first aid

General

First aid is the very first care of an animal suffering from the consequences of an accident or sudden illness.

1. Keep calm and calm
When dealing with an accident, we talk about many emotions that threaten to overwhelm us. Very logical and understandable. However, when we need to offer help, it is important that we put those emotions aside for a while. Stay calm.

2. Try to work quickly and efficiently
Make sure there is a clear division of roles. Check whether the animal ambulance has already been called, provide a blanket, organize bandages, etc. In short, do something meaningful. If you don't have a job anymore, leave. This improves the overview for those who do have a task.

3. Work on a regular schedule
When we arrive at an animal, we want to know how it is in the shortest possible time. The SPAR scheme has been developed for this purpose. The letters stand for:

S = mucous membranes
P = pulse
A = breathing
R = reflexes
Mucous membranes
Pay particular attention to the inside of the lip. The mucous membrane can have different colors; for example:

yellow: with jaundice (usually not an emergency)
much too red: carbon monoxide poisoning (plus red tongue)
blue: oxygen deficiency (animal fights for breath)
pale: anemia due to blood loss or shock
Wrist
We feel the pulse of an animal at the femoral artery (or carotid artery). High in the groin you feel a small strand, feel carefully, you press too hard, you no longer feel a pulse. The pulse may be absent due to occlusion of the blood vessel due to severe trauma. When in doubt, always feel at the central pulse: the heart. We do this just behind the elbows on the chest with the flat of the hand. What do we assess at the pulse: - whether the pulse is strong or weak (difficult to find and feel) - it is important to count the number of pulses to know if the pulse is regular.

Normal Frequency:

Cat: 120 – 180 / min
Dog: 60 (large) – 120 (small) / min
Breathing
Check if the animal can breathe. If necessary, pull out the tongue to look down the throat. If the animal breathes, what is the breathing pattern: regular or fast and irregular. Normal: frequency 10 - 30 x per minute with chest - abdominal breathing.

Reflexes
When assessing the reflexes, we mainly look at the head reflexes, which say something about the level of consciousness of the animal. Does the animal respond to calls?, does it respond to a threat reflex (an abrupt movement of the index finger to the eyeball should be followed immediately by the blinking of the eyelids) or eyelid reflex (tapping of the head skin is followed by blinking of the eyes)

Read more: https://jagerzoo.webnode.nl/ehbo/