Approaching Solutions to Everyday Problems With Your Pet

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Basic Techniques of Pet Care

• Approaching Solutions to Everyday Problems With
  Your Pet

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Intro

• Pet owners are faced with everyday problems like
  ear infections, cut paws, or upset stomachs.
• These basic techniques apply to hundreds of dog
  and cat conditions.
• In dramatic situations, they can save your pets
  life

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Pain

• Signs of pain in dogs and cats can be pretty
  subtle.
• You must be alert to changes in behavior to
  determine if your pet is indeed in pain.
• Dogs tend to be more vocal and may yelp, hold a
  hurt paw, or limp.
• Cats more often simply hide and refuse to move.
• Other signs can include panting, drooling,
  refusing to eat, hunching or tucking up a
  painful stomach, bowing a painful neck,
  flinching when touched, or squinting if an eye is
  painful or watery.

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Pain

• If you suspect spine problems or fractures, dont
  use any pain medication for first aid.
• Since the most common pain relievers can make
  bleeding worse, do not give as first aid when you
  arent sure about the extent of the problem.
• NEVER give aspirin to cats.
• Veterinarians have much more effective and safer
  pain medicines that they can give to pets once a
  diagnosis has been made.

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Pain Treatment

• However, there are some effective and safe pain
  treatments that you can safely use as first aid.
• Cortaid contains steroids that reduce painful
  inflammation. It works well on minor cuts and
  scrapes or insect stings.
• Products containing benzocaine, like Lanacane or
  Solarcaine, contain topical anesthetics that numb
  the pain of sunburn and mouth sores. Benozcaine
  should not be used on cats.
• Hot compresses work well on sore joints caused by
  arthritis
• Ice numbs the pain of nearly any skin injury,
  bruise, or burn within minutes.

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Restraint

• To examine an injury to your pet, you likely will
  need to restrain the animal.
• A humane restraint serves three purposes
• 1. it protects you from being bitten or clawed
  while administering first aid
• 2. it restricts your pets movements to prevent
  further injury
• 3. it keeps your pet in one place so that the
  injury can be examined and treated

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Muzzles

• Any pet will bite as a reflex when hurt
• While commercial muzzles are available, a
  home-made muzzle can be nearly or equally as
  effective

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Muzzles - short nosed animals

• Cats and short-nosed dogs (like pugs) are a
  concern are a challenge because they do not have
  enough of a nose to tie shut.
• In this case, one of the best muzzles is a
  pillowcase.
• To make a pillowcase muzzle
• Fit a cloth bag over the pets head and gently
  hold it around the neck
• The fabric will keep the teeth engaged and pets
  often stop struggling once they cant see
• You can also pull the case over the pets body as
  necessary to contain the front legs and/or paws
• Allow the affected body part to stick out of the
  pillowcase for access
• Some treatments, such as a cool water soak for
  heat stroke, can be done through the pillowcase

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Muzzles long nosed dogs

• You can use any piece of material from a necktie
  or length of gauze to a panty hose or extra leash
• Loop the material around your pets jaw and tie
  it in a single knot (half-hitch) on top of his
  nose.
• Then bring both ends of the tie back down under
  his jaw and tie another single knot.
• Finally, pull the ends behind the base of his
  neck and tie them in a bow or knot.

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Restraint Techniques

• Each form of restraint works best for a specific
  type of injury
• The selected technique should leave the injured
  area accessible for treatment
• If possible, have one person restrain the animal
  while another performs the first aid.
• It is best to place small pets on a counter or
  tabletop so that they are at waist level
• Medium or large dogs are best treated on the
  floor.

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Reclining Restraint

• Place your pet on his side, with the injured area
  facing up.
• With one hand, grasp the ankle of the foreleg
  thats against the ground while gently pressing
  your forearm across his shoulders.
• With the other hand, grasp the ankle of the hind
  leg thats against the ground while pressing that
  forearm across his hips.
• This technique works best for medium-large dogs
  and/or dogs with prominent eyes (e.g. Pekingese)
• Holding these types of dogs around the neck
  produces pressure that may pop out their eyeballs

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Reclining Restraint

• Proper techniques for reclining restraint

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Stretch Restraint

• With cats and small dogs, grasp your pet by the
  loose skin at the back of the neck (scruff) with
  one hand
• Capture both hind feet with the other hand.
• Gently stretch out your pet and hold it against a
  tabletop

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Hugging Restraint

• Bring one arm underneath and around your dogs
  neck (like a half nelson) to hug him to your
  chest
• With the other arm, reach under and around his
  chest and pull him closer against you.
• This technique works best for dogs over 20 lbs
  and is most useful when trying to immobilize the
  abdomen, chest, legs, and back.

