posted 05-17-2003 08:57 PM         

To get this treatment, the dog must be transported somehow to the local veterinary clinic and it is the owner or Good Samaritan’s place to ensure he or she doesn’t end up in the emergency room as well. The most docile and loving of pets can bite during immense episodes of pain and fear. Then there are the ones who need to remain still so they won’t do further damage or cause excessive bleeding.

First and foremost, the dog that has been severely injured should be muzzled. Many people will protest this necessity until they need to ask help of a neighbor to take their injured dog to the vet while the owner goes to get sutures in the arm, hand or face.

An actual dog muzzle product is not necessary. A makeshift one can be made out of a variety of things with pantyhose or rolled gauze being the easiest ones to use. Take either of these products (gauze will need to be at least 12-24 inches depending on the size of the dog), fold to find the middle and then loop this area under the dogs chin. Bring the ends up over the muzzle, tie together and then pass the ends back under the chin. Make another tie and then bring the ends under the ears to the back of the head (right were it meets the neck). Tie again but make a complete, releasing style of knot. The whole thing should fit snug but not cut into the skin.

Once the dog has been muzzled, examine its injuries and decide the best method of transport. Special care should be taken for those that have been hit by cars or trees, fallen from heights or possibly some other injury that could cause spinal damage. For these, get a piece of plywood if possible, if not, get a sturdy blanket, lay flat on the ground, roll one side and place it as far under the side of the dog as possible. For medium and large breeds, two people are best to try and turn the animal. Taking care to keep the head, neck, back and hips in a line, roll the dog over the blanket roll and onto the flat area. From this position, a person should get on either side of the dog and lift him or her long ways. This means you each will have a hand full of blanket near the head and the rump. Once you are able to get the dog up, place on a flattened area of the car or trunk and transport immediately.

If the dog has suffered deep gashes or cuts and is bleeding profusely, apply pressure to the areas. Pressure bandages can be made of everyday items like towels; shirts, baby blankets or whatever is close to hand. One of the best items for bleeding is a feminine sanitary napkin. These are made to absorb blood and are clean coming out of the package. Some may laugh, but in extreme cases of bleeding, you may want to take another dog (if you have one) to the doctor as well. Blood transfusions are not that uncommon but the refrigerated life of whole blood is. Many doctors will not have a readily available donor to replace the needed blood. Donors will need to be medium or large size dogs.

Dogs that have ingested certain types of poisons or received severe blows to the head will often have seizures. Although these are alarming to the owner, there is little you can do but try to pad the dog’s head and any other injured areas. Do NOT attempt to reach into the dog’s mouth and grab its tongue! He or she will not swallow it no matter how many horror stories you have heard. These dogs are totally unaware and out of control of their actions. With seizures the muscles clench and release or tremble. If the muscles do clench, it is imperative that your fingers are not between the jaws when they shut.

If your dog has indeed ingested a poison or chemical, take the bag it came in with you. This will provide immense help to the doctor for determining the treatment plan. Some things will need to be treated with injections, others with vomiting or activate charcoal pumped into the stomach.

Seizuring dogs will also lose control of the bladder and bowels. You may want to keep this in mind while transporting and place some type of covering over your seats or carpet. Once the seizures stop or pause, do not be alarmed if the dog acts drunk or exceedingly sleepy. This is a normal occurrence.

Snakebites are seldom fatal so be careful while driving to the vet's. Coral snakes can be deadly but since the mouth on these are so tiny it is rare to see cases of bites from this species. Unless the dog has been bitten by a venomous snake, in the mouth or throat area, he or she will usually survive the trip to the doctor for steroids and antibiotics. As with any type of bite or sting, there are exceptions to the rules so always get care for the dog as soon as possible.

Heat stroke or exhaustion, electrical shocks, ingestion of antifreeze, any rat or insecticide poisoning should receive assistance as soon as possible. The survival rate on any of these can be measured in the response time of the owner.

By taking the time to evaluate the situation and take precautionary measures, the chance for any injury to the person helping the dog can be greatly reduced as well as the risk of further injuries to the dog.