ANIMAL FIRST AID

Presentation on

ANIMAL FIRST AID

• What is first aid?

• When is first aid administered?

• Why is first aid important?

• Who can administer first aid.

• Does anyone have any previous experience of animal first aid?

Introduction

What is first aid?

“ FIRST AID IS THE IMMEDIATE TREATMENT OF

INJURED ANIMALS OR THOSE SUFFERING

FROM SUDDEN ILLNESS “

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The aims of first aid are:

To preserve life

To reduce pain and suffering

To prevent the situation deteriorating

To promote recovery

Why is first aid important?

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• Before administering first aid, assess the situation for danger to yourself or others.

• Injured animals are usually in pain and may bite. Make sure that the animal is correctly restrained before handling or lifting.

• NEVER put yourself or others at risk.

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Under the Veterinary Surgeons’ Act 1966, no-one is allowed to practice

veterinary surgery unless they are registered in the veterinary surgeons’

register.

What is classed as Veterinary Surgery?

Veterinary surgery includes the following :–

• The diagnosis of diseases and injuries including diagnostic tests

• Giving advice based on such diagnosis

• The medical and surgical treatment of animals

• Surgical operations

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Limitations of First Aid

• A part of the Veterinary Surgeons’ Act known as Schedule 3 makes special allowances for qualified and listed or registered veterinary nurses (i.e. those whose names are entered in either the Royal College’s List or Register of Veterinary Nurses).

• This allows Veterinary Nurses to carry out minor treatment or surgery under the direction of a veterinary surgeon.

• Listed veterinary nurses who hold the RCVS Certificate in Equine Veterinary Nursing (EVNs) are qualified to carry out minor treatment or surgery to any of the equine species.

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Does the Veterinary Surgeons Act also cover Veterinary Nurses (VNs)?

Under schedule 3 student veterinary nurses may administer medical

treatment or carry out minor surgery, provided that they are supervised by a

veterinary surgeon or listed veterinary nurse.

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Does this also cover student veterinary nurses?

• Nursing Assistants are those who work at a practice assisting the veterinary surgeon and veterinary nurse, but who are not qualified, nor training towards qualification.

• Nursing assistants have the same legal status as any other lay person and cannot carry out any of the procedures covered by the amendment to Schedule 3.

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What about Nursing Assistants?

The owner of an animal, or an agent of the owner, may give medical treatment

to that animal. Also, laypersons (i.e. not qualified vets or nurses) may carry out

certain minor procedures on farm animals.

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What can be done by people other than veterinary surgeons and veterinary nurses?

So who is allowed to give first aid?

Schedule 3 of the Veterinary Surgeons Act states that in an emergency ANYONE may give first aid.

It is impossible to give a precise definition but the Royal College of Veterinary

Surgeons has advised that:

“ provided what is done, is done in order to save an animal’s life or to stop its pain or suffering, and is done as an interim measure until a veterinary

surgeon’s services can be obtained, it is unlikely that, in most cases, there will be subsequent argument that what has been done has gone beyond

first aid.”

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Which procedures come under the heading of first aid?

An emergency can be classified as one of three types:

• Life-threatening emergencies. These require immediate action by the owner or first aider at home, and the vet and nurse at the surgery.

• Emergencies requiring prompt attention at the surgery but where life is not immediately threatened.

• Minor - where telephone advice and first aid enables the owner to keep the animal comfortable until an appointment with a veterinary surgeon

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Classification of Emergency

LIFE-THREATENING

• Unconsciousness

• Conscious collapse with dyspnoea or cyanosis

• Severe haemorrhage

• Severe burns

• Poisoning

• Snake bites

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Examples of different types of Emergency

• Conscious collapse

• Dyspnoea • Fractures / dislocations

• Haemorrhage

• Gaping wounds

• Severe dysuria

• Dystocia

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Prompt Attention

• Insect stings

• Minor wounds

(where the haemorrhage is easily

controlled by bandaging)

• Minor burns

• Abscesses

• Slight lameness

• Haematuria

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Minor

The initial checks that must be made are –

• AIRWAY

• BREATHING

• CIRCULATION

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Examination of an Injured Animal

• AIRWAY– Check that the airway is clear– Pull the tongue forward – Remove any collar or harness

• BREATHING– Look and listen – If the animal is not breathing, proceed with artificial respiration–

• CIRCULATION– Check the heartbeat/pulse – Apply regular, intermittent gentle pressure to the chest if you are sure

there is no heartbeat

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ABC of First Aid

• As soon as the airway, breathing and circulation have been assessed and any necessary action taken:

• Control any severe haemorrhage. Pressure can be applied using a bandage, a towel, or even your hand

• Check the animal’s level of consciousness

• Treat for shock by keeping the animal warm. This is best done by covering the animal in a blanket to conserve body heat.

