A 999 FOR CANINES
Lessons to save doggy lives
IT’S a fear all owners have – a beloved pet suddenly falls ill or is badly hurt.
Most people say the first thing they would do is panic – and that would have been my response if anything happened to my terrier Daisy.
So I jumped at the chance to learn first aid with Rachel Bean, a veterinary nurse and canine behaviourist with 20 years of experience. Her No1 tip is to stay calm. Rachel said: “We have an emotional attachment to our pets so if something is wrong we go into fight- or- flight mode. But the key is to keep calm.
“My courses leave people equipped with enough knowledge to cope with a lot of potentially fatal situations.
“These are what to do if your pet is poisoned, if it has a twisted gut, how to give CPR, deal with choking, stem bleeding and bandaging.”
The four-hour course costs £45 and, as well as hands-on learning, Rachel flags up everyday hazards.
Dogs can be poisoned by all kinds of things, such as paracetamol and OUR vet Brian Faulkner, from Petplan, has 16 years of experience and is a freelance working all over the country. Send your questions to Brian at: Petplan, Great West House, Great West Road, Brentford, Middlesex, TW8 9DX or via Petplan’s Facebook page facebook.com/ PetplanUK. e-cigs in our handbags. Then there are things we should not feed them, such as chocolate, onions and raisins.
Rachel does courses all over the country but I signed up to one at the Pets Animal Hotel in Lymm, Cheshire, where Daisy boards. Along with 16 other owners, I learned how to bandage cuts and do CPR – or mouth to nose.
Rachel showed us how to check for pulse points at two spots around the dog’s legs, how to seal their mouth so air could pass through the nostrils and how to compress the chest.
She says CPR can work in up to 15 per cent of emergency cases.
“I’ve had people who have come on courses then had to carry it out in real life. One recent case was a lady who found a dog who had been hit by a car and another had to use it on her dog.
“Sadly, they weren’t able to save them but they said knowing they tried was a huge comfort. That is the case with all the elements of the course.
“You want to treat your pet as best you can and having extra knowledge gives you the confidence to do that.”
For courses, see rachelbean.co.uk.
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