Pet First Aid: What Every Owner Should Know Before They Need It

A pet emergency gives you seconds to react. Knowing basic first aid — and having the right supplies — could make a critical difference. None of this replaces emergency veterinary care, but it can stabilise your pet until you reach help.

Build a Pet First Aid Kit

Keep one at home and one in your car. Include:

• Sterile gauze pads and bandages
• Adhesive tape
• Blunt-ended scissors
• Digital thermometer (rectal)
• Saline solution for wound flushing
• Disposable gloves
• Tweezers (for ticks and splinters)
• Your vet's number and nearest 24-hour emergency clinic
• A muzzle
• Blanket or foil emergency blanket

Know Your Pet's Normal Baseline

• Resting heart rate: Dogs 60–140 bpm; Cats 140–220 bpm
• Resting breathing rate: 15–30 breaths per minute
• Normal temperature: 38–39.2°C for both dogs and cats
• Gum colour: Should be pink and moist

Common Emergencies and First Response

Choking: Look in the mouth for visible obstruction. Do not blindly sweep with fingers. Get to a vet immediately.

Heatstroke: Move to shade. Apply cool (not cold) water to the body. Vet immediately.

Bleeding: Apply direct pressure with gauze for at least five minutes. Vet immediately for deep wounds.

Suspected poisoning: Do not induce vomiting unless instructed by a vet. Call the Animal Poison Line. Time matters.

Seizure: Do not restrain. Move nearby objects. Time the seizure. If longer than 5 minutes — emergency vet immediately.

The Most Important Rule

First aid buys you time. It does not replace veterinary care. When in doubt, call your vet.