Animal first-aid?

[Hreow]

Are there first-aid courses for pet-owners? Seems like such a useful skill to have. I've found a few web-sites with (some of the) cat how-to:s, but it's not the same as having a trained person to ask stupid questions of. I'll try to remember to ask the vet next time I'm there, but that won't be until late Autumn (touch wood).

There doesn't seem to be any rescue-centres anywhere near Aberdeen, or I would ask to be taught a few things in exchange for volunteering to do cage mucking-out on a regular basis.

[caddy_dabby]

Hi,
This isnt a course but I find it really useful information.

[caddy_dabby]

sorry the link did not appear.
www.purina.co.uk (http://www.purina.co.uk)
If you scroll down there is a first aid section. Dont know if that helps.

[Hreow]

I'd found that one, but thanks. :-) I take it that's a no for the course, then. Shame. : /

[LMC]

A lot of human first aid can be applied to animals - e.g. for things like stopping bleeding, dealing with injuries, etc. You can get one-day emergency first aid courses fairly cheaply - you may even be able to get your work to pay for it!

That will help you to put some of your reading into practice on a different species, i.e. cats!

[Hreow]

Good advice, but I'm already the company first-aider. Maybe I can try my stupid questions on the instructor for the refresher-course in October. :smt017 And I've already practiced my bandaging on Rover. :-D

[Mags]

Good advice, but I'm already the company first-aider. Maybe I can try my stupid questions on the instructor for the refresher-course in October. :smt017 And I've already practiced my bandaging on Rover. :-D
Mouth to mouth next then Hreow?:-D

[Hreow]

Don't think either of us would fancy it. :-D But it would give my face-bandaging-skills a good work-out before the refresher, I suppose. :grin:
I've handed out a dozen plasters at work in three years. They refuse to do anything more interesting than paper-cuts. :-( Boring, unhelpful lot! :-)

[ceiron]

what questions do you have, am a fully compliant first aider and experienced in a range of animal first aid too.

might be able to help

[Hreow]

Well, just off the top of my head:
What would you put into a travel first-aid kit? Bandages - obviously, imagine plasters would be useless, What sort of disinfectant? Would human finger-stalls be good for legs? For keeping gauze/cotton etc in place, or protect, perhaps... I imagine you would leave the paw out. Vinegar/bicarbonate for stings? Bottled water I always have. Tweezers and scissors are useful. Razor? Would you ever need to shave a bit of fur off as a first-aid measure? Wouldn't try it on wounds, but perhaps if there is something toxic on the coat that you would want to get rid of?
What would you do about a paw with a cut between the toes? Blob of cotton on the wound and as separator and bandage the whole thing??
Eye injury - People you can talk to - what do you do (if anything) with a cat, apart from get them to the vets as fast as you can?

Still have both ears? Will to live?? :-D

Am really curious about the things I wouldn't think of in an emergency - basic stuff would be the same, I imagine, but ... I don't know... aspirin is toxic to cats, but you would have few qualms giving it to a human (heart!) (Ok, not allowed to give *any* drugs - put somewhere where the afflicted person can medicate themselves. :roll:) What else would I do unthinkingly that would be wrong? What would I miss that would be silly on a person, but useful for the cat? Scruffing, as an example, I suppose... Weak one. : /
Thus the idea of a course.

[ceiron]

Well, just off the top of my head:
What would you put into a travel first-aid kit? Bandages - obviously, imagine plasters would be useless, What sort of disinfectant? Would human finger-stalls be good for legs? For keeping gauze/cotton etc in place, or protect, perhaps... I imagine you would leave the paw out. Vinegar/bicarbonate for stings? Bottled water I always have. Tweezers and scissors are useful. Razor? Would you ever need to shave a bit of fur off as a first-aid measure? Wouldn't try it on wounds, but perhaps if there is something toxic on the coat that you would want to get rid of?
What would you do about a paw with a cut between the toes? Blob of cotton on the wound and as separator and bandage the whole thing??
Eye injury - People you can talk to - what do you do (if anything) with a cat, apart from get them to the vets as fast as you can?

Still have both ears? Will to live?? :-D

Am really curious about the things I wouldn't think of in an emergency - basic stuff would be the same, I imagine, but ... I don't know... aspirin is toxic to cats, but you would have few qualms giving it to a human (heart!) (Ok, not allowed to give *any* drugs - put somewhere where the afflicted person can medicate themselves. :roll:) What else would I do unthinkingly that would be wrong? What would I miss that would be silly on a person, but useful for the cat? Scruffing, as an example, I suppose... Weak one. : /
Thus the idea of a course.

lol, jsut a few questions then

as for disenfectant, i currently use and right highly f10, its the stuff vets use, as for wound care iwould reccomend you have a bottle of diluted or the ability to dilute some hibiscrub for cleaning wounds etc ... can get f10 suitable for use on animals too apparently

as for plasters, yes generally useless but tape of some sort for holding em on would be usefull, as for finger stalls, quite poossibly depending on the size of the cat, also another one here, look shocked.lol is condoms, they come i na variety of sizes inc extra small and hold on bandages and stuff and provide a waterproof seal. (i use them mainly for reptiels but works on other aniamsl too.lol)

stings, sounds about right, although its osmethign more rare i naniamls die to the protective fur.

