Listed below are a few useful tips and helpful ideas on how to
cope with minor First Aid problems.
When
you next visit your vet's surgery ask the nurses to show you how
to take your dog's temperature and pulse. Both these easy to do
examinations will give you valuable informations about your dog.
In the healthy dog the normal temperature is 38.3-38.7 o C (100.9-101.7
o C) and the resting pulse is between 70-160 beats per minute.
Ears
Irish
Setter ears hang close to the head and are generally fairly hairy.
These two factors, in some dogs, can provide ideal conditions
for bacteria to breed and cause infections. The easiest way to
prevent this is by keeping the hair on the underside of the flap
and around the ear canal short, to allow air to circulate. Examine
the ears regularly. Check for offensive odours and wax build up.
You can buy ear cleaners from your vet and they are an invaluable
item in your First Aid kit. Beware of the dog that continuously
shakes its head, particularly if the ear looks clean. It is normally
a signal for a foreign body such as a grass seed. DO NOT put anything
into the ear - seek for veterinary advice.
Eyes
The
general rule is: DO NOT USE PREPARATIONS in the eye unless they
are specifically designed for eyes. Normally any eye condition
is one that requires a trip to the vet's surgery, but minor infections
can normally be treated successfully by gentle cleaning and bathing.
Mouth
Get
your dog used to having its mouth and teeth examined from an early
age. The most common foreign bodies in mouth are sticks or bones
and the most common place to find them is wedged across the roof
of the mouth. No attempt should be made to remove fish hooks,
sticks and bones that have penetrated tissues.
Wasp
& Bee stings
These
are very common and even those in inquisitive young puppies don't
cause problems. Most stings are found on the face or lips and,
occasionally, on the feet. In the case of bee stings: if the sting
is visible, it needs to be removed with a pair of tweezers. This
should be done by grasping the sting as close as possible to the
point of entry into the sikn. Once removed, clean the area well.
For stings inside the mouth, contact your vet. It can lead to
tremendous swelling in the mouth/throat which will need steroids
to reduce. In some animals a severe allergic reaction can occur
and this is a medical emergency.
Minor
burns & scalds
The
most important First Aid measure is to cool the affected area
rapidly; this will decrease the pain and heat in the tissues.
Inthe case of burns; flush the area with cold water and then use
ice cubes. Scalds are, again, best treated with cold water; however,
if the scald is caused by fat or oil this must be removed from
the coat by using a detergent followed by plenty of cold water
to remove the cause and the detergent.
Cut
feet / legs
The
most important items to keep in your First Aid kit are a roll
of cotton wool and a large selection of bandages. In the case
of a severed artery the wound itself may be very small, but large
amount of blood may be lost. Try not to panic! Encase the foot
or wound in cotton wool and apply a generous bandage; THEN attend
the vet's surgery. If the bleeding continues through the bandage
before you get the surgery, just apply another over the top.
Cut
pads
A
very common injury and one that can take an age to heal. Keep
the foot clean with salt water bathing (1 tsp of salt in 1 pint
of warm water). Most importantly, keep the foot dry and thet includes
preventing the dog from licking the pad. When the dog is exercised,
protect the area with a light dressing and an old sock.
Tail
tips
Split
tail tips are very common in Irish Setters because of their constant
tail wagging. The injury doesn't seem to cause any problem to
the dog but it will make a mess in the house. A dressing will
certainly help to heal the injury but there is an art to keeping
dressing on a wagging tail. Use plenty of sticky plaster.
Heat
stroke
This can occur very quickly - not only when the dog is left in
a confined space. In the summer months don't execrcise your dog
in the middle of the day when the sun is at its hottest and NEVER
leave the dog enattended in the car. Dogs suffering from heat
stroke are distessed, pant excessively and they tend to drool
large amounts of saliva. The body must be cooled immediately and
the easiest way is with cold water via a hose-pipe. Care must
be taken not to let the body temperature fall below normal. Once
the dog is cool he will need a trip to the vet's surgery straight
away.
