Dog First Aid - Surrey

Can I give my dog frozen treats? 🧊

☀️ The weather has really warmed up over the last few days, and is set to stay that way for a while longer. This has meant a lot of mixed messages being shared over social media.

😞One post that I see frequently shared with regards to ice cubes & frozen treats is well-meaning but a little misleading. The original poster unfortunately misinterpreted what was said by the vet and, when recounting the advice, missed a crucial element of the advice - that the advice was specific to dogs who are experiencing hyperthermia/heatstroke.

✅ If your dog is not showing any signs of heat stroke then it is safe to give them frozen treats, ice cubes and doggy ice cream. You can add ice cubes to their water, let them play with ice cubes or freeze treats inside ice cubes for them.

❌If a dog is showing signs of heatstroke then it can be dangerous to give them frozen treats, ice cubes and icy cold water. Instead you should prioritise getting them to the vet for treatment and using safe methods of cooling on the way.

☀️Some signs of heatstroke are:
- excessive, vigorous panting
- agitation
- dark red, sticky/tacky gums

💦Safe cooling methods:
- stand the dog in cool/tepid water
- wipe the dog's paws, abdomen, arm pits and neck with a wet cloth, refresh and repeat.
- use a fan/air con

‼️Priority should always be to get the dog to the vet as a matter of urgency.
🌡No dogs have died from missing a walk but heatstroke can be fatal.

Prevention is the best option. Why not try some fun training or enrichment in the garden, play in a paddling pool, eat some tasty, frozen snacks or just chill out in front of the fan!

Stay safe out there ☀️🌡

☀️HOT PAVEMENT WARNING☀️

Yes, even on warm days, in certain conditions, pavements can become hot enough to cause pain, discomfort and even burn your dog’s paws. Although you may think your dog’s paw pads are quite tough, it’s important to remember that they are still made of skin and can be just as sensitive as the bottom of your feet.

On sunny days, pavements can often be deceptively hot and will usually be much warmer than the air outside. Dark and dense pavements easily absorb heat from the sun and are good at keeping hold of it and releasing it slowly. Natural surfaces, including grass, tend to be much cooler, as plants release water to help cool themselves down.

🔸HOW TO CHECK🔸
The best way to tell if a pavement is too hot for your dog to walk on is to place the back of your hand on the pavement for seven seconds. If it’s too painful for your hand, then it’s too painful for your dog’s paws.

If you notice that your dog is limping, looking uncomfortable or whimpering, then look at the bottom of their paws and check the temperature of the pavement with the back of your hand. If your dog’s paws look red, swollen or blistered then it’s important that you quickly take them off the hot pavement and contact your vet for advice as soon as possible.

🎉 Huge congrats to our Headley course attendees who all gained their Dog First Aid certifications at the weekend!

🙋🏼‍♀️ Lovely to meet such caring canine professionals and dog guardians ☺️

➡️ Our next courses are scheduled for:

🚨Cobham Sat 27 June at 1-5PM
🚨Guildford Sat 11 July at 1-5PM
🚨 Windsor Sat 25 July at 1-5PM

To book: https://www.dog-first-aid.com/finder

🏷️ Don’t forget to tag yourself in the comments below guys and congratulations to everyone 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻

‼️ Updated schedule including a NEW online training course date in August 🙌🏻

Would you know how to save your dog’s life in an emergency? 🐕🐩‼️🚨

We can teach you how in our veterinarian approved Dog First Aid training course! 🐶❤️‍🩹💯

Run by canine industry professionals for other professionals and pet dog guardians - have a go at canine CPR on our special dummy dogs and learn how to apply different types of bandages 🐶❤️‍🩹

Other areas covered 👉🏻
⛑️ risk assessments
⛑️ choking
⛑️ vital signs
⛑️ bleeding
⛑️ shock
⛑️ heatstroke
⛑️ burns & scalds
⛑️ bloat
⛑️ seizures
⛑️ toxins & poisons
⛑️ preventing accidents
⛑️ preserving life
⛑️ how to be legally compliant

⭐️⭐️⭐️ Includes CPD accredited certificate valid for 3 years ⭐️⭐️⭐️

🔥 Early bird 10% discount with LATH10 at online checkout!

⬆️ Link in bio to book ⬆️


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🔥 Please take a minute to familiarise yourself with what temperatures are safe for your dog☀️🐶

🔥This heatwave will put most dogs in the UK at risk of heatsroke if they are walked during the daytime heat.

Every year as vets we treat hundreds of heat stroke cases and, heartbreakingly, some end in tragedy. Many are unfortunately a result of owners not knowing the dangers of exercising their dogs in temperatures to hot for them to handle.

Heat-related illnesses are almost always preventable. DONT TAKE THE RISK and make sure your pet isn’t overheating in the sun.

