First-Aid For Your ‘Doodle

With regular checkups, current vaccinations, and a balanced diet, your ‘Doodle should stay healthy for many years to come. 

Hopefully, your dog will never seriously hurt himself! There is always the possibility of an accident, however, so it’s always good to be prepared with some basic knowledge of dog First-Aid for your Doodle. 

First-Aid For Your Doodle: Supplies

Just like you might have a first-aid kit for the humans in your home, it’s good to keep some first-aid supplies for your Doodle on hand. 

A few essential items to keep in your dog’s first-aid kit: All your Doodle’s vaccination & medical records, a roll of gauze and gauze pads, tape, scissors, a thermometer, tweezers, and your veterinarian’s phone number.

For a more comprehensive list on first-aid kit essentials, here is a great read.

It’s a good idea to keep all your Doodle’s first-aid in a carrying case or a tight container. That way, it’s easy to grab in case of an emergency, and you can take it along while traveling.

First-Aid For Your Doodle: Basic Procedures

Choking

Sometimes small objects such as bone bits or even small toys can get stuck in a dog’s mouth or throat. The dog may cough, paw excessively at his mouth, have difficulty breathing, or struggle to close his mouth. 

When this happens, look into your dog’s mouth, to see if the obstruction is visible. If so, you may be able to remove it with tweezers or your fingers. However, be very careful not to push the object further down his throat. Exercise caution here – a choking dog will panic, and is much more likely to bite. 

If you can’t reach the object, or your Doodle can’t breathe, lay him on his side and using both hands, give 5 firm strikes in the ribs. For smaller pets you can turn them upside down, back against your chest, and give sharp squeezes to the chest. The goal is to push the air sharply from your pet’s lungs and expel the object.

If you are unable to dislodge the obstruction, but your Doodle is still able to breathe, don’t delay getting him to the vet immediately. 

Cuts & Wounds

With mild scrapes or cuts, most dogs don’t mind your attentions. Wash the site with warm water and apply a dog-safe antiseptic salve and bandage it.

For a more significant or painful injury, get him to a vet as soon as possible. You might want to consider muzzling your dog – the most loving pet may snap if he’s hurt. 

If there is severe bleeding, apply a thick gauze pad or clean cloth to the wound, Keep pressure on it until the blood starts clotting. Severe bleeding is dangerous, get your Doodle to the vet immediately if this is the case.

Poisoning & Household Dangers

There are many household items that may be toxic to your ‘Doodle. Some examples are insecticides and fertilizers, cleaning products, antifreeze, and rat bait.

You should also be aware that certain food items will make your dog sick or might even be fatal. These include common foods such as chocolate, yeast dough, onions, coffee, and medications such as Ibuprofen.

This article offers an extensive list of household items that are hazardous to your pet.

If your pet is exposed to harmful chemicals such as cleaning products, check the product label. Follow the exposure instructions (i.e. if it tells you to rinse the skin with water, do this for your Doodle) and call your vet immediately.

If your pet has ingested something poisonous and is vomiting, having trouble breathing, is unconscious, or having convulsions, phone your vet, or emergency vet clinic, and Animal Poison Control (888-426-4435) ASAP.

If possible, have the following information available when you call: 

• Breed, age, sex, weight of the animal
• The product in question, and how much your pet might have ingested.
• His symptoms
• Your credit card (there is a consulting fee when you contact Animal Poison Control)

Heat Stroke

“An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure” certainly holds true with this one.

NEVER leave your Doodle in prolonged heat exposure such as a yard with no shade and car on warm days. Leaving your pup in the sun without shelter or in a hot car is extremely hazardous, and can lead to heat stroke and/or death. 

But in the event that your Doodle should become overheated, move him to a shaded area, and call your veterinarian. Reduce his body temperature with a towel soaked in cool water. (not ice-cold)

If you have a hose handy, run a steady stream of water over his body until he cools down. Take him to the vet for examination.

Fractures

If your dog has an obvious break, immediate vet care is required.

To stabilize your Doodle for the trip to the vet, you should muzzle him. A dog in pain will snap and bite at everything – even your loving hands. 

Secure your dog with a makeshift stretcher using a board and fastening him with a blanket. Or you can use a blanket or towel as a sling for transport. 

You can try to set the break with a temporary splint using a magazine or newspaper wrapped around the limb. A badly placed splint, however, may do more damage than good, so in most cases it is best to leave the bandaging and bone reset to the vet.

Burns

Your Doodle will need immediate attention if he gets a burn from hot water, oil, chemicals or ice. This is another scenario where it might be in your best interest to muzzle your dog, unless he is having trouble breathing.

Slight burns can be treated at home – simply flush the area with large quantities of water, and apply a soothing antiseptic cream or aloe Vera gel.

Severe burns are to be treated the exact same way, but they will also veterinary attention more than anything – so take your Doodle in as soon as possible.

First-Aid For Your Doodle: Final Thoughts

However unlikely it may be, your pet could possibly suffer a more severe injury where there is no heartbeat or he’s not breathing. While we won’t cover that aspect of first-aid in today’s post, we do recommend you read and educate yourself on some CPR procedures and how to perform rescue breathing on dogs. It just might save his life!

One that note, never muzzle a dog that is having trouble breathing. If there is danger of a bite, cover the dog’s head with a blanket while you are examining. It may not prevent a bite, but may help.

With any emergency, your first-aid efforts are just that…a way of quickly dealing with the situation so that you can get your Doodle to the vet. If possible, take the time to phone ahead to alert your vet to the emergency. Then he can be ready for your arrival and no time is wasted!