Buydogcare's Blog

Dogs can only regulate their body temperature by panting; they have no sweat glands. They are inefficient at getting rid of body heat, especially in hot weather; whereas they are efficient at retaining body heat and can tolerate very cold conditions.
The common causes of heatstroke are being locked in a car in very hot conditions or confined in a very poorly ventilated area and left in the sun.
The signs of heatstroke in a dog are;
*panting with mouth open and gasping for air;
*distressed;
*often unable to stand;
*moving about in an aggitated and uncontrolled fashion;
*gums are a deep red.
Immediatly cool down the dog by wetting it thoroughly with cold water and placing it in front of a fan or air conditioner. When the dog appears to have recovered, remove it from in front of the fan and place it in a cool shady area with easy access to water.
If the dog after ten minutes does not seem too be responding to treatment, contact your vet. Prolonged heatstroke can lead to coma or death or brain damage.
Do not leave your dog confined in a poorly ventilated area in summer, e.g. in a car. In very hot weather provide the dog with a cool shady area and access to water

Hello again, we will continue with our advise on what to do if your dog has a fit or convulsion, or if it gets a fracture.
FIT OR CONVULSION.
Usually the dog is lying on its side unconscious, paddling with its legs, champing its jaws, frothing at the mouth and twitching. Though you may be concerned that the dog is going to swallow its tongue, do not try to take hold of it, as you may be badly bitten by the unconscious dog champing its jaws. Observe the dog but do not touch it. Touching the dog while it is having a fit, may prolong the fit. Usually the fit lasts for a minute or two and then the dog recovers, although it may seem a little disorientated temporarily. Once it has recovered make an appointment to see your vet.
If the dog continues fitting beyond five minutes, take the dog to your vets immediatly. If there is a break in between fits, pick up the dog holding it by the scruff of the neck with one hand, supporting its body with the other hand. Place it gently in the car quickly and quitely. If the dog is impossible to handle call your vet.
FRACTURE.
The majority of fractures (broken bones) in the dog, involve the limbs, pelvis, lower jaw or spine.
To avoid being bitten when handling a dog with a fracture, try not to increase any pain or trauma it may be suffering.
Because the limbs are angular, particularly the hind limbs, it can be difficult to apply a splint to immobilise the fractured limb and to prevent further pain or damage.
When a dog fractures its limb it usually holds the leg off the ground indirectly immobilising and protecting it.
The sudden onset of one or more of the following signs may indicate a fracture;
*swelling;
*pain;
*holding the limb off the ground;
*limb at an odd angle;
*collapsing in both hindlimbs, but able to move them;
*unable to move the hindlimbs and no response to pinching the toes (indicates spinal injury).
FRACTURE OF A LIMB.
Be careful when handling a dog with a fractured limb as it may bite, because it is in pain.
If a forelimb or hindlimb is fractured, pick the dog up by placing one hand under the neck and the other hand under the abdomen. This method enables the dog to be lifted without causing further hurt to the fractured leg.
FRACTURE OF THE SPINE.
If the dog cannot use its hindlimbs and there is no pulling away of the limbs when pinching the toes, suspect a middle to lower spinal injury.
If the dog cannot use the forelimbs and/or hindlimbs and there is no response to pinching the toes, suspect a neck injury.
If the dog is lying quitetly, place a flat board beside it. Take the dog by the scruff of the neck and gently pull it onto the board. If a board is not available, place a blanket beside the dog and gently pull it by the scruff of the neck onto the blanket. With a person holding each cornor of the blanket, it can be used as a sling to lift and carry the dog.
Transport the dog to the vets hospital with minimal movement of its spine to prevent any further damage to the spinal cord.
If the dog cannot use its hindlimbs, but is trying to drag itself around using its forelimbs, restrain it by holding and talking to it or by placing it in a suitable box. see you tomorrow.

