Saving a Pet’s Life

In honor of Prevention of Cruelty to Animals and National Pet First Aid Month, epetsure is dedicating an entire blog post to how you can save a pet’s life.

In order to prevent animal cruelty, you have to know what it looks like.

The 6 Signs of Animal Cruelty are:

1. No Shelter. All animals need shelter to protect them from the elements when they are outdoors.
2. Collar too tight. Not adjusting an animal’s collar as it grows can cause injury, choking and even death.
3. Lack of grooming. Without regular grooming, especially pets with long hair can develop severe matting and even sores.
4. Mange. The presence of mange, caused by tiny parasites, leads to itching, loss of hair and sores from scratching and biting to relieve the irritation. Mange is easily treated with medicated baths.
5. Starvation. This is caused not only by lack of food, but also by improper food, untreated disease and parasites (like worms).
6. Physical Abuse. This includes, hitting, throwing, setting on fire, dunking head under water, etc… Anything that would cause harm/injury to a human, will cause harm/injury to a pet.

If you or someone you know suspect animal cruelty, abuse or neglect, please report it to the authorities. If you are able to get photographs or video of the situation, it will further help to bring criminal charges against the offender and ensure that the pet is removed to safety as soon as possible.

On the other hand, you may find that you are a pet’s only hope for immediate medical help, or the pet in question may be your own.

Here are 9 Pet First Aid Tips:

1. Double-check the pet’s surroundings for safety, like you would a child.
2. In the event of an incident, think first, then act. Rushing to act when unprepared may only stress the animal further. Talking in a soothing voice, approaching the animal while avoiding eye contact, and maintaining a sideways stance can help the animal feel less threatened.
3. If you suspect a broken bone, use common household items to make a splint. For example, a toilet paper tube, bubble wrap and tape work well.
4. If you suspect the pet has ingested poison, do not attempt mouth to snout resuscitation as you may become contaminated yourself.
5. If the pet has been sick for a long time, take a sample of the vomit or feces with you to the vet, as it can help identify any poisons or toxins the animal ingested.
6. If the pet has burns, it’s important to treat the affected areas by running them under cold water for at least ten minutes. And whatever you do, don’t apply any kind of bandages or bedding that may stick to the wound.
7. If the pet is bleeding, use absorbent gauze and apply pressure until the bleeding stops, but not too much pressure. If the bleeding persists, take the animal to a veterinarian.
8. Bleeding ears can more difficult to manage, especially if the ears naturally point upwards. It may help to secure them gently in a downward position, until you can get the animal proper medical attention.
9. If an animal is choking, don’t do anything. Animals are very good at clearing their airways, and as long as they are coughing, they are still breathing.

Pet CPR. Every Pet Parent’s worst nightmare is being in a situation where they have to give their furry friend CPR. But if that day ever comes, the following instructions may save your pet’s life:

1. Place the pet on its right side, as their heart is slightly to the left.
2. Tilt their head slightly upwards (but not overextended) to help prevent their tongue blocking their airway.
3. Begin with 5 breaths – for small animals you may be able to cover their snout with your mouth, with larger animals hold the tongue outside of the mouth and breath into its nose.
4. After the initial 5 breaths, switch from 15 compressions to 2 breaths.
5. Make sure you do not breathe in too much air, just enough to see their chest rise, and allow the compression to rise fully before beginning another.

Of course, epetsure hopes that you will never need to use this information, but in the event that you do find youself in a position where you can save an animal’s life, whether by reporting their abuser, or providing medical assistance, we hope that this information will help you in assisting a furry friend in need.