Animal first aid

Bleeding comes in different types. In case of heavy bleeding, call your vet and us for first aid and transport. Look at the following tips to stop bleeding in the meantime. Our dispatchers can guide you by phone. 

Tourniquet:
(only for