Being prepared, whether traveling or at home is always important for your pets. We would like to offer some helpful suggestions for knowing what to do.
Find out if your veterinarian accepts emergency and after-hours calls. Get that phone number if it's different from the regular clinic phone number. If your vet doesn't take emergencies, find the emergency veterinary clinic closest to you. Always have the emergency phone number on hand, in case you need it. Once an emergency happens, it's too late to go searching through the phone book.
Attending to cuts or bites-The first thing to do is muzzle your pet to protect yourself from getting bitten. Even the friendliest pet will bite when afraid or in pain. If you don't have a muzzle you can fashion one out of old nylons or an old tie. Let it slide as far back (toward the head) as possible. Don't muzzle an animal that's having difficulty breathing or is unconscious. It's difficult to muzzle a cat.
Try wrapping her in a towel to help control her movements and protect you from her claws. Once the mouth is secured, inspect the wound. Remove any debris, dirt, or foreign objects. Gently rinse the abrasion with saline or regular water and a mild soap. It's OK to apply an antibiotic cream or spray; just be sure to bandage the wound so your pet doesn't lick the cream or spray.
If there's a gaping wound, once it's cleaned, cover it with a gauze bandage and wrap it with a roll of gauze or a clean towel. Then, the bandage should be held in place by adhesive tape. The bandage should be snug, but shouldn't cut off circulation to the wounded area or cause further damage. If there's bleeding, use an old towel or gauze bandage to apply firm pressure to the wound to help stop or slow the bleeding then, take the animal directly to the veterinarian.
Treating Stings - If your pet is stung by a bee or wasp, use tweezers to remove the stinger. Apply a cool compress on the sting or bite, such as a towel soaked in cold water, or an ice pack (ice in a plastic bag, wrapped in a cloth or towel) Cortisone cream can be applied to the bite; just be sure the pet can't ingest the cream. You'll need to put on an Elizabethan collar or bandage the wound.
Treating Burns - Rinse the burned area with cool water. Apply an ice pack to the area. The ice shouldn't be placed directly on the skin. Put it in a plastic bag or wrap and cover it with a cloth or thin towel. Then take the animal directly to the veterinarian. Note: DON'T use any ointments, gels, Vaseline, butter, or other oily substance on the burned area. That may cause further damage.
It IS possible for your pet to get sunburned, especially animals with white fur, thin hair (as young or old animals are more likely to have), or in areas that have no hair. The best idea is to prevent sunburn by putting sun block on the exposed skin of your pet, such as the nose, tips of ears, and hairless part of the abdomen. If these areas do get sunburned, applying a cool, wet towel will provide immediate relief for the pet. And applying aloe vera gel to the burns will help with the healing process.
Treating Heat Stroke - Your pet us susceptible to heat exhaustion or heat stroke when exposed to prolonged periods of heat and sunlight. Signs of heat exhaustion are excessive panting, anxiousness, dry gums, redden skin (most easily seen on the ears). The signs of heat stroke are lethargy, wobbly walking, and loss of consciousness. If either of these occur, cool the pet right away and, as always, get him or her to the veterinarian. Put the animal in a shaded or air conditioned area, wet the body with cool (not cold) water. Rubbing isopropyl alcohol on the belly and fanning the area will help dissipate the heat. If a pet is suffering from heat stroke, don't try to give water. Get him or her to the vet immediately.
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