone is exposed cover with a light dressing and if limbs are injured, move them as little as possible.

With fits, loosen or take off his collar. Make sure he can't harm himself. Keep his head in a position where he can breathe easily and keep the room dark and quiet. Get him checked over by the vet.

If you suspect poisoning, take him straight to the vet, with the source of the poisoning if you know what it was. Don't try to make him sick unless your vet tells you to.

With an obstruction in his throat, if you can see what is causing it and can reach it with tweezers or forceps, gently take it out but don't force it. Get your dog straight to the vets as he might need an anaesthetic. Don't force up any threads you may see that he tried to swallow, because you don't want to do any more damage.

There are many different situations and we would rather be without any of them because we want out dogs to live happily and healthily, but it's a good thing to be prepared in case anything happens and then you can give him the best chance he has of recovery.

I must stress though, even if you're sure you know what to do in an emergency, you must ring the vet ASAP and take his advice. Of course if your pet is in the middle of choking, there won't be time, so do what you can straight away and rush him to the vets. If you see an injured dog in the street, it might be helpful in the fact that you can have help from someone else to transport him to the vets.

Of course, accidents happen out of the blue for lots of reasons, some being out of our control. Maybe we have a pet who needs to be trained better. Perhaps he keeps getting out and running off. There's too many cars around for him to be running around the streets. Maybe he gets into fights with other dogs. Maybe there's something you can do to help eliminate this. It all depends on your individual circumstances.

I hope you found this article helpful. I love dogs and I don't like the idea of any dog suffering. If it can be prevented, I'm all for this. You're welcome to visit my blog to find out more info on dog - training and behaviour
http://behaviourofdogs.blogspot.com/