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Tuesday, October 16, 2012

Pet First Aid Classes - Learn How To Care For an Injured Pet

If you have pets you know how they can get into things and go where they are not supposed to subjecting themselves to possible injury.  While out walking or exploring the back yard your pup could come in contact with a poisonous plant, step on glass or other sharp object, or have some other minor injury.  What would you do if your cat jumped on top of a hop stove and burned their paws?  Would you know what to do to help them?


I recently had the opportunity to take a wonderful pet first aid class given by the American Red Cross.  This class taught everything from treating minor cuts and scrapes to performing Dog CPR. Other topics included: how to transfer an injured pet, making an emergency muzzle, and what to keep in a well stocked pet first aid kit.

The class was very hands-on.  Each student had their own dog mannequin that we were able to "save" with CPR, secure on a board for transport, splint legs, and bandage paws. The class was broken down into sections based on topic. After each the topic was introduced with a short video, details were discussed by the instructor, and then the skill was practiced on the very cooperative dog mannequin.  Ample time was given during each topic for discussion, questions, and perfecting the newly acquired skill.  At the end of the class a detailed book covering all the topics was available as well as the DVD that was shown in class.  Perfect for review of everything that was taught as well as for future reference.

One very interesting topic was on heatstroke and frostbite. Since I live in a climate with hot summers and cold, snowy winters I found this very useful and informative  Heatstroke and frostbite can easily happen while out walking in extreme temperatures and I feel better knowing how to recognize the symptoms and begin treatment.

As a pet sitter/dog walker I care for many different pets every day and, after completing this very through class, I feel confident my furry friends can be properly tended to in the event of an injury.  After the class the first thing I did was to compile a well-stocked first aid kit.  Actually, two of them - one that is fully stocked and a portable one filled with all the essentials. For a list of the essentials to keep in a portable pet first aid kit to keep in your car please read Pet First Aid - Be Prepared While On The Road . If you love, care for, and share your life with furry friends this is a wonderful way to help protect them and keep them safe.

For more information about this class, and to find one in your area, visit http://www.redcross.org

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