First Aid Advice For Your Apso's

[Keris]

If your Lhasa Apso dog is injured or has an unexpected medical emergency,
it is important to act quickly.
Knowing how to act in different situations
can be the difference between life and death.

* Always have a first aid kit to hand and ready.
* Always act cautiously
* If your apso has been injured, remember that frightened or hurt apso's can and will bite the people they know and love.
* If your apso does not have any fractured bones then you can wrap them snugly in a towel or blanket.
* Slow down external bleeding with manual compression or a compression bandage around the limbs.
* Do not move your apso unnecessarily.
* Lift injured apso's with a board or blanket if they cannot walk.
* Keep your apso warm, particularly if unconscious, wet, or in shock from haemorrhage or other trauma.
* For apso's that are clearly not breathing, cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) may help.
* Artificial breathing in apso may be accomplished with chest compressions;
* Heart compressions may be effective while your apso is lying on their side.

PLEASE, PLEASE Remember that
vigorous CPR can be dangerous if your apso is breathing or has a beating heart.

MEDICAL CONDITIONS
Heatstroke or exhaustion:
Take your apso straight to a veterinary surgery.
Whilst you are In transit with your apso's
mist your apso's body with cool water or wrap loosely in a wet towel.

Eye injuries
Treat any eye injuries by moistening the exposed eyeball covering it gently
applying gentle compression if bleeding, in order to stop it.
Once again take your apso to your veterinary surgery as eye injuries require immediate attention.

Diabetes:
if your apso has been diagnosed with diabetes mellitus and has a hypoglycaemic situation
(but is not unconscious),
continually place sugar water or honey on the tongue
until you can get to a veterinary surgery and have your apso's glucose level measured.

Seizure:
In the event of your apso have any seizure,
however brief,
phone your veterinary surgery without delay,
who will advise you accordingly
if you should take your apso in and run any potential risks of travelling.

Seizures lasting longer than a minute,
or repeated brief seizures,
are a medical emergency and require immediate attention.

If your apso is having a fit
* Keep your distance, as some apso's can bite if crowded and frightened, you may be just adding to their stress.
* Move any potentially harmful objects out of the way.
* Turn off all distractions, such as the radio, TV and lights, as a quiet, calm and dark environment is best.
* Phone your veterinary surgeon for advice.

[dieselsmummy]

Thank you so much for this Keris...a very valuable post xx

[DAISYBELL]

Ah ha the "fountain of knowledge" is back., thank you, valueable advise. by the way how are you??xx

[adklhasa]

Yes thank you. All good information. Nice to have a place for quick reference.

[dieselsmummy]

Preparation in the home in case of emergency
Remember, don’t panic and don’t try to be a hero. An emergency situation will require you to be speedy, calm and safe. Think slowly but act fast.

Keep a Dog First Aid kit at home and with you when you are travelling – ask your vet for advice on what to keep in here.

Keep the following next to your phone
1. Name, address and telephone number of your vet – so you have these ready. Make sure you check the emergency number you have with your vets regularly
2. A working pen - to take down instructions if necessary

Do not rush straight to your vets without telephoning first. It may be that the emergencies are seen at a different site, or it may be vital for the vet to give advice, or there may be no vet at the surgery.

Don't give the dog patient anything to eat or drink unless the vet tells you to do so.

If your dog has swallowed anything that has made him unwell, such as a chemical kitchen cleaner, take the packaging with the name on it to the vet with you.

The following should be read before any incident happens so you are prepared. This is for guidance but please remember to call your vets in an emergency!

The ABC’s

The following routine is the sequence to follow if you have a collapsed or injured dog:

A = Airway
It is important to ensure your dog can breathe properly and that there are no obstructions to the airway.
Common obstructions include swallowed bones, stones, or toys. Vomit or swelling can also obstruct the airway.

Action to take if an obstruction: Always be careful when doing anything in your dog’s mouth. A dog in pain or partly conscious can easily bite hard and cause injury. Carefully open the dog’s mouth and look to see if there is anything visible that might be causing an obstruction. If there is, try to pull it out using a blunt implement – the handle of a spoon works well. If you can do so easily pull the dog’s head back so the neck is straight and pull out the tongue. This should clear the airway.

B = Breathing
Check your dog is breathing by watching his chest to detect any movements and place your hand or a small piece of light material at the nostrils to detect airflow.

Action to take if there is no breathing: The safest way to help a dog breathe is by compressing the chest. In small dogs this can be done with one hand but one hand each side of the chest will be required for larger dogs.

C = Circulation
If the dog’s brain is starved of oxygen because of poor circulation collapse and death will follow very rapidly. Poor blood flow may be because the heart has stopped or because of blood loss either internally or externally. If there is arterial bleeding there may be bright red blood spurts. If there is venous or capillary bleeding (this is more common) there may be a continual, darker red, blood flow. If bleeding is severe the gums will be pale. To detect whether a dog’s heart is beating, hold one hand across the chest just behind the elbows. You should be able to feel a heart beat.

Remember not to put yourself in danger and always seek help. Take care around any other potential hazards in the vicinity – move the dog if safer and you are able to do this with ease. A shocked and injured dog may bite, even if this is not normally in their nature, so please be prepared and use a muzzle or tie to secure his nose while you are attempting to help. Done securely but not too tight this will cause no harm to the dog and will help you provide safe more effective first aid.

[Keris]

Thank you Nancy
a fantastic post with so much valuable information
great content.

I am sure this will assist our apso parents.