What if....your pet gets stung by a bee ... or cuts its foot on August Bank Holiday Monday... First of all, if in any doubt at all, phone your local vet for advice, and if the situation seems serious, the best thing to do will be to take your pet into the surgery. Make sure you always have your vet's telephone number to hand and the number of a 24 hour veterinary hospital should an accident happen out of hours. However, it may be possible to carry out simple first aid for your pet by yourself.             Bite injuries: Bathe wound with a saline solution. Do not allow pet to lick excessively, keep wound clean and dry. Seek attention from vet if bite appears infected or pet shows signs of discomfort. Snake bites: The only poisonous snake native to Britain is the adder. These can be quite common on heath land in the summer months. Usually, fang marks can be seen to indicate that your pet has been bitten. Swelling occurs very rapidly around the area of the bite. Carry your pet, or walk slowly to your nearest transport. Ring vet and take to surgery immediately. Minor cuts and grazes: Bathe wound with saline solution. Do not allow pet to lick excessively. Keep wound clean and dry. Deep cuts/bleeding: Do not interfere with wound. Apply dressing/bandage (see Emergency Techniques). If excessive bleeding or spurting of blood, apply a heavy dressing and apply pressure. Immediate attention is required, telephone vet and take at once to the surgery. Stings Pull out sting if possible. Bathe area with saline solution. Bicarbonate of soda can be applied to bee stings or vinegar to wasp stings to reduce the effects of the sting. Ring vet for advice.   Bloated abdomen (dogs only) This is a condition seen in dogs whereby the stomach suddenly fills with gas. The abdomen will appear bloated and the dog shows signs of acute distress. This is a major emergency. Do not delay. Immediately ring your vet so that he/she can be prepared and go at once to the surgery.   Broken bones/dislocations Sudden acute lameness. Limb position may appear abnormal. Swelling may or may not be present. Pet will show distress on movement and unwillingness to use limb. It is important to keep your pet still and restrain as necessary to limit further damage. Do not attempt to reposition limb. Contact your vet and take at once to surgery (see Emergency Techniques).     Burns and scalds Immediately saturate the affected area with cold water for at least five minutes. Do not apply any ointments/creams/butter. Do not clip hair. Do not burst any blisters. Contact your vet and take at once to surgery.   Choking It will take two people to deal with this. Unknown foreign object: Person 1: Check airway by using one hand, hold the animal's mouth open. Using the other hand, pull the tongue out as far as possible. Look in mouth to see if you can see an obstruction. Person 2: Remove the object carefully, preferably using pliers or a similar instrument. Ball stuck at back of throat: Do not try and remove using pliers as this may push the ball further down your pet's throat. Instead place your finger at the base of the jaw, apply pressure inwards and upwards to expel the ball. If the above should prove unsuccessful after a few minutes trying, telephone and take at once to the veterinary surgery.   Contaminated coat Pet appears to have oil/tar or unknown substances on its coat or feet. Due to the nature and sensitivity of cats and dogs this can be extremely harmful and toxic if ingested. Prevent your pet from licking the area. Wash area with water containing a mild detergent, rinse thoroughly with clean water. Vegetable oil or butter can be helpful to remove tar. Swarfega can be helpful to remove oil. Contact your vet if there is heavy contamination or if you are worried.     Drowning Do not endanger yourself. If possible remove pet from water. Suspend by hindquarters to allow water to drain from the lungs. A swinging motion can be used to encourage breathing. If your pet does not start to breath naturally resuscitation should be implemented (see Emergency Techniques). Dry pet and wrap in blanket to keep warm. Contact vet and take at once to surgery.   Electric shock Low voltage shocks (eg in the home): Do not touch your pet until you have turned off the electrical source. If your pet is unconscious, check for signs of breathing. If no signs of breathing, implement resuscitation (see Emergency Techniques). Apply first aid to any areas of bleeding or burns. Contact vet and take at once to surgery. High voltage shocks (eg power lines etc): Do not approach or try to rescue your pet if it is still within 18 meters (20yards) of the power source. Call 999 and ask for the police. Keep bystanders away. When you are told it is safe to do so, approach your pet and implement resuscitation. Apply first aid to any areas of bleeding or burns. Contact vet and take at once to surgery.     