Pet owners should know first aid

THE people’s dispensary for sick animals (PDSA), a leading animal care charity has stated that the vast majority of people are not trained in pet first aid.

The charity wants to encourage pet owners to learn basic pet first aid which could help an animal in distress before a vet can be seen.

In a survey carried out by the PDSA they found that 80 per cent of pet owners don’t own a pet emergency first aid kit and don’t know how to deal with common injuries or illnesses.

The survey also highlighted the fact that 75 per cent of pet owners said they wouldn’t know how to perform CPR on an animal and 46 per cent of owners said they wouldn’t know how to treat their pet for heatstroke.

As a result, the PDSA has written a guide to first aid which you can download from their website. It gives pet owners information about how to deal with injuries such as bleeding, or broken bones. There are also tips about reducing the risk of an emergency such as not feeding pets toxic human foods and keeping medicines out of reach.

Lynne James, a PDSA vet said “The figures highlight the extent of the skills gap when it comes to basic pet first aid skills. However, owners often don’t realise how important first aid training is until they need it, which can sometimes be too late.”

She went on to say “I’d encourage anyone who doesn’t feel confident providing treatment to their furry friend in an emergency to download our pet first aid guide, which includes a host of resources that could prove vital.”