Are you ready to rescue your dog?
There’s something you should know about me: I panic. I’m a panicker. I’m that person who suddenly can’t speak if a cup of coffee is about to fall off a table, and I can never react fast enough to push the “door open” button on an elevator when someone is rushing towards its closing doors. And earlier this year, at Dog Day Afternoon, when a beautiful bulldog named Diesel was losing his life to heatstroke, I have never been so grateful that someone else was there to administer CPR. I did, however, have the presence of mind to pour water on a second bulldog who was also overheated, so I’m not completely useless in these situations. Still, part of the reason for my panic that day at Flagpole Hill was because I couldn’t remember my Pet First Aid and CPR training.
The “someone” who was present at DDA and administered CPR to Diesel was Beth Bowers, owner of Power to the Pawz Pet Services and Education and certified Pet First Aid and CPR Instructor. We talked a lot about poor Diesel, who lost his life that day, and how more pet owners needed to know what to do if their pets are in danger. On Sunday, November 14, a group of pet parents - several of whom are DDL Facebook Fans - met at Beth’s home to get educated (or in my case, re-educated).
What a wonderful way to spend a Sunday! We learned so much from Beth (such as, “Before each step, remember to BREATHE. You can’t help your dog if you are panicking.”) and each other. Each person had their own stories to share and personal perspective on why each facet of first aid is so crucial. We learned that there are only three situations when you may need to administer first aid or CPR:
1) Your dog is breathing and has a pulse.
2) Your dog is not breathing but has a pulse.
3) Your dog is not breathing and doesn’t have a pulse.
I loved that the class broke down every situation to be a simple choice. There are three ways to respond - one for each of these scenarios - so there’s less to for your panicky brain to process when you are actually in an emergency situation. It’s less intimidating, and makes you feel more confident in your reaction.
Not only were we able to practice muzzling, wrapping a wound, and rescue breathing on stuffed dogs, Beth used her own real “demo dogs” for us to practice finding a pulse, and of course, to provide some comic relief throughout the class. Her Great Pyranese/Basset Hound mix Burt is a giant furry ball of awesomeness, and was so patient as she demonstrated how to do a Snout-to-Tail assessment.
If you’re not sure what to do if your dog is choking, or if you came home to find him unconscious, or how to properly transport your dog in a vehicle (hint: if your dog is loose in your car and you need medical assistance, first responders will have to wait for Animal Control to arrive and contain your dog before they can help you), then you should really get Pet First Aid and CPR training as soon as possible. Knowledge is power, and now that I have everything fresh in my mind and have been practicing and reviewing consistently, I feel confident that I will be able to help my dogs if they are in distress. Thank you Beth for helping me help my dogs!
To attend one of Beth’s First Aid & CPR Class, email her at This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it For more pictures of the class, visit the DallasDogLife.com Facebook page.
