Emergency Foundations

In any emergency, your first job is to stay calm. Dogs take emotional cues from us, so panic raises their stress and makes examination or treatment harder. Before you touch your dog: make sure the area is safe, remove immediate danger (traffic, electricity, other animals) and protect yourself — even the gentlest dog may bite when in pain.

D.R.A.B.C. is a simple flow from human first aid, adapted for dogs. Danger: is the area safe? Response: call their name, gently clap or tap, and look for eye movement or a head lift. Airway: gently extend the neck, pull the tongue forward slightly and look for an obstruction. Breathing: look, listen and feel. Circulation: check the pulse and gum colour. If your dog is unresponsive, move straight on to the airway and breathing checks.

Pain, fear, shock or confusion can make even a loving dog snap. Speak softly, move slowly, avoid direct eye contact and approach from the side, letting your dog see and smell you. Watch for growling, stiffening, whale eye (whites of the eyes showing), freezing or lip licking. Never put your face near an injured dog’s mouth. A towel or blanket can help you handle them gently.

If it is necessary and safe, a temporary muzzle can protect you. But never muzzle a dog that is vomiting, having breathing difficulty, unconscious, suffering from heatstroke or suspected of choking. Muzzling can make breathing emergencies worse.

Seek immediate veterinary care for difficulty breathing, collapse or unconsciousness, a seizure lasting longer than 5 minutes, repeated seizures, a bloated abdomen with retching, severe bleeding, suspected poisoning, blue-green algae exposure, signs of heatstroke, or green discharge before a first puppy. Write your primary vet, out-of-hours and nearest 24-hour hospital numbers somewhere you can find them fast.