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Hugging Restraint
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Kneeling Restraint

• Pressure around the necks of dogs with prominent
  eyes (e.g. Pekingese) may pop out their eyeballs.
• Instead of restraining with a neck grip or by the
  scruff, put your dog on the floor between your
  knees facing away from you as you kneel.
• Put one hand on top of your dogs head and the
  other around or beneath his jaws to steady his
  head while another person treats this area.
• This method also works for giving pills to cats.

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Elizabethan Collars

• Elizabethan Collars (or E-collars) prevent dogs
  and cats from reaching injuries with their teeth.
• They also protect facial sores from pawing or
  scratching nails.
• You can get them at pet-supply stores, catalogs,
  or from a vet.
• They can also be home-made.

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Making an E-collar

• 1. Measure the pets neck and the distance from
  his collar to the tip of his nose
• 2. Mark these measurements on a piece of rigid
  cardboard or plastic.
• 3. Make a V-shaped cut from the outer edge to the
  inner circle.
• 4. Use a knitting needle or awl to punch holes
  along both edges of the collar.
• 5. Lace a shoe string or yarn through the holes
  to secure the collar around your pets neck.

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E-collars
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General Care

• Pilling
• Liquid Medicine
• Medicating Pets Ears
• Medicating Pets Eyes
• Cleansing Wounds the Immune System
• Bandages
• Making a Splint
• Making a Cast
• Grooming
• Bathing

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Pilling

• Dogs often take pills willingly when theyre
  hidden in treats like peanut butter or cheese
• However, some dogs and most cats will swallow the
  treat and spit out the pill
• To give a dog a pill, circle the top of his snout
  with your hand, pressing both sides of the jaw
  along the gum line behind the large, pointed
  canine teeth
• This will prompt the dog to open its mouth
• When its mouth is open, push the pill over the
  hill of the tongue, close its mouth, and stroke
  its throat until it swallows.
• Follow the pill with a treat so that he forgets
  to spit it out.

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Pilling - Cats

• This same technique can work for cats if it
  doesnt
• Grasp the loose fur at the scruff of the cats
  neck and pull its head back until its head points
  at the ceiling.
• Its mouth will automatically drop open
• Pull down the jaw with one finger
• Drop the pill into its mouth at the back of the
  tongue
• Aim for the V-shape in the center of the cats
  tongue
• Butter or margarine on the pill can help it slide
  down
• Close its mouth and watch for it to swallow
• Cats usually lick their nose after swallow

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Cats (cont)

• You can also crush the pill into a powder and mix
  it with strong-smelling cat food
• Never give your pet any over-the-counter
  medication without clearing it with your
  veterinarian first!
• The smaller size and different metabolism of cats
  make aspirin a dangerous proposition for them.
  Acetaminophen, the active ingredient in Tylenol,
  can kill your cat, as can some of the newer,
  longer-lasting painkillers available in
  nonprescription form for human use.
• If your pet is in pain, call your veterinarian
  immediately. Cats in particular are very stoic,
  and if you're noticing your pet's discomfort,
  he's really suffering and needs immediate care.
• As for chronic pain, your veterinarian can
  prescribe something that's effective and
  pet-safe.

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Pill Syringes

• Pill syringes are hollow plastic dispensers
  available at pet supply stores.
• They make it easier to get a pill into a pets
  mouth.
• To use a pill syringe, place your cat on a table
  or countertop and put one hand on top of its
  head, circling its muzzle with your fingers.
• Press its lips back against the teeth behind the
  canine teeth to make it open wide.

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Pill Syringe

• With the other hand, lay the pill-laden syringe
  on its tongue so that the exit end points at the
  back of its throat but does not quite touch it.
• Push the plunger to release the pill
• Withdraw the syringe
• After giving the pill, hold your pets mouth
  closed and stroke its throat (or gently blow on
  the nose) to make it swallow.

