Der Rottweiler.com | rottweiler health > emergent first aid > page 1 > electrical trauma sun radiation bleeding acids or alkaline effect breathing and cardiac disorder up to loss of consciousness first aid principles, wounds and bleedings, wound toilet and dressing, bleeding, chest wounds, abdominal cavity wound

› Traumas and sudden illnesses: first aid principles, wounds and bleedings, wound toilet and dressing, bleeding, chest wounds, abdominal cavity wounds.
› Attention! Most described lesions and illnesses require urgent transportation to veterinary.


	Important! Dog owners must keep in mind that upon all described illnesses several hours may turn to be the matter of pet's life!


	Notice! Tips below may help you not to be at loss and to do not panic in a difficult situation, however we insist on immediate transportation of the dog to veterinary right after first aid. If it's impossible for any reason urgently call a veterinary. …And let our dogs be always healthy. ^{Der-Rottweiler.com}

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HEALTH ›› Emergent first aid ›› Page 1

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emergent first aid

—› First aid principles (this page)

—› Wounds and bleedings (this page)

—› Wound toilet and dressing (this page)

—› Bleeding (this page)

—› Chest wounds (this page)

—› Abdominal cavity wounds (this page)

—› Tetanus (page 2)

—› Limp (page 2)

—› Crucial ligament break (page 2)

—› Road accidents (page 2)

—› Poisoning (page 2)

—› Diarrhea (page 2)

—› Vomiting (page 2)

—› Constipations (page 2)

—› False pregnancy (page 2)

—› Insect bites (page 2)

—› Gastroenteritis (page 2)

—› Bronchopneumonia (page 2)

• first aid principles

Setting about first aid to harmed or suddenly sicken dog first evaluate common state of the pet, find out the cause of the trauma or illness and eliminate it immediately if possible.

Usual causes are:

— current;

— sun radiation;

— bleeding;

— acids or alkaline effect;

— breathing and cardiac disorder up to loss of consciousness.

So, upon electrical trauma you are to switch off the power source, upon sunstroke — darken the room or put the dog in the shade, upon wound – stop bleeding, upon burn – neutralize acid or alkaline effect, upon faint — artificial respiration, etc. Certainly, dog owner shall be able to deal with current, acids and alkaline to be safe while saving the pet. He or she is also to be good in methods of artificial respiration for pets.

Following help depends on whether it was an accident or illness. Wounds and burns require bandage, stop of bleeding; dress in splints upon fractures. If the dog is ill, give appropriate medicine. [back]

• wounds and bleedings

Keeping in mind that rottweiler is often used for guard and what his or her nature makes dog protect the master, let's examine unpleasant matter of wounds and lesions as a result of wrongdoer's actions. Though bits may hardly be considered as a result of fight between a dog and a human – they would rather appear after dogs' scrap – we will still count it wounds.

Wound is solution of continuity with skin or mucosa injury. The wound may be slash or flesh.

Depending on hurting thing and nature of injury wounds may be:

— Incised wounds;

— bite wounds;

— torn wounds;

— crashed wounds;

— punctured wounds;

— chopped wounds;

— shell wounds.

Each one has it's own features. So, margins of incised wounds are clean, parting, heavy bleeding. These wounds appear on cuts by glass or sharp metal things.

Bite, crashed and torn wounds bleed less, but they are more painful, and heal weakly, because such wounds edges lose selfhealing ability. Hurt by barbed wire or bitted by another dog skin often exfoliates shaping deep pockets. Then it's necessary to cleanse wound of hair and dirt as deep as possible. However it's always necessary to consider thoroughly the wound treatment: either you deal with it as with open wound or you suture. Last one is acceptable unless there may be futher complications on cure.

Flesh wounds and raws may be cured by household remedies. Hurt area must be let of hair by bent scissors; otherwise hair will be agglutinated by wound secretions what may rankle. Wound shall be treated by special gel, or aerosol, or infusion. Fat ointments impede air passage which is necessary for the wound healing; powders form crust.

Punctured wounds appear on stabs, they may be invisible because of dog's hair and usually don't bleed heavy. However punctured wounds may be very deep with damage of deep tissues and bodies.

Keep in mind that dog's wounds lead to bleeding and are «wide gate» for infection. As you'd found the wound, first stop the bleeding, then save hurt place from microorganisms by toilet of the wound and put on bandage.

Dog shall be able to lick open wound, or bleeding one, or rankling one. However in the other case it will do nothing but delay the treatment because it leads to destruction of tender new tissue cells on the wound edges. To prevent licking of the place and breaking the bandage you may use special «collar». Use plastic bucket of suitable size, first cut it's base, so make a kind of wide hoop with diameter equal to dog's neck girth. Then cut it, make two holes on each side and lace it to fix this «collar» as a dog-collar. [back]

• wound toilet and dressing

Wound toilet and dressing are to be made the following way: hair around the wound shall be docked by scissors or shaved; wound shall be bathed in a peroxide solution, then wound edges shall be painted with iodine infusion (or with spirit, whiskey, vodka, cologne — depending on the case).