A B C Emergency techniques Resuscitation A. Breathing: Check if animal is breathing by LOOKING and LISTENING. B. Check airway: Pull the tongue forward and, if necessary, remove any mud, debris or other obstruction. C. If the animal does not start breathing naturally: Check the heartbeat. Lay the dog on its side and apply intermittent pressure to the chest. Should the above be unsuccessful: Pull the pet's head forward and extend the neck to straighten it. Close the mouth. Blow vigorously and hard up the nose to inflate the chest until the pet begins to gasp. Transporting an injured pet The aim is to transport the injured animal with minimum discomfort and avoiding making any injuries worse. If the dog can walk: Allow it to walk slowly to the vehicle and gently assist it to get in. Method for cats and if dog can't walk comfortably: Small dogs and cats may be lifted gently as indicated in figure A. Be careful not to obstruct the airway. Medium sized dogs may be lifted as shown in figure B. Large dogs should always be lifted in the way shown in figure C.     Eye injuries Eye is bulging or has come out of its socket: Do not try to replace or apply pressure to the eye. Gently apply a cold wet compress to protect the eye and keep it moist. Contact vet and take at once to surgery. Foreign object in eye: Do not touch if the object is protruding from the eye. Do not try to remove. Prevent pet from rubbing the eye. Contact vet and take at once to surgery. Irritants in eye or foreign object on the surface of eye: Prevent pet from rubbing the eye. Bathe copiously with lukewarm water as soon as possible. Do not attempt to rub the surface of the eye. Note carefully the nature of the irritant if known. Contact vet and take at once to the surgery. Take a sample or the container of the irritant if possible.     Fits/fainting: The pet may show signs of disorientation or may be collapsed with thrashing limbs/showing jerky movements. Do not panic. Do not touch your pet. Ensure that it cannot injure itself by closing doors and removing objects that may cause it harm. Minimise noise and light; external factors such as a TV or a bright light can affect your pet's state. Do not attempt to take to surgery whilst pet is fitting as this may cause harm to your pet and/or yourself. Contact vet for advice. Fainting: Pet suddenly collapses and appears to loose consciousness but shows no previous signs of distress. Pets with short noses, ie Pugs or Pekinese dogs, can be more prone to this. Ensure airway is clear and pet is breathing. Contact vet for advice.     Heat stroke This typically occurs when pet is in a confined space, exposed to excessive sunlight or excessive exercise during hot weather. Your pet will show signs of distress and heavy panting. Firstly, to eliminate the possibility that your pet may be choking rather than suffering from heat stroke, you must make sure that your pet's airway is not blocked. Move pet to a cool place. It is important to reduce body temperature quickly by dousing in cold water using a hose or bucket for at least 5 minutes. Contact your vet for advice even if pet appears to return to normal.     Poisoning If you think that your pet has eaten something that may be poisonous, make it vomit as soon as possible. A crystal of washing soda or strong salt solution can be used to induce vomiting. If you know or suspect the cause, note carefully the nature of the substance and amount eaten. Contact vet and take at once to surgery. Take a sample or the container of the irritant if possible.     Shock Pet returns home and appears to be listless and possibly collapsed. If there are no other external signs: Check pet's gums: they should be a pink colour and when gently pressed turn white at the point of touch and then return to a pink colour. If pet is suffering from shock the gums will appear very pale or white. It is important to keep pet warm and avoid any sudden movement. Ring vet and take immediately to surgery.     Traffic accident Do not panic. Let pet see you approach. Avoid sudden movements or loud noise. Speak gently to pet. Ensure there is no danger of further damage to yourself or pet. Give first aid to any external injuries. Minimise movement of pet. Keep pet warm. Contact vet and transport pet to surgery or telephone an animal ambulance for assistance (see Emergency Techniques).