Like most, you probably were not aware that April is National Pet First Aid Awareness Month. 

The entire month is dedicated to teaching pet owners about providing emergency care to their animals.

Every fur parent has more than likely experienced a pet that has injured themselves or has experienced a sudden onset of troubling symptoms. These situations can leave us feeling bewildered or worried about what to do for our little friends.  

Of course, the typical thing to do is to see your veterinarian if your pet gets hurt or sick, but there may be times you need to administer first aid to your pet until you can make it to the vet. Oftentimes we are far from the nearest vet’s office and need to give our pets emergency treatment right away, particularly when we’re camping, boating, or hiking. 

We take first aid precautions for ourselves and family members; our pets need a similar plan in place as well. 

Like most things in life, prevention is the best strategy.

While we can’t stop all accidents from happening, we can take steps to mitigate the dangers and risks our pets face every day.

Below are some common injuries our pets may experience: 

•  Accidental poisoning
•  Bowel obstruction
•  Soft tissue trauma
•  Fractures and breaks of bones
•  Toxin ingestion
•  Snake and insect bites

So what can we do to help prevent pet emergencies?

We can familiarize ourselves with household items that could cause choking, injuries, or accidental poisoning and store those items properly where pets can’t quickly get into them. 

We should also keep a stocked pet first aid kit handy. If you haven’t checked your kit in a while, you may want to ensure that the supplies inside haven’t expired. If we don’t use first aid kits for a bit, sometimes we forget to restock them or replace expired items.

The Pet Medic™ MedPack™ is the perfect all-in-one first aid solution with everything to remedy the most common injuries to our pets, no matter how small or large. Keep one in your home, and if you take your furry friends on lots of outings and adventures, keep one in your vehicle and hiking bag. 

Learning pet CPR and the Heimlich maneuver is another excellent way to help our fur kids if an emergency pops up. The best resource for this information is from your veterinarian. 

Don’t forget the simple things, like keeping the phone numbers of your veterinarians and 24-hour emergency pet hospital handy. Always keep your dog license and rabies tag with you and inquire with your local fire department about a notification decal for home windows. This lets first responders know how many pets are inside in case of a fire or other home emergency. 

Pets provide us with unconditional love, comfort, and joy. April is an excellent reminder to stay on top of all we can do to keep them safe, healthy, and happy.