5 min read
When something goes wrong, the first few minutes are about staying safe, stopping the problem getting worse and getting your pet to a vet. This guide covers what a calm, prepared owner can do, and just as importantly, what not to do. It does not replace a veterinary visit: it helps you bridge the gap until you reach one.
The first minute: safety and calm
Before you touch your pet, check that the scene is safe.
A hurt animal can bite or scratch out of fear or pain, even a gentle one, and even toward the person it loves most. Move slowly, speak softly and keep your face away from the mouth. If your pet is aggressive or panicking, a towel or blanket placed loosely over the body can calm it and protect you, as long as it does not cover the nose or restrict breathing.
Remove the immediate danger if you can do so safely: switch off a cable, move other animals away, take the pet out of traffic or hot sun. Then phone your vet or the nearest emergency clinic while you act. Many clinics will tell you what to do on the phone and will prepare for your arrival, which saves valuable minutes.
Suspected poisoning
If you think your pet has eaten something harmful, such as chocolate, grapes, xylitol, medicines, rodent poison or antifreeze, do not wait for symptoms.
Many poisons cause damage before any sign appears. Call a vet or a veterinary poison centre straight away and be ready to say what was eaten, roughly how much, when, and how much your pet weighs.
Do not make your pet vomit unless a veterinary professional tells you to. Some substances cause more harm coming back up, and the wrong home remedy can be dangerous in itself. Keep the packaging, the plant or a photo of what was eaten, and take it with you. Our substance pages list the usual warning signs, but a missing sign never means a safe outcome.
Bleeding and wounds
For a bleeding wound, apply gentle but firm pressure with a clean cloth or gauze and keep it there.
If blood soaks through, add more material on top rather than removing the first layer, because lifting it can disturb the clot. Do not use homemade tourniquets unless a professional specifically instructs you, as they can cause serious tissue damage.
Any deep wound, bite wound, wound near the eye or on the chest or abdomen, or bleeding that does not slow within a few minutes needs a vet. Bite wounds look small but often hide deep damage and infection. Do not apply creams, alcohol or hydrogen peroxide to a wound unless your vet advises it.
Overheating and heatstroke
Heavy panting, drooling, bright red or very pale gums, weakness, vomiting or collapse in hot weather can mean heatstroke, which is a life-threatening emergency.
Move your pet to shade or a cool room, offer small amounts of cool water and wet the body with cool, not ice-cold, water. A fan helps. Start heading to a vet while you cool, because the damage can continue after the animal looks better.
Flat-faced breeds such as bulldogs, pugs and Persian cats are at much higher risk, as are puppies, seniors, overweight pets and animals shut in cars. Our guide on extreme heat and cold covers prevention in detail.
Seizures
A seizure is frightening to watch, but your pet is not aware of pain in the way you might imagine.
Do not put your hands near the mouth. Clear away furniture and anything that could cause injury, dim the lights and keep noise low. Note the time the seizure starts and ends, because the duration matters to your vet.
Contact a vet immediately if a seizure lasts more than a few minutes, if several happen close together, or if it is your pet's first. Even if it stops on its own, a first seizure needs a check-up. A short video recorded safely can help the vet understand what happened.
Choking and breathing problems
Pawing at the mouth, gagging, blue or very pale gums, or noisy struggling to breathe are emergencies.
If you can clearly see an object in the mouth and can remove it without pushing it deeper, you may do so carefully, but never reach blindly into the throat. Abdominal thrust techniques exist for pets, but they should be learned from a professional course; do not improvise them.
Go to a vet immediately. Keep the animal as calm and still as possible, because stress and exertion make breathing harder. Flat-faced breeds can have breathing difficulty even without an obstruction, so do not wait to see if it settles.
A simple first-aid kit
A small kit kept at home and another in the car makes a difference.
Useful items are sterile gauze pads and a self-adhesive bandage that sticks to itself and not to fur, blunt-ended scissors, a digital thermometer, disposable gloves, saline solution for rinsing eyes or wounds, a towel or blanket, a muzzle or soft cloth for dogs in pain, and a card with your vet's number, the emergency clinic's number and your pet's weight, vaccines and medical conditions.
Do not store human medicines as part of the kit for your pet. Paracetamol and ibuprofen, for example, are dangerous to dogs and cats. Your vet can tell you if anything specific is worth keeping.