If you think your dog may be suffering from heat stroke, contact your vet immediately or, if out-of-hours, find your nearest emergency vet.

Don't forget we offer a specialised self study course for brachycephalic breeds. Brachycephalic breeds may struggle with self regulation in temperatures that are slightly lower than the 20'C to 23'C on the chart below. DONT TAKE THE RISK. 🐾

🔥 BBQ SAFETY FOR DOGS 🔥

There’s nothing better than having a barbecue with friends and family during the great British summer, but all those tempting treats and burning hot equipment can be a real danger to our precious pets.

• BEWARE OF HOT EQUIPMENT
All pets must be kept a safe distance away from the barbecue at all times as hot food, coals and ashes can all cause serious burns. Traditional barbecues need lighting long before it’s time to cook, so you should cordon off the area completely to stop your dog getting near it. Although you’ll be monitoring the barbecue closely, you may be distracted by other jobs and visitors, this way you can make sure it’s well out of reach of curious paws or noses.

If you’re using lighter fluid or firelighters to light your barbecue, store them well out of the way of pets. Once the cooking is complete, make sure the barbecue cools down properly.

• KEEP THEM AWAY FROM THE SMOKE
The smoke from the grill can be very irritating for pets’ lungs, especially as many have sensitive airways. For their safety, make sure your pets are far away from the barbecue and not downwind of any fumes.

• SKIP THE SCRAPS AND CLEAN UP ANY LEFTOVERS
Barbecue scraps can upset your pet’s stomach and undercooked or fatty foods can make them very poorly. Don’t forget that cooked bones or kebab sticks can also be really harmful to your dog too as they can splinter or become lodged in their stomach or intestines and cause a potentially fatal blockage.

To prevent any digestive disasters, make sure any leftovers and rubbish are immediately thrown away in a lidded bin that your dog can’t raid. All those flavoursome food smells will be very tempting for some pets, so you must check that your bin is secure and completely out of their reach ahead of time.

Are you a dog business who has trained with me in the last 3 years?

You can add the following badge to your website, socials and any print materials to let your customers and prospects know that you are dog first aid trained ⛑ 💪

🚗DOGS DIE IN HOT CARS🚗

Dogs mainly control their body temperature by panting. When a dog is very hot, panting isn’t enough to stop them from overheating. In warm weather, the temperature inside a parked car can climb rapidly and will be much higher than outside of the vehicle. Dogs left alone in a car on a hot day can quickly become dehydrated, develop heatstroke or even die.

We do not recommend that you leave your dog unattended in a vehicle on a warm day, even if it’s just for a few minutes. Heatstroke can happen quickly and can be fatal.

If you think a dog may have heatstroke it is vital that you immediately contact a vet while cooling them down. Getting early advice and treatment is essential to saving a dog’s life. Research has found that in the UK, although 1 in 7 dogs that are taken to vets with heatstroke die, 98% that are seen early with mild signs are likely to survive.

🔥 HEATSTROKE SYMPTOMS☀️

We’ve got another long hot weekend coming up so please familiarise yourself with the signs of heatstroke!

Signs of heatstroke can progress quickly. If you think your dog may have heatstroke it is vital that you immediately contact your vet while cooling them down. Getting early advice and treatment is essential to saving a dog’s life. Research has found that in the UK, although 1 in 7 dogs that are taken to vets with heatstroke die, 98% that are seen early with mild signs are likely to survive.

Know the signs, don’t risk your dogs life and remember if in doubt, don’t go out ☀️

Dogs can sometimes find it difficult to cope with hot weather as they struggle to regulate their temperature which means they are more at risk of heatstroke than we are.

Heatstroke can be very serious! As a dog’s internal temperature rises it can cause damage to their organs and could lead to organ failure. According to AnimalTrust, 1 in 7 dogs that are taken to the vets with heatstroke are fatal.

During warm summer days it’s easy for your house to warm up. Some dogs may be able to cope with this rise in temperature, while others may struggle.

On hot days remember to:
• Ensure your dog always has access to drinking water
• Add ice cubes to your dog’s water bowls
• Use freezable dog toys and let them chew on it
• Put down damp towels for your dog to lie on (Never over the dog)
• If your dog has a long or heavy coat you could keep them clipped to make them feel more comfortable
• Keep dogs out of hot conservatories
• Avoid housing your dog in direct sunlight
• Keeping your curtains and blinds closed during the day to prevent your home from warming up when it’s hottest, and then open your windows at night to help cool down your house.

If you think your dog may have heatstroke it’s vital that you immediately contact your vet while also trying to cool them down. Getting early advice and treatment is essential to saving a dog’s life.

Research found that in the UK, although 1 in 7 dogs that are taken to vets with heatstroke die, 98% that are seen early with mild signs are likely to survive.