Tennis balls

For many of our dogs, a walk just isn’t the same without their treasured tennis ball, and we all have seen the tremendous lengths that some dogs will go to retrieve a ball, leaping into the air, or even jumping headfirst into the water. But, what many of us won’t know is that your dog’s tennis ball can actually save their life, so I’m sharing a top tip, that every dog owner should know.

Alot of dogs love tennis balls, and whether you throw one for them to chase, or they like to carry it in their mouth for the walk, the brightly coloured items are a staple part of life with a canine companion.

Canine First Aid is far from just the basics of CPR and choking first aid, some techniques are bordering on genius.

This is an injury I have had experience with working in Veterinary Practice and is more common than you think.

If a dog lands on a fence post or a sharp broken branch it can damage the brachial artery which runs through the armpit. Like humans, it’s a difficult place to a tourniquet, so the best action is to apply pressure immediately using your fist, hands, and fingers.

Your dog’s tennis ball is a great object to use to help reduce blood loss. If a ball is squeezed in the armpit, it compresses the brachial artery, stopping the blood flow.

Jam it in the armpit and keep it there as hard as possible until you get to the vet. It may just reduce blood loss enough for the dog to recover, and save their life.

And if you have a dog that loves to fetch, it is also very useful to know how to deal with a stick injury.

This can happen occasionally and can occur when the dog bites the tongue or bites down on a sharp stick, which should be avoided.

It usually looks worse than it is and after a few minutes, it can stop. Saliva contains proteins which play a role in the different stages of wound healing. Saliva contains substantial amounts of tissue factor, which dramatically accelerates blood clotting.

If the injury is minor but doesn’t clot quickly and stop bleeding then do call the vet as there could be a clotting issue.

If the tongue is split then a veterinary visit will be necessary as they often need stitching.

The most serious tongue injury is when the lingual artery is severed, usually by a stick injury or similar.

This can be life-threatening owing to severe blood loss.

To find out more go to www.rachelbean.co.uk