Fifteen people and their stuffed animals gathered in a room at the Haines High School last Saturday for a class offered through the local animal shelter.
They learned some important techniques for keeping their pets safe in an emergency.
The class, CPR for Dogs and Cats, is part of a series hosted by the Haines Animal Rescue Kennel as a fundraiser. Close to thirty people attended both online and in person. Amy D’Andrea instructed the class from her home in Las Vegas over a Zoom link, and after the standard disclaimer pointing out the course material is no substitute for veterinary care, she focused participant’s attention with one statistic:
One out of four more pets would survive a medical emergency if just one first aid technique was applied before they reached a veterinarian, according to the American Animal Hospital Association.
D’Andrea had a long career as a veterinary technician, and twelve years ago started her company, Pet Emergency Education.
D’Andrea:”What I saw when I was a veterinary technician was a lot of animals that came in that unfortunately would die because nobody knew what to do prior to getting to the veterinary hospital. And so I wanted to teach people some skills they could use if their animal does get hurt, does become ill, does become injured, and that way they can keep them alive, or keep them from getting worse until they can get to a place where they can get veterinary care.”
DAndrea now offers first aid classes for horses, livestock, exotic pets like snakes, lizards and birds, and a wilderness first aid for dogs class. Her skills and calling have often put her in interesting situations. She recalls riding horses with friends in the desert outside Las Vegas:
D’Andrea:”We saw a horse that was running with a saddle on it but there was no rider, there was nobody with it, and unfortunately the horse had sustained some pretty bad injuries we could see”
D’Andrea and her friends were able to catch the horse and assess the injuries.
D’Andrea:”We had this animal that needed medical attention but we had no idea where the owner was. But we were able to bring it to a trailer and to a veterinary clinic to help it. And we found out afterwards that the horse had spooked or had had an issue where the owner fell off. That was a weird day for us, and thankfully we were there at the right place at the right time”
As the class starts, students learn first about prevention. The most common pet emergency is poisoning. Students are advised to keep harmful chemicals out of the reach of pets. They also received other helpful tips: Baby gates can prevent old dogs from falling down stairs. Cats often get electrocuted, so checking cords for chew marks will indicate whether the cords should be wrapped with chew proof tape or sprayed with a deterrent.
The discussion moves on to restraining an animal for transport. Students get hold of their stuffed animals and practice scruffing cats – holding them by the skin of the neck – and learn to move a large dog as a team. The rule for injured animals is to keep a straight line from nose to tail to avoid damaging the spine.
Then there was a lecture on muzzles — don’t use them on a pet who may need to throw up — and burns, and some instruction on what to do if your pet appears to be choking.,
D’Andrea:”As I mentioned you get them four times in the back, and then you reach up the airway to see if the object came out. Because it; not like the movies where you do the Heimlich maneuver and the object projects across the restaurant. That rarely happens with animals. Usually what happens is the object moves up the airway into the mouth, and you still have to go in to get it out.”
The class ends with CPR. The technique will vary with the size of the animal, the heart can be found in slightly different places depending on body shape. D’Andrea explains how to check for breathing, and how to find the pulse from the large blood vessels at the groin. Students go from one stuffed animal to the next, practicing chest compressions and mouth to snout breathing. For that last one, blow through the nose, keeping in mind the difference in lung size.
After three hours packed with information, the students have earned a certificate, and return home to their furry friends a little more prepared for an emergency.
