Your dog can be an important part of your active lifestyle, but it's important for you to be prepared should accidents or injury occur. Simple first aid preparedness can help you feel more confident and could save your dog's life in an emergency.

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Always Check for Problems

Don't wait for an unseen problem to get serious. Once you have returned home from a hike with your dog, check for potential minor injuries.

Examine your dog's paw pads for thorns or small stones lodged between the pads. Remove with tweezers and clean the area with antiseptic. During the winter, inspect the paw pads for cuts from ice, particles of ice, and ice-melting chemicals. Clean and treat. If you notice any irritants in your dog's eyes, such as seeds, dirt, or sawdust, use a moistened cotton swab or clean cloth to gently remove. Irrigate the eye with a mild eyewash. Avoid touching or wiping the eyeball and never remove an object adhering closely to the surface of the eye. Check your dog's coat for burrs, fleas, bites, and ticks. If you find a tick grasp it close to the skin with tweezers and pull upward firmly. Apply antiseptic to the bite.

Accidents

If your dog is injured while you are out, use a restraint if necessary to keep you and your dog safe. Try a blanket, jacket, board, or anything available as a makeshift stretcher to transport your dog to the nearest veterinary hospital.

Covering the dog with a blanket, shirt, or jacket can help conserve body heat. Body functions could fail depending on the severity of injury and your dog could go into shock. Signs of shock include shallow breathing, a prostrate position, diminished reaction to pain or stimuli, glassy eyes, and pale, cool gums. If the dog is bleeding profusely, use a cloth or your hand to apply direct pressure to the wound. Place a pad of fabric over the wound and wrap and tie tightly with fabric strips, if possible. Avoid removing the bandage too frequently since bleeding can start again. Avoid creating a tourniquet. It's not as effective as a bandage, and pressure and the prolonged interruption of blood could lead to the loss of a limb. Coughing up blood or vomit, and/or excrement of a bright red to dark reddish-brown or black color, may indicate injury to the stomach or intestines. Seek veterinary aid immediately.

Stay Calm, Stay Safe

If your dog is hurt, you need to stay calm. It will help you think more clearly, and it will help your dog if you appear nonthreatening and speak in a calm, soothing voice. If, despite this, your dog acts as though he may bite, protect yourself by restraining your dog. You can use a blanket for a small dog, or use long strips of fabric to create a muzzle for a larger breed. (To muzzle, loop a long strip of fabric over snout. Knot on the top and again under the chin, then tie behind the ears.)

Move on to Common Natural Problems

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