Become a Doggie (or Kitty) Hero

I am officially certified in Pet First Aid for Dogs and Cats by the American Red Cross! Last weekend’s seminar was worth the money and touched on a number of possible emergencies, many of which had never crossed my mind: bleeding (spurting and gushing and the difference between the two), how to stop the bleeding, doggie CPR, first-, second-, and third-degree burns, lesions, lacerations, puncture wounds, unconscious animals, allergic reactions, emergency preparedness (and those little stickers many of my clients have on their front doors), injured eyes, injured ears, injured paws, injured necks, injured backs and everything in between. No wonder the class was four hours long! I highly recommend this class for all pet sitters and dog walkers, pet owners with active breeds and anyone else who would ever be inclined to help an injured dog or cat.

First Aid for Pets

I just signed up to take the American Red Cross Cat and Dog First Aid training course on October 17 in Fairfax. Courses are offered a couple times each month in Prince George’s and Fairfax Counties. You never know when an emergency will crop up— no one expects them and they happen so fast. A couple years ago, Boonie, one of my rescue dogs from Thailand, ate something so disgusting I shall not speak its name. I was ready to rush him to the vet, but the owner instructed me on how to induce vomiting. I was scared because the bottle of hydrogen peroxide clearly stated For External Use Only, but I did as the owner said and within five minutes, Boonie threw up and was fine. Thank God! Later, I asked my veterinarian friend about inducing vomiting in dogs and the warning label on hydrogen peroxide. He said, “That’s why there’s a warning label…because it will make you throw up!”