First Aid Flashcards
What to check with their airway?
Ensure there is no foreign body or fluid obstructing the airway.
- what is the respiration rate and quality?
- fast or slow
- shallow
- crackly
Normal respiration rate for dogs?
Puppies?
Dogs - 8 - 24
Average is 24 breaths per minute
Puppies - 15 - 35 breaths per minute
Count rate for 15 sec and multiply by 4
Circulation
Where do you check for a pulse?
What is the normal pulse rate?
What does a fast pulse indicate?
Femoral artery
- pulse strong, weak or thready?
Adult dogs - 60-180 bpm
Puppies - 220 bpm
- larger dogs may be a little slower
- small dogs may be a little faster
Low blood volume - heart is working hard to pump enough blood to the body.
Where and how do you check capillary refill time?
Press on gums above the canine tooth.
Can also check the eye or tongue.
- bubble gum pink
Should refill in 1-2 seconds
Takes longer = lack of proper blood flow
What color should the gums be?
What do white/grey gums indicate?
What do red gums indicate?
Blue?
Bubble gum pink
White = blood loss. Anemia
Red = toxin, sepsis, or hyperthermia
Blue = hypoxia
What is a normal body temperature for a dog? Puppy?
Adult dog - 100 - 102.5
Puppy (0-4 weeks) 94-97
4 weeks + 100 degrees
How long is the gestation period?
How long is the heat cycle?
Gestation period is 63 days from the day of ovulation.
Normal range is 56-66 days
Heat cycle is 21 days
Acute painful abdomen
Signs
- whining or crying
- vomiting
- panting, grunting or labored breathing
- restlessness
- inability to find comfortable position
- hunched back
- praying or bow position
- pulse is thready and weak
- pale mucus membranes
- dog may go into shock
What are the causes of acute abdomen?
- bloat
- urinary stones
- internal injuries
- bladder rupture
- poisoning
- peritonitis- inflammation of abdominal organs
- intestinal obstruction
- splenic rupture - due to tumors
Dehydration
Symptoms
- dry, tacky mouth and gums
- thick, ropey saliva
- skin tenting - skin stays in ridge (more than 2 seconds) after being pinched.
- severe- eyes are sunken in
- dog goes into shock
Causes of dehydration
Vomiting
Diarrhea
Dehydration treatment
Mild:
- give electrolyte solution. 50/50.
- syringe into cheek pouch if needed
- pedialyte best or Gatorade
- 2-4 ml/lb. per hour
Severe
- if dog looks visibly dehydrated. Get to vet immediately.
- vet administered IV fluids
Heat stroke
Symptoms
- heavy panting
- difficulty breathing (can’t move air fast enough)
- bright red mucous membranes
- thick, stringy saliva
- vomiting
- dog becomes progressively unsteady and may have bloody diarrhea
- rectal temp rises. 104-110 degrees
- shock - lips and mucous membranes become grey
- collapse, seizures and death ensue rapidly
Treatment
Cool the dog!
- remove the dog from heat source
- if temp is above 104 begin rapid cooling
- spray dog: wet pads, under front arm pits, and belly and groin areas
- can use alcohol if no water is available
- submerge dog in cool water (tub or creek) for two minutes.
- place dog in front of fan.
- take temp every 10 minutes.
- continue cooling until temp reaches 103 degrees. If temp drops too fast/lower than 103 dog could go into shock
- get to vet immediately!
Heat stroke and causes
- dogs don’t sweat effectively. Pant to cool themselves.
- air temperature is equal to or higher than body temperature, panting is ineffective.
- ambient air must be cooler than body temperature
- left in car in warm weather
- strenuous exercise in hot, humid weather
- being muzzled in warm weather
- confined outside without shade or water
- being confined on pavement or asphalt
- brachycephalic breeds can not cool themselves effectively
Bleeding
3 goals in treating wounds
- stop bleeding
- prevent infection
- prevent dog from disrupting the healing process
Bleeding
- types of bleeding
Arterial - bright red blood, spurting
Venous - dark red blood, oozing
- don’t use hydrogen peroxide - dissolve the clot
- don’t wipe a clotted wound. It could dislodge the clot
Two ways to stop bleeding
- DIRECT PRESSURE
- pressure dressing
- apply pressure for 5-10 minutes
- watch for signs of swelling below pressure dressing - indicates impaired circulation. Remove or loosen bandage.
- TOURNIQUET
- used on extremities and tail to stop arterial bleeding that can not be stopped by pressure.
- place above the wound. Between wound and heart.
- loop around limb and tighten with a stick beneath loop. Twist until bleeding stops
- loosen every 10 minutes to check for continued bleeding
- if bleeding continues, let blood flow for a few seconds and re-tighten