This month I am continuing the series on first aid for your pets.

The information is provided by the American Veterinary Medical Association.

In case of an emergency, contact your veterinarian immediately. Keep contact numbers for your vet and an emergency clinic on your phone or an easy to find location.

Chemical burns

Muzzle the animal.

Flush the burn immediately with large quantities of water.

If they are severe, quickly apply an ice water compress to the burned area.

Choking

Symptoms: difficulty breathing, excessive pawing at the mouth, choking sounds when breathing or coughing, blue-tinged lips/tongue.

Use caution – a choking pet is more likely to bite in its panic.

If the pet can still breathe, keep it calm and get it to a veterinarian.

Look into the pet’s mouth to see if a foreign object is visible. If you see an object, gently try to remove it with pliers or tweezers, but be careful not to push the object further down the throat.

Don’t spend a lot of time trying to remove it if it’s not easy to reach. Don’t delay, get your pet to a veterinarian immediately.

If you can’t remove the object or your pet collapses, place both hands on the side of your pet’s rib cage and apply firm, quick pressure, or lay your pet on its side and strike the rib cage firmly with the palm of your hand 3-4 times.

Similar to the Heimlich maneuver, you want to sharply push air out of their lungs to dislodge the object.

Keep repeating this until the object out or until you arrive at the veterinarian’s office.

Heatstroke

Never leave your pet in the car on warm days.

The temperature inside a car can rise very quickly to dangerous levels, even on milder days.

Pets can succumb to heatstroke easily and must be treated quickly to give them the best chance of survival.

If your pet is overheated and you cannot immediately get your it to a veterinarian, move it to a shaded area and out of direct sunlight.

Place a cool or cold, wet towel around its neck and head. Do not cover your pet’s eyes, nose or mouth.

Rewet and rewrap the towel every few minutes as you cool your pet.

Pour or use a hose to keep water running over the animal’s body, especially the abdomen and between the hind legs. Use your hands to massage its legs and sweep the water away as it absorbs the body heat.

Transport the pet to a veterinarian as soon as possible.

Wishing you and your pets a safe and happy holidays.

Next month: What to do if your pet is in shock, not breathing or their heart is not beating.