Dog first aid: what to do before you reach the vet

Accidents and sudden illness happen, often at night or at weekends. Knowing what counts as an emergency, and what to do in the first few minutes, can make a real difference. First aid is about keeping your dog as safe and comfortable as possible until a vet can take over. It is not a replacement for veterinary treatment.

Be ready before anything happens

• Save the numbers. Put your vet practice's number and their out-of-hours service in your phone. Many practices use a separate out-of-hours clinic, so check where it is and how long it takes to get there.
• Know how you would travel. Think about how you would get your dog to the vet at night, and how you would carry them if they couldn't walk.
• Keep your dog's details handy. Note any medicines, conditions and their approximate weight.
• Consider insurance or savings. Emergency care can be expensive, and it helps to know in advance how you would pay.

Emergencies: call a vet straight away

Phone your vet, or the out-of-hours service, immediately if your dog:

• is struggling to breathe, is breathing noisily, or has pale, blue or grey gums
• has collapsed, can't stand or is very weak
• is having a seizure (fit), or has had more than one
• may have eaten something poisonous, such as chocolate, grapes, raisins, xylitol (found in some sugar-free foods), rat or slug bait, antifreeze or human medicines, even if they seem fine
• is panting heavily, drooling, wobbly or collapsing in warm weather, which can be heatstroke
• has a swollen, tight tummy and is retching without bringing anything up, which can be a sign of bloat, a life-threatening problem especially in large, deep-chested dogs
• is bleeding heavily or the bleeding won't stop
• has been hit by a vehicle, even if they seem unhurt
• has an eye injury, or an eye that looks suddenly cloudy, bulging or painful
• is straining to wee and producing little or nothing
• has repeated vomiting or diarrhoea, especially with blood, or seems in severe pain

If you are unsure whether it is an emergency, phone and ask. Vets would much rather hear from you early.

Keep yourself safe

A dog in pain or shock may bite, even a dog that has never bitten before. Approach slowly and speak calmly. Keep your face away from your dog's mouth. If your dog has been hit by a car, check that traffic is safe before you go to them.

A properly fitting basket muzzle can protect you while you move a dog in pain, but don't muzzle a dog that is struggling to breathe, vomiting or overheating. If you are not sure, ask the vet on the phone.

What to do while you get help

Bleeding

Press firmly on the wound with a clean pad or cloth and keep the pressure on while someone drives you to the vet. If blood soaks through, add more padding on top rather than removing the first layer.

Suspected poisoning

Phone your vet immediately. Tell them what your dog ate, how much and when, and take the packet or a photo of it with you. Don't try to make your dog sick unless a vet tells you to, as this can cause more harm. Animal PoisonLine, a 24-hour veterinary poisons service, also takes calls from owners, but your vet is the first call.

Heatstroke

Heatstroke can kill. Move your dog somewhere cool and shaded, start cooling them straight away by soaking them with tap water while keeping air moving over them, and phone your vet while you do it. Don't let them breathe in water. Keep cooling on the way to the vet if you can, for example with the car's air conditioning on.

Seizures

Keep your dog away from stairs, water and furniture they could fall from, and keep your hands away from their mouth. Dim the lights and keep the room quiet. Time the seizure and phone your vet. A seizure lasting more than a few minutes, or one fit following another, needs urgent care.

Moving an injured dog

Keep your dog as still as possible. Small dogs can be carried in a box or carrier. For a larger dog, use a blanket or a board as a stretcher, with one person at each end, keeping the back and neck as level as you can.

Never give human medicines

Human painkillers, including ibuprofen and paracetamol, and many other human medicines can poison dogs. Never give your dog any medicine that hasn't been prescribed for them by a vet, even if your dog seems to be in pain. Your vet can give pain relief that is safe for dogs.

A basic dog first-aid kit

Keep a kit at home and a smaller one in the car:

• your vet's number and the out-of-hours number, written down
• clean towels and a blanket
• non-stick wound dressings, cotton bandage and self-adhesive bandage
• sterile saline for rinsing dirt from wounds or eyes
• blunt-ended scissors
• a tick remover
• disposable gloves
• a spare lead and a basket muzzle your dog is used to
• a torch

A first-aid kit is for cleaning minor scrapes and protecting injuries on the way to the vet. If a wound is deep, bleeding, or your dog keeps licking it, get it checked.

Minor problems

For something that doesn't look urgent, such as a small graze, a mild limp or one episode of being sick in a dog that is otherwise bright and eating, keep a close eye on them and phone your vet for advice. Book an appointment if it hasn't improved within a day or so, or straight away if it gets worse.