First Aid Kit. For Newbies To Lamping

[sandymere 8,263]

After around 40 years of lamping my first aid kit comprises of a phone, transport to the vet, a bottle of clean water and the shirt off my back to put pressure on a wound. If it needs intervention beyond cleaning a simple wound etc then it needs to be in either in the vets asap or at home where good lighting and an unflustered head enable a proper evaluation as to the best course of action. Once at home I have a small assortment of equipment, dressings etc to treat simple cuts along with a warm quiet recovery area and most importantly the insight to know my own limitations. In reality once home it becomes second aid/treatment rather than first aid and this is a much more complex area but as with first aid the most important thing is an honest realization of ones own abilities.

 

Hope you don't need it.

 

Regards Sandy

 

A couple of points on second aid

One; Ive nothing against home stitching or stapling but I have seen a couple of instances where people had made a real mess so its an area that needs some expertise prior to having a go yourself i.e. being taught by someone who knows what theyre doing. Wounds around joint articulation are particularly dodgy due to the risk of complication like surgical emphysema. Then there is wound cleaning which was a problem on one dog I am aware of, they had basically quaterised the wound with a particularly strong cleaner then stapled, badly, with the result being the whole wound broke down into a shocking mess, what began as a reasonably simple wound ended up seriously threatening the dogs life. If a wound needs chemical cleaning, debridement, then it needs the supervision of a vet.

 

Two; If a dog needs IV fluids then it needs a vet, given inappropriately they can do more harm than good, increasing pressure can blow out clots that were reducing bleeding leading to increased risk of bleeding and fluid overload will kill just as well as fluid loss, just two of the many life threatening complications. Then there is the time spent getting a line in a dog that is shut down and getting a bag up when that time might be better spent getting to the vets. If a dog is so dry as to need IV fluids straight away it is unlikely that the average person would be able to get a line in and if it has reasonable turgid veins then it can probably wait to get to the vet. Sub cut fluids are not an emergency measure and the time spent setting up is not usually worth the net resulting in comparison to going straight to vets.

 

 

In humans comparison between trained paramedics treating on site and old fashioned pick up and run to the hospital type ambulances shows little difference in survival rates so if a trained paramedic cant significantly increase survival rates in an emergency then the average lurcher owner wont and in fact will probably increase death rates. The reality is that for all but minor injuries the average person is unlikely to have the experience to know what the injury entails and may well waste time treating a relatively minor symptom, cuts etc, while a life threatening one such as internal bleeding goes on unheeded. The only caveat to this is in parts of the world where a vet is more than a short drive away there is case for owner intervention, basically if a dog is going to die before a vet can be reached then theres nothing to lose but that is rarely the case in Britain.

 

Lastly we are responsible for the care of our animals and if you make a bodge of it then take it to the vets you are likely to face investigation from the RSPCA and thats the sort of publicity we dont need!

[Guest vin]

You my friend speak wise words.

 

This needs putting up in the running dog section.

[planete 120]

I have added one thing to my first aid kit this year: Piriton tablets, Chlorphenamine malleate, not the hayfever ones. The terrier got bitten by a snake earlier in the year and even though rushed to the vet straight away nearly did not make it. A couple of Piriton tablets administered straightaway for a medium sized lurcher would definitely help according to the vet. But be prepared to carry or drag the dog back to the car on a coat or similar.

[inan 841]

After around 40 years of lamping my first aid kit comprises of a phone, transport to the vet, a bottle of clean water and the shirt off my back to put pressure on a wound. If it needs intervention beyond cleaning a simple wound etc then it needs to be in either in the vets asap or at home where good lighting and an unflustered head enable a proper evaluation as to the best course of action. Once at home I have a small assortment of equipment, dressings etc to treat simple cuts along with a warm quiet recovery area and most importantly the insight to know my own limitations. In reality once home it becomes second aid/treatment rather than first aid and this is a much more complex area but as with first aid the most important thing is an honest realization of ones own abilities.

 

Hope you don't need it.

 

Regards Sandy

 

A couple of points on second aid

One; Ive nothing against home stitching or stapling but I have seen a couple of instances where people had made a real mess so its an area that needs some expertise prior to having a go yourself i.e. being taught by someone who knows what theyre doing. Wounds around joint articulation are particularly dodgy due to the risk of complication like surgical emphysema. Then there is wound cleaning which was a problem on one dog I am aware of, they had basically quaterised the wound with a particularly strong cleaner then stapled, badly, with the result being the whole wound broke down into a shocking mess, what began as a reasonably simple wound ended up seriously threatening the dogs life. If a wound needs chemical cleaning, debridement, then it needs the supervision of a vet.

 

Two; If a dog needs IV fluids then it needs a vet, given inappropriately they can do more harm than good, increasing pressure can blow out clots that were reducing bleeding leading to increased risk of bleeding and fluid overload will kill just as well as fluid loss, just two of the many life threatening complications. Then there is the time spent getting a line in a dog that is shut down and getting a bag up when that time might be better spent getting to the vets. If a dog is so dry as to need IV fluids straight away it is unlikely that the average person would be able to get a line in and if it has reasonable turgid veins then it can probably wait to get to the vet. Sub cut fluids are not an emergency measure and the time spent setting up is not usually worth the net resulting in comparison to going straight to vets.

 

 

In humans comparison between trained paramedics treating on site and old fashioned pick up and run to the hospital type ambulances shows little difference in survival rates so if a trained paramedic cant significantly increase survival rates in an emergency then the average lurcher owner wont and in fact will probably increase death rates. The reality is that for all but minor injuries the average person is unlikely to have the experience to know what the injury entails and may well waste time treating a relatively minor symptom, cuts etc, while a life threatening one such as internal bleeding goes on unheeded. The only caveat to this is in parts of the world where a vet is more than a short drive away there is case for owner intervention, basically if a dog is going to die before a vet can be reached then theres nothing to lose but that is rarely the case in Britain.

 

Lastly we are responsible for the care of our animals and if you make a bodge of it then take it to the vets you are likely to face investigation from the RSPCA and thats the sort of publicity we dont need!

This pre-supposes that one is in, or near their own area where they know the vet and his phone number.

Six years ago I had to carry a dog off a fen in LIncs, I live in Kent, so a basic knowledge is very useful in such circumstances, together with the necessary materials to apply it...

I carry a first aid kit for dogs in my car at all times,why would you not?

[sandymere 8,263]

"where a vet is more than a short drive away there is case for owner intervention, basically if a dog is going to die before a vet can be reached then there's nothing to lose"

 

I might take more equipment if traveling further afield as I have a fair amount of knowledge, not being a newbie but an old git, but most newcomers to the sport are unlikely to have the knowhow which leads to hasty decisions. Pretty much all small towns will have a vet and an emergency number on the door, I know having needed one myself before now.

[Westy76 546]

"where a vet is more than a short drive away there is case for owner intervention, basically if a dog is going to die before a vet can be reached then there's nothing to lose"

 

I might take more equipment if traveling further afield as I have a fair amount of knowledge, not being a newbie but an old git, but most newcomers to the sport are unlikely to have the knowhow which leads to hasty decisions. Pretty much all small towns will have a vet and an emergency number on the door, I know having needed one myself before now.

Carry as much as you can I say because if you can't use it someone else may!!!

I personally wouldn't go anywhere without my kit box in my motor and also if your insured take a copy of your ticket with you coz if your away and use another vet they'll leave your dog dying til ticket or payment is seen!!!!

[C Hall 552]

Ffs Sandymere your the Angel of doom.