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Knowledge of basic first aid for pets is
invaluable to every pet owner. Simple steps on the way to the
24-hour emergency vet can mean life or death for pets by allowing
pet owners to calmly take control of an emergency
situation.
Pet owners can learn these tips first hand
at a seminar 7-9 p.m. Tues., Sept. 11. Michael Rumore, DVM of Lake
Seminole Animal Hospital, will lead the free First Aid & CPR
Seminar at the SPCA Humane Education & Training Center, 9099
130th Ave. N., Largo. Register at: www.SPCATampaBay.org or
call 727-586-3591, ext. 134.
Dr. Rumore offers the following tips to
help stabilize a pet in an emergency:
• A wet nose is not how you judge a
dog’s temperature. Take your dog’s temperature the old
fashioned way. Normal body temperature ranges between 100.5 and
102.5 degrees. Temperatures below 97 degrees or above 104 degrees
are considered extremely serious and your dog should be brought to
a veterinarian immediately.
• Pet’s heart rate can be felt
on the chest, behind the front legs or in the femoral region,
inside the hind legs. Typically a dog’s heart rate is over
100 beats per minute. It can be lower in large, well-fit dogs and
it may be far more than 200 in small, excited animals. Very low or
very high heart rates can be serious.
• Notice a pet’s gum color. The
gums should be pale pink. Press on the gums until they blanche,
then count how long the color takes to return. Longer than 2
seconds is cause for concern. Also, a pet’s pupils should be
equal in size and responsive to light. There should be a blink
reflex. Some Siamese and Siamese mix cats’ eyes move back and
forth all the time, in other animals this is a sign of
dizziness.
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