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Liquid Medicines

• A needleless syringe will often accompany a
  prescribed liquid medicine
• Draw up the designated amount.
• Insert the tip into the corner of the pets
  mouth.
• Slowly squirt the medicine into its cheek
• Keep its head tipped up so that gravity allows
  the medicine to flow in the right direction.
• Stroke its throat until you see it swallow
• You may need to give just a few drops at a time
• An eyedropper can work in absence of a syringe

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Medicating Pets Ears

• The ear canals of pets are long and curved it
  takes a special technique to get the medicine
  where it needs to go.
• Usually, ear medication is a liquid or ointment
• To apply it, tip your pets head up so that the
  opening of th affected ear points upward.
• Put several drops of medicine in the ear canal,
  then firmly grasp the pets earflap so that it
  doesnt immediately shake its head and lose the
  medicine from the ear.
• Use the other hand to massage the base of the
  ear.
• You should hear a squishing sound indicating that
  the medicine is spreading through the inner canal.

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Medicating Pets Eyes

• Eye medication is also usually a liquid or
  ointment
• Apply eye medication in the same way as you would
  ear medication.
• Tip the pets head so that its looking at the
  ceiling.
• Pull down the lower eyelid on the affected eye
  and drop or squirt several drops of the medicine
  into the cupped tissue.
• Release the eyelid
• Let your pet blink several times.
• This will naturally spread the medicine over the
  eye surface wherever its needed.

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Whats wrong?
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Cleaning Wounds Bandaging

• Anytime the skin is broken, bacterial infection
  is a risk.
• Why?
• Even fur from the pet itself could be a
  contaminant and cause infection.
• Bleeding is a natural cleansing mechanism and can
  help flush out dangerous materials.
• DO NOT clean wounds the bleed excessively this
  will cause them to bleed more.
• For wounds that arent bleeding heavily,
  cleansing is needed to prevent infection.

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Cleansing wounds

• If the pet has long fur, clip it to prevent it
  from getting into the wound or sticking to it.
• If using a scissors, hold the fur with your index
  and middle finger and clip above them, leaving a
  1 inch border around the wound.
• If the skin is broken, dab on a lubricant (water
  soluble, e.g. KY) the trimmed fur will stick to
  the jelly and wash out easily

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Cleansing

• Usually the injury will be painful and even
  gentle pressure will cause pain
• Muzzles!
• The best way to cleanse a wound is to flush it
  with cool water or sterile saline contact lens
  solution to float out debris.
• If need be, you could use the spray attachment on
  a kitchen sink, or even a garden hose.

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Antiseptic

• For serious wounds, follow-up with a non-stinging
  antiseptic solution to disinfect the wound.
• Dilute it with sterile distilled water until it
  is the color of weak tea.
• Put this solution in a plant sprayer or clean,
  sterile watering can and spray or dilute the area
  thoroughly.
• Once the wound has been disinfected gently dab it
  clean with gauze or a clean, lint-free cloth.
• See a vet for serious injuries.

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Mechanisms of Healing

• How healing works
• Healing begins with vasoconstriction blood
  vessels leading to the wound tighten to reduce
  the flow of blood to the injured area.
• Platelets (triggered by enzymes leaked from the
  torn blood vessel) rush to the scene. These
  sticky blood cells clump to each other and then
  adhere to the sides of the torn blood vessel,
  making a plug.
• Clotting proteins in the blood join forces to
  form a fibrin net that holds the platelet plug in
  place over the tear,
• In a few seconds or minutes (depending on how bad
  the scrape is), the bleeding will stop due to
  coagulation.
• The fibrin plug becomes a scab that will
  eventually fall off or be reabsorbed into the
  body once healing is complete.

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Bodily prevention of infection

• Once bleeding has been controlled, the next step
  is stopping infection
• The blood vessels that were constricted now
  dilate to bring white blood cells rushing to the
  scene.
• White blood cells engulf and destroy any germs
  that may have gotten into the body through the
  open wound.

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Healing and Rebuilding

• When blood loss and infection have been treated,
  the body turns its attention to healing and
  rebuilding
• Fibroblasts (cells that are capable of forming
  skin and other tissue) gather at the site of
  injury and begin to produce collagen, which will
  eventually fill in the wound under the scab and
  create new capillaries to bring oxygen-rich blood
  to the recovering wound.
• Skin along the edges of the wound becomes thicker
  and then gradually migrates (or stretches) under
  the scab to the center of the wound, where it
  meets skin from the other side and forms a scar
  (about three weeks after the initial injury).
• Scar tissue will become stronger and fade
  gradually over the next several years as more
  collagen is added, but will only have about 80
  percent of the strength of the original skin.