Hello again, today I will write about what to do if your dog is choking or if it gets a fish hook caught in the lip.
CHOKING
If the dog is choking, one or more of the following signs may be evident.
*retching;
*mouth open (dog does not appear to be able to close it);
*saliva dribbling from mouth;
*dog clawing at the mouth with its front paws.
These signs often indicate that a foreign body is stuck in the throat, or across the roof of the mouth and between the teeth. If the dog is breathing reasonably freely, take the dog to your vet immediately.
If the dog is on the verge of collapsing and its tongue is going blue, wedge something (e.g. the rubber handle of a screwdriver) between the molar teeth on one side of the mouth. Quickly inspect between the teeth , the roof of the mouth and in particular the back of the throat for a foreign body. With your fingers or a pair of long nosed pliers, carefully pull the tongue out. This may reveal a foreign body over the back of the tongue. Remove it with the pliers or, if the dog cannot close its mouth and bite your finger, get your finger behind it, and leverage it out. The same applies to a foreign body in the roof of the mouth.
If you are unable to remove the foreign body, and providing that you can lift the dog, take hold of its hindlegs to hold upside down. Shake it vigorously to dislodge the foreign body and clear the airway. This action often stimulates the dog to breathe. If its tounge is still blue, apply artificial resuscitation.
FISH HOOK CAUGHT IN THE LIP
Do not try to pull or push the hook. If the dog is quite and the barbed end of the hook is protruding through the lip, seek the help of an assistant who will hold the dog by the scruff of the neck to control movement of the head. With a pair of pliers, cut through the hook between the barb and the skin, allowing the rest of the hook to be removed relatively easily.
If the dog is agitated or the barbed end of the hook is embedded in the lip or mouth, seek vets assistance.
If you notice a fishing line or thread disappearing into the dogs mouth, open the mouth, and if it seems to disappear over the back of the tounge, pull the line or thread gently. If it will not budge, do not persist with the pulling and do not cut the line or thread. The line could be very useful to the vet to locate the hook or needle and assist in its removal. Take your dog immediatley to your vet.
Tomorrow I will talk about fits and fractures. have a great day. cheers.

Hi everyone, hope you are all ok? today I will write about bleeding in dogs and what to do if it happens.
BLEEDING
Do not panic and just stand and watch a dog bleed to death. Immediately apply pressure on the wound and stop the dog from moving around.
If the dog is bleeding freely from a wound, two persons are needed to assist. One take hold of the dog firmly, the other to control the heamorrhage (bleeding).
If the blood is slowly oozing from the wound, apply direct pressure to the site by means of a clean gauze or sheeting held between the fingers. Don’t dab or wipe the wound; this tend to promote further bleeding. Hold the pressure on the wound for ten seconds, then remove the hand holding the gauze or sheeting and evaluate the depth and breadth of the wound. If the bleeding recommences apply further pressure.
If the blood is flowing freely, take a wad of gauze or suitable absorbent material and apply heavy pressure to the wound with your clean hand. If you press too hard the dog may resent it. Over the wad of gauze wrap firmly, but not too tightly, a 2.5cm (1in) wide adhesive bandage and leave it in place for about 30 minutes. remove the bandage and evaluate the wound. Do not use cotton wool as small, fine fibres tend to collect in the wound, acting as a foreign body and slowing down the healing process.
In the case of arterial bleeding, the blood is normally bright red and spurts out with a pulsating action. Apply heavy pressure with gauze in hand directly over the site of the bleeding. Then wrap a 2.5cm (1in) wide adhesive bandage tightly around the gauze. Not only does the bandage apply pressure, but it also immobilises the edges of the wound, thereby helping to stop the bleeding. Keep the dog calm and quite, preferably wrapped in a blanket. Leave the bandage in place and take the dog to your vets.
If the blood is coming through the bandage , do not remove it; apply more adhesive bandage over the top.
If the dog is bleeding from an inaccessible area such as inside the nostrils, restrict its movement then apply cold to the area in the form of ice packed in a towel or some suitable container. When a pressure bandage to control haemorrhage of a limb is left on for any length of time, always check the limb below the bandage. If it is swollen, cold to the touch or does not react to pain when pinched then remove the bandage immediately and if necessary apply a new bandage less tightly.
Tourniquets are not recommended. They are often difficult to apply and, if applied incorrectly, can accentuate rather than retard blood loss.
Hope that helps you understand about bleeding in dogs. Will talk to you tomorrow about chocking and what to do if your dog gets a fish hook caught in the lip. cheers.

Hello again, today we will learn how to resuscitate your dog, if ever you have to.
If the dog is in a state of collapse, not breathing, and perhaps has a blue tongue, apply resuscitation.
*Check the mouth for any food or foreign body obstructing the airway. If the dog is small, take it by the hindlegs, hold it upside down and shake it vigorously to dislodge the obstruction. Lay a large dog on its side and check the mouth; use your fingers or a pair of long nosed pliers to clear any obstruction.
*Turn the dog on its right side, tilt its head backwards, and keep its mouth closed.
*Place a piece of cloth (handkerchief) over the dog’s nose. This allows the air to pass through, but is more cosmetically acceptable to the operator.
*With your mouth to the nose of the dog, breathe quickly into the nose five times.
*If breathing restarts, keep the dog under observation.
*If breathing does not resume, check the dog’s heartbeat by placing your thumb on one side and fingers on the otherside of the chest just below its elbow.
*If heartbeat present, keep applying mouth to nose resuscitation at the rate of one breath every three seconds(20 breaths to the minute) until breathing is restored.
*If heartbeat absent, apply cardiac compression. If the dog is small, place thumb and fingers as formerly described. If the dog is large, place the heel of your handover the dog’s heart just behind its elbow. The force of the compression should be sufficient to massage the heart but will vary in relation to the size of the dog.
*If one person present, give 20 cardiac compressions followed by two breaths into the nose. Repeat at rate of four sequences per minute.
*If two persons present,one gives six cardiac compressions followed by the other giving one mouth to nose breath. This synchronised sequence is repeated at the rate of 12 sequences per minute.
*Check the heartbeat after one minute , then after every two minutes. If the heartbeat returns but breathing is absent, continue with mouth to nose resuscitation until breathing is restored.
If breathing and heartbeat do not resume after ten minutes and the gums and tongue are blue, the pupils of the eyes are dilated, and there is no blinking of the eyes when the cornea(surface of the eye) is touched with the finger, the dog is dead.
Tomorrow i will write about bleeding and how to deal with it, untilthen take care. cheers.