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ABC of First Aid

Any examination should be done methodically in order to ensure that no areas

are missed. Examinations usually start at the head. All areas of the body

should be checked for any abnormal swelling, haemorrhage, discharge,

deformity, fracture, wound or sign of pain should be noted.

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Examination of an injured animal

• Nose - Haemorrhage (epistaxis) and whether is present from one or both

nostrils

• Mouth - Colour of mucous membranes – should be pink

- Fractured teeth

- Ulcerated tongue or strange odours which could indicate poisoning

• Eyes - Colour of conjunctival membranes (pink – normal; yellow – jaundice;

blue – cyanosis; pale – shock or blood loss; red – toxins, heatstroke)

- Any injuries to eyeball or eyelids

- Size of pupils

• Ears – Haemorrhage

• Skull - Fractures

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Examination of an injured animal

• Limbs - Fractures, deformities, wounds, paralysis, loss of function.

• Rib cage - Fractured ribs or wounds penetrating chest.

• Abdomen - Bruising or swelling (could indicate internal bleeding).

• Spine - Deformities indicating fractures or dislocations.

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Examination of an injured animal

• Pelvis - Fractures, deformities.

• Perineal region - Haemorrhage from prepuce, vulva or anus which may indicate internal bleeding.

• Tail - Voluntary movement.

• General body surface - Matting of the fur which could indicate an underlying wound.

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Examination of an injured animal

Put any injured animals into the recovery position and contact the

veterinary surgery for advice.

• Lay animal on its right side. This allows access to the left side so that the heartbeat can be palpated and cardiac massage to be performed if necessary.

• Straighten the head and neck. This opens the airways.

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Recovery Position

• Pull the tongue forward and to one side of the mouth. This again opens the airways and also allows any secretions (vomit, saliva etc) to drain away

• Remove the collar or harness. This again ensures that the airways aren’t restricted

• Check the heart and pulse rate. This lets you know if the animal is alive and also whether there are any problems with the circulation.

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Recovery Position

• Check the breathing rate. This lets you know whether the animal is breathing

or not, and therefore whether artificial respiration is necessary. Slow or fast

breathing rates can also indicate different conditions e.g. fast breathing rate

could be due to heat stroke

• Check for signs of bleeding. This lets you know if there are any serious

wounds that need dressings immediately. Bleeding also tells you the animal is

alive!

• Check body temperature. Low temperatures could be due to shock or

hypothermia and high temperatures could indicate heat stroke.

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• Check the state of the limbs. Look for fractures or wounds.

• Check the level of consciousness. This is done by checking reflexes.

Knowing whether an animal is conscious or unconscious is important and

will need to be reported to the vet.

• Check the colour of the membranes. Normal mms are pink. Pale mms

can indicate shock or blood loss, blue (cyanotic) mms indicate a problem

with getting oxygen, and very red mms can indicate infection

• Check for signs of unusual odour. Unusual smells can indicate the cause

of the collapse – e.g. the smell of pear drops can be a sign of diabetes. A

sweet smell could by antifreeze – a poison which is attractive to dogs

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• Don’t panic

• Maintain the airway

• Control haemorrhage

• Contact the veterinary surgeon as soon as possible

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Rules of First Aid

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Advice for pet owners

• Keep the name, address and telephone number of your vet next to the phone.

• Keep a pen and paper by the phone to take down instructions if necessary.

• Don't arrive at the practice without telephoning first. It may be that the

emergencies are seen at a different site, or it may be vital for the vet to give

advice, or to prepare the operating theatre.

• Keep a Pet First Aid kit at home and with you when you are travelling.

Which items should a first aid kit contain?

• Bandages

– Roll of adhesive bandage (e.g. elastoplast) OR cohesive bandage (sticks to itself but not to fur e.g. Vet Wrap)

– 2 x rolls of white open-weave/conforming

• Tweezers to remove thorns etc

• Sterile eye wash bottle

• Roll of cotton wool

• Sterile wound dressings

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First Aid Kit

• Dog muzzle (or length of non-stretch bandage)

• Swabs

• Nail clippers to cut overlong or broken nails

• Antiseptic wash e.g. Hibiscrub

• Round-ended scissors

• Salt – to clean wounds mix 1 teaspoon of salt to 1 pint of water

• Cotton wool

• Thermometer & lubricant

• Sticky tape

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First Aid Kit

• Address and telephone number of veterinary practice

• Leaflet containing basic first aid advice – to use as a reference

• Dog lead

• Buster collar

For larger animals it is also useful to have :

• Access to a rug or blanket that can be used as a stretcher

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First Aid Kit