if you have a good pair of stainless steel sirgicall scisssors then a razor isnt needed, and would be better then a razor as it would allow you to trim fur around a wound.

a paw cut, wel lpersonally i would do one of two things now, the old method for cuts is stypic powder or sticks, used when hit vein etc when claw trimming.

however now they have invented liquid plasters, so if the wound was suitable i would use that.

im wary of using cotton wall on wounds as the fibres can become immebded in the wound and cause infection and other problems, so i wouls say lined dressing like melonin or that thta has the plastic side then apply a bandge to hold it on.

and yes you would bandage the whole thing.lol

eye injury, well water to flush it but generally theres not much you can do otherwise, a vet woudl be generally required and to jsut prvent the cat scrathcing the eye etc so prevent further damage

people to talk to ?? not sure what you mean.lol

as for studd you can d obeside get themto vets or as you do, its mainly common sense and injury related, so very hard to generally say.

erm other stuff, basic first aid thats transeferable would be bandaging, keeping warm etc ...

recuss could be done if you lose the mouth and use nostrils as inlet., using two fingers to compress chest.

breathign and heart rate different from people though but generally the same numbers should be sufficient, rarely f ever have t do it though.lol

erm, im not sure what else to say, theres prolly loads but its hard to say generally.

i will try and compile a basic first aid kit and basic health care procedures if i can.lol

any requests to specific ones then ask.lol


hope thats a start

[dinahsmum]

One of my major issues would be keeping an injured and terrified cat from injuring me, with teeth or claws. I've seen dogs being 'muzzled' with a length of bandage on the vet progs but cats don't have such obligingly shaped muzzles. As for preventing claws - front or back feet - I have no idea.
Maybe if your cat is that bad you should scoop them up as gently as poss, pop them in a carrier and get to the vet? Maybe you should swaddle them with many wraps in a huge towel first?

[Hreow]

I've seen a tip to keep a pillow-case for that - pop the cat into it. Not sure what I feel about that... It may be the only option if the cat is really frantic, as I don't see anyone wrapping a towel around a cat that is all claws, bite and escape-mad. Even less getting them into a cage. If they can grow eight legs at different angles normally... And I suppose you can hold or touch the cat more easily than in the case as well.
It may just be a good aid, to then get them wrapped in towels for warmth, or to foil paws when you put them into their travel-case. Don't know how distressing it would be for the cat - same with the "pop their head in a sock" thing... I just don't know enough to say.

[Hreow]

I could think up a million questions. They get pretty specific, or farfetched after a while, though. :grin:
I've got a few triangular bandages, a roll or two of micropore tape (or equivalent) and condoms in the bag I always carry - it's my bare basics first-aid kit. :-) Doesn't take up much space and it's amazing what you can bodge with just that and some odds and ends.

Not people to talk to - you can tell a person "don't rub your eye" or "keep your eye closed" and there is a chance they will. Cats... are cats and not that prone to listen to commands. In any language. :-)

I agree about the cotton - I have anti-stick pads that I use on wounds. Cotton just to increase pressure on top, or as spacers between toes to keep them happy in a bandage. I was unclear about that - thinking too fast and typing too slow.

The liquid bandage is a great idea! Definitively one for the list.
Thank you for taking the time to answer, and I would be delighted to read the article, if you have the time.

[Mags]

Cassie tends to be a scratcher when she is frightened and I have always wrapped her fairly tightly in a towel if I have needed to do anything..........

[ceiron]

wrapping in the towel is the most common and effective restraining method for a cat in this situation.

[Jac]

Why dont you get intouch with the spca? They would be able to tell you if there is anywhere you could go. I'm doing a spca course online at the moment but it's not first aid I'm afraid. It would be interesting if you could get one. Let us know.

[ceiron]

http://www.sparsholt.ac.uk/schwww/anman/onedaycrs.htm

found this btw

[ceiron]

http://www.ukpets.co.uk/?section=Home&sub=News&method=fetch&item=236

also

[ceiron]

http://www.salford-col.ac.uk/Public/courses/showcourse.asp?level=c&market=2&voc=AC&offer=SC01&acad_period=06/07

again

[Hreow]

I'd *love* to do the ten week course! But it would take me seven hours to drive there. :-) How did you find them? All my searches just brough up 4711 pages of less-than-useful. : /

Jac: I've emailed them, thanks for the tip! I'll let you know.

[ceiron]

lol, google and animal first aid course.lol

im good you see ;)

[Hreow]

Ah. I would have chosen "cat" and then "pet", not "animal". Live learn. :-)

[ceiron]

lol, i bet i cna find it on those search terms too :P

hehe

me and google are one, i cna find almost anything.lol

[Hreow]

SSPCA haven't heard of any courses, so that's a wash-out. : / I'll send an email to the other charities in Scotland as well.