Hello again, hope you are well and happy today. Our next topic is:
ASSESSING THE INJURED DOG.
Look at the color of the dogs gums. If pale or white, the dog is probably suffering from shock or blood loss. Take the dog to the vet straight away. If the gums are pink, it is a good sign that there is no major blood loss externally or internally.
Carefully run your free hand over the dog’s body, looking and feeling for a wound, swelling or painful area. Check the movement of the limbs and note if there is pain, swelling, a grating sensation, a floppy limb irregular in apperance, or the dog itself cannot move one or more limbs. These indicate that the limb, pelvis or spine may be broken (fractured) or the joint dislocated. In such cases, or if the dog is unconscious, take it to the vet.
If eveything seems to indicate that the dog is sound, prop it up on its four legs and encourage it to walk, if it flops down; walks on three legs and carries the fourth; limps; staggers; refuses to move; cries frequently as if in pain; or breathes in a laboured, panting fashion; wrap the dog in a blanket to keep it warm and to counteract shock, and take it to your vet immediately.
ALLERGIC REACTION
Being inquisitive, dog’s usually investigate something moving in the garden with their nose or front paw. In the event of a bite or sting, the first thing you will notice is a swollen face or paw and the dog rubbing its face with its paw or against some object. If the paw is swollen, the dog may bite it to relieve irritation. Usually it is difficult to determine what caused the allergic reaction. If the dog is not distressed and the swelling is small and local, investigate the swollen area for a sting or bite mark and apply a commercial preparation such as calamine lotion. If the swelling is extensive and the dog is distressed, take it to your vets.
Tomorrow I will tell you how to resusitate your dog if you ever have to. Thanks for reading my blog. Talk to you tomorrow.

Injury and accidents to dogs appear to be fairly common, possibly because of their inquisitive nature and exuberant approach to life, often disregarding any danger.
FIRST AID KIT
*Antibiotic powder
*Antiseptic wash (eg. chlorhexidine)
*Hydrogen peroxide 3%
*Mercurochrome
*Paraffin oil
*Roll of cotton wool
*Roll of adhesive bandage. 2.5cm(1in) wide
*Roll of gauze bandage. 2.5cm (1in) wide
*Scissors
*Thermometer
*Tincture of Iodine
*Tweezers

APPROACHING AN INJURED DOG
Approach an injured dog with caution as a dog frightened or in pain can give you a nasty bite.
Before handling the injured dog check to see if:
* it is conscious or not;
*there is any obvious blood on the dog or nearby;
*there are any obvious wounds or broken bones;
*its breathing appears to be normal or laboured, rapid and shallow;
*it shoes an aggressive reaction to your approach
HANDLING AN INJURED DOG
If the dog shows no reaction to your approach, rub the back of your hand behind its ears and then turn your hand to take a good handful of the scruff of the neck. This grip gives you good control of the dog, particularly its head, and prevents you from being bitten when moving it.
If the dog reacts to your approach by growling or snarling, or drawing away with its ears back, do not touch it. Instead , to stop the dog biting you, make a muzzle with about 1 metre (3ft) of any material suitable to make a strong loop (eg. tape, gauze bandage, tie, nylon stocking). With the material make a closed loop witha half knot- continue talking to the dog reassuringly- then quickly slip the loop over the dogs muzzle and pull it tightly so that the half knot of the loop is on the top side of the nose. With each hand holding an end of the material make another closed loop with a half knot, slip it over the dogs muzzle, and pull it tightly so that the half knot is under the jaw. Complete the muzzle by tying the two ends of the material in a tight bow (for quick release) behind the dogs ears.
This will enable you, with the help of an assistant if neccessary, to lift the dog into the car without being bitten, and take it to your veterinarian.
If you are unable to put the dog in the passenger section of the car, it is all right to put it in the boot where it will not suffocate nor cause any injury to the driver or passengers if it panics.
TOMORROW I WILL WRITE ABOUT ASSESSING THE INJURED DOG AND ALSO WHAT TO DO IF YOUR DOG HAS AN ALLERGIC REACTION. TALK TO YOU TOMORROW meanwhile enjoy this video .