Knowing what to do in the first minutes of a veterinary emergency can save your pet's life. Most owners are not prepared to act in critical situations such as choking, heatstroke, poisoning or a traffic accident. This article does not replace in-person first aid training, but provides the keys to acting calmly and effectively while transporting the animal to the vet.
Golden Rule: First Call the Vet
In any emergency, the first step is to contact the nearest veterinary clinic or a 24-hour emergency clinic to warn them you are on your way and describe the situation. The vet can guide you on what to do during transport. In Spain, many cities have 24-hour veterinary emergency clinics; it is highly recommended to have the number saved before you need it.
Heatstroke: An Emergency That Allows No Delay
Heatstroke is one of the most common emergencies in summer and one of the deadliest. It occurs when body temperature exceeds 41°C, causing irreversible multi-organ damage in minutes. Signs include: intense panting, excessive drooling, red or bluish mucous membranes, weakness, ataxia and seizures.
What to do:
- Remove the animal from the heat immediately.
- Wet the animal's body with cool (not ice cold) water, especially the neck, armpits and groin. Ice water causes peripheral vasoconstriction and can worsen the condition.
- Place in front of a fan if possible.
- Do not cover the animal with wet towels: they trap heat.
- Transport urgently to the vet even if the animal seems to be recovering: internal damage can appear hours later.
Choking: Act Without Delay
Signs of choking include: intense and repeated coughing, scratching at the mouth with paws, cyanosis (bluish mucous membranes), breathing difficulty or loss of consciousness.
What to do:
- Carefully open the animal's mouth and try to see the object. Only remove it if clearly visible and reachable without pushing it further in. Never blindly insert fingers.
- If the object is not visible, apply an adapted Heimlich maneuver: position the animal standing or on its side, apply firm upward pressure to the abdomen just behind the last ribs (5 quick compressions). For small dogs and cats, with the animal face down, give firm blows between the shoulder blades.
- If the animal loses consciousness, begin CPR.
Basic CPR in Dogs and Cats
Basic veterinary CPR follows the CAB scheme (Circulation, Airway, Breathing):
- Chest compressions: lay the animal on its side. For large narrow-chested dogs: compress at the highest point of the chest at 100-120 compressions per minute, one third of the chest width. For wide-chested dogs (Bulldog, Pug): compress over the sternum in dorsal recumbency. For cats and very small dogs: compress by surrounding the chest with hands and squeezing.
- Ventilations: close the animal's mouth, extend the neck and blow into the nostrils until you see the chest rise. 2 ventilations per 30 compressions.
- Continue until the animal recovers spontaneous breathing or you reach the vet.
Poisoning: Do Not Induce Vomiting Without Consulting
When poisoning is suspected, the instinct of many owners is to induce vomiting. However, with caustic poisoning (bleach, detergents) or petroleum-derived products, vomiting can cause more damage by burning the mucous membranes a second time. Never induce vomiting without veterinary authorization.
What you can do: identify what substance the animal ingested and in what amount, call the vet or Toxicological Information Center (in Spain: 91 562 04 20), keep the product container and transport urgently. Speed of action is crucial.
The most common toxins in pets include: grapes and raisins (kidney failure in dogs), chocolate (theobromine), xylitol (sweetener in gum and "sugar-free" foods), ibuprofen and acetaminophen (very toxic to cats), garden pesticides and rodenticides.
Wounds and Bleeding
To control external bleeding: apply direct and sustained pressure with a clean gauze pad (or any clean cloth) for at least 3-5 minutes without removing it to avoid breaking the clot. If bleeding is in a limb, elevate it. Tourniquets are only justified in massive bleeding that does not stop with direct pressure, and must be loosened or removed every 15-20 minutes.
Do not apply alcohol or hydrogen peroxide directly to deep wounds: they are irritating and can damage healing tissue. Physiological saline solution is the best option to clean a wound at home before the veterinary visit.