If the wound is not big, you may paint it with iodine and put the bactericidal plaster; apply a few drops of medical glue on the incised wound after appropriate treatment of hurt tissue.

Use any clean material for bandage, better use sterile napkins and dressing packages usually sold in drugstores. Napkin corner shall be taken by tweezers. If there's no tweezers you may use your hands. At the same time keep in mind: never touch the part of napkins which is to be applied to the wound, it shall stay sterile. Cotton layer and roller shall be placed upon the napkin to fix it on the wound.

First aid dressing package is very good to use for dressing. You can purchase it in drugstores.

Medical bandages (cloth rollers and dressing–cloth — depending on the case) may be used for dressing. If you take simple kerchief and cut it at the fold you get dressing-cloth. Dressing–cloth helps to fix bandage on many parts of dog's body: on the head, on the limbs — upon fingers and pads hurts, on the knee joint. Better use roller bandage on the plain parts of the body. Put the bandage from left to right side, each layer of bandage shall overlap previous one. [back]

• bleeding

Any wound goes with heavy or slight bleeding. On hurt of capillaries or veins bleeding is usually slight; blood is dark then. On arteries hurt blood is bright red, effuses heavy, impulsively, forcefully.

To decrease blood loss, first aid shall be on the accident place, and then bring the dog to the veterinary.

On slight veinous and capillary bleedings the wound is oppilated by clot of blood, so that bleeding stops. But generally hurt dog needs aid. Wound shall be treated as recommended above, and taut dressing shall be done. If the bandage is heavily soaked in blood, put cotton upon and bandage again. You may also put ice or snow package on the bandage. Cold will coarct vessels and bleeding will decrease.

If dog's limb is hurt, you may place the et on his / her back to decrease bleeding so that paw was updrawn. Dressing a limb keep in mind that roller winds shall go from the bottom to the top, i.e. from finger pads to body.

If limb wound goes with heavy arterial bleeding, then you may try to place constrictor or cloth garrot above the wound; use everything you have to make the constrictor — whether it was handkerchief, belt or tie. Remember: rubber constrictor shall be placed stretched; cloth garrot also shall be put above the bleeding place (handkerchief or tie shall be slightly knotted, then put wood stick or pencil into the loop and twist). Properly placed constrictor or garrot decreases bleeding and stops it soon. Constrictor or garrot shall be unbraced for a minute after each hour with a finger put on artery above the bleeding place. That's made to avoid constriction of the nerve trunks and limb paralysis.

If you succeed in bleeding stopping, give (or force dog to) cold sweet strong tea or coffee to dog. On heavy blood loss to support normal heart work you may give cardiac drops to dog (Attention! Better ask your vet about dosage previously). Medicine is better to be mixed with tea or coffee. On grave state blood flow to dog's brain and bodies may be forced by tight dressing of limbs; dog shall be placed on his / her back with legs updrawn.

Long bleedings, especially heavy blood losses, aggravate hurt dog's state. He / she becomes weak, mouth mucosa is pale, limbs and ear tips are cold, breath and pulse rate quicken, muscle convulsions may appear.

By no means, hurt dog's state depends on his / her age, general state before hurt, lost blood amount, blood loss speed. Puppies and young dogs languid after recent illnesses like plague, hepatitis, etc. heavy come through blood loss.

After first aid at home urgently bring the dog to the veterinary or call a vet. [back]

• chest wounds

Pleura and lungs are damaged on punctured, knife and shell wounds of chest. Wounds go with air passage to the abdominal cavity. Upon aspiration air is released from the wound, from nasal and oral cavity with noise and bloody spume. If the lung is wounded, there can appear respiratory distress, dyspnea, bloody cough.

If air is released or inhausted by wound (wound «breathes») then smear skin around the wound with vaseline and close the wound by cellophane, polyethylene, or by rubberized case of first aid package. That will help to stop air passage to the pleural cavity. Then put sterile napkin and cotton on the wound and do tight dressing.

First aid — bring dog to the veterinary. [back]

• abdominal cavity wounds

Abdominal wounds lead to hurt of peritoneum, bowel, liver and other vitals of pet, what leads to heavy bleedings with following peritonitis. The worst prognosis is on stomach and bowel hurts when these bodies spout their content to abdominal cavity. Such hurt dogs usually suffer from shock.

First aid is only urgent transportation to the vet. Close the wound by a towel, a sheet, or tight dressing. [back]

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