Things I Learned in CPR and First Aid Class for Cats & Dogs

This picture of Emma is an older one from when she ran into our fence and cut her paw pad. I was very thankful to have a first aid kit handy at the time!

If anyone ever gets a chance to take a CPR & First Aid class for companion animals, I highly recommend you do it. Besides learning CPR and first aid, you'll also get a lot of great information on how to prepare for other emergencies. It was four hours that Mike and I felt were very well spent. We now feel so much more prepared for emergencies of all sorts.

While a blog post containing everything we learned in class would take me many hours to write, I thought I'd share some things that were of particular interest to me. A lot of these are things that we didn't know, so I'm hoping that others will find them helpful.

#1 coolest thing I learned- if a cat or dog has a microchip, it is illegal for a laboratory to use them for testing. What this means is that if your cat or dog gets lost and ends up in a shelter, that shelter cannot sell them to a lab.

Other interesting tidbits that I learned-

• The best way to catch a cat or pick up a feisty one is with a rubber backed rug (like one you'd put in the bathroom, with the sticky bottom). The bottom of the rug allows you to grip the kitty without them being able to slip out of it and it provides you more protection from bites since they're thicker than a towel or blanket.
  
• Never make a splint because they often do more damage than good. Instead, carry them with the injured leg dangling away from you.
  
• If you suspect a broken back or neck, do everything you can to not lift them. Instead, grab them by their scruff and extra skin to gently pull them onto a stiff surface that you can carry them on, like a board or stretcher.
  
• The most common cause of poison seen in dogs is antifreeze ingestion. The most common seen in cats is Tylenol ingestion.
• If poisoning is suspected, getting them to orally take household, 3% hydrogen peroxide can induce vomiting. Call your vet or a poison control center first, though.
  
• Never call 911 if you suspect poisoning. Human emergency centers do not have the knowledge about what is toxic to companion animals. One number to keep handy along with your vet's number is the ASPCA's Animal Poison Control Center- 888-426-4435.
• Not all vets will do the emergency procedure to treat bloat, so check with your vet to see if they do it. The signs of bloat often occur within hours of eating and include drooling/salivation, distended abdomen (their stomach area will be enlarged), retching/vomiting without bringing anything up, restlessness, pacing and shock.
  
• The most common causes of bloat are thought to be associated with exercising just before or after eating and gorging on large amounts of food or water. However, sometimes there doesn't seem to be a cause, so it's important to know the signs of it.
  
• If you come into a room and see your dog or cat laying unconscious on the floor, check to make sure that there are no electrical cords nearby before touching them. They may have chewed on a cord & gotten shocked, which will shock you if you touch them. Turn the power off first or unplug the cord.

Got any tips you'd like to share? I'd love to hear them, so don't be shy- leave a comment!