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Factors in healing

• Not all wounds heal equally.
• Generally speaking, more serious wounds take
  longer to heal. Individual factors also influence
  how quickly your body is able to recover from a
  wound, including
• Age younger pets usually heal faster than older
  folks
• Nutrition a pets body needs a good supply of
  vitamin C to make collagen. Over-conditioned
  pets will heal more slowly
• Smoking if an owner smokes, the healing rate of
  a pet will decrease
• Stress large amounts of stress can delay the
  healing process (poor diet, poor care, improper
  bedding, etc.)
• Other infections or illnesses diabetes, thyroid
  disease, high blood pressure, and poor
  circulation, for example, can decrease a pets
  body's ability to heal
• Wounds that are slow to heal could be symptomatic
  of greater problems.
• Source Columbia University Health Services

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Assignment

• You are tutoring at an elementary school, and
  Kibbles, the school hamster, just got scratched
  by Bits, the class cobra.
• Kibbles is fine, but he has a nasty scratch that
  is bleeding.
• You stop the bleeding, but the students are
  worried.
• In one page or less, completely explain how the
  body heals itself to an elementary school
  audience.
• Cite your sources! These are nosy kids they
  want proof that youre right!
• You will need to use outside sources!
• Avoid big words these are 10 year-olds. If you
  do use a big word, be sure to explain it with
  smaller words.

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Bandaging

• Many injuries heal when they are allowed to have
  contact with open air.
• Bandages can be necessary in certain cases,
  especially with heavy bleeding.
• Bandagers serve 5 key functions they
• Keep wounds dry
• Absorb wound seepage to promote healing
• Control bleeding with mild pressure
• Keep a pet from causing further injury via
  chewing or licking
• Shield the wound from later contamination

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Bandaging

• Bandages must be changed every day or two
• The wound must be kept clean and dry between
  changes
• Swelling above or below the bandage means it is
  on too tight.
• If your pet suddenly starts licking or chewing
  the bandage, or if theres a bad smell, remove
  the bandage immediately to be sure there is not
  an infection or other problem.
• Yes, smell the bandage daily
• If a bandage is needed, most likely a
  veterinarian will need to be seen
• Bandages are a short term solution until
  treatment from a vet is available.

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Bandages

• Bandages have 3 parts
• Absorbent Pad
• Gauze
• Tape
• All three are needed for an effective bandage

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Absorbent Pad

• This part is necessary to prevent infection and
  reduce stickage
• Sterile nonstick pads like Tefla work best any
  absorbent material that is clean and lint free is
  fine
• Paper towels and other paper products tend to
  stick to wounds and can cause damage when removed
• If this is all that is available, KY over the
  injury under the paper towel will reduce later
  injury.

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Gauze

• Gauze exists to hold the absorbent pad in place.
• Gauze is likely the easiest way to cause further
  injury if it is applied too tight
• This can cause the injury to swell cutting off
  blood circulation and reducing the immune
  response
• How?
• If you cant easily slip one or two fingers under
  the bandage, it is too tight.
• Try to overlap the gauze by a 1/3 of its width
  with each time around.

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Gauze

• If you dont have gauze, other elastic type
  materials work to temporarily hold the pad in
  place until gauze can be retrieved
• The leg from a panty hose would be an example of
  a material that would work if need be.

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Tape

• Tape secures the gauze and pad in a specific
  place on the pets body
• Elastic adhesive bandages work best.
• If none is available, and adhesive tape is better
  than none
• If you have no adhesive tape, nonadhesive
  substances such as Saran Wrap can work
  temporarily. In fact, a pet may tolerate this
  more because it sticks to itself and not to the
  fur
• Be sure that the tape covers a portion of the fur
  on both sides of the bandage so that it will stay
  in place and cannot be worked loose and removed.

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Tape

• As with the gauze, make sure it is not too tight
• Use the two finger test to ensure a proper fit
• Remember, a wound needs to breathe!

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Specific Bandages

• Paws and paw pads
• Legs
• Tail
• Ears
• Neck
• Chest and Shoulders
• Hips and Flanks
• Body bandages