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Dog First Aid Principle Revealed

Provide Air And Plug the Leaks

The following dog first aid principles - could save your pets life. In a major life threatening first aid emergency - remember this maxim: "Provide Air and Plug the Leaks". So, what do I mean by provide air and plug the leaks?

There are two things that will kill your dog quickly - (1) lack of air and (2) major bleeding. If you are out in the field you will not have time to call a vet - so what are you going to do?

You are going to have to try and save your pets life yourself. In this article, I am going to deal with the technique for 'mouth to nose' dog rescue breathing.

My Dog Is Not Breathing

If your dog stops breathing, but his heart is beating, (See my article entitled: A 'Head to Toe' Dog Exam) you will need to get some air into your dog as fast as possible.

Are Your Surroundings Safe?

The first thing you must do, is to ensure your own safety by observing your immediate surroundings. Ask yourself, "Am I and my dog safe"? "Are we free from imminent danger"? (i.e. such as fallen electrical wires or oncoming traffic)?

If you just pulled your dog out of the water and its looks like a near drowning, then you likely have identified 'the mechanism of injury'.

Check Your Dogs Airway

Quickly look into your dogs mouth for any obstruction. If there is one, carefully try and remove it by pulling the dog's tongue forward and grasping the foreign object.

Blow Into Your Dogs Nose

If your dogs airway is clear, close your dogs mouth (and seal any air leaks with your hand). Gently blow into your dogs nose. Use enough air to make his/her chest rise. Do this, about one breath every three seconds.

Congratulations! You just did what was absolutely necessary from a canine first aid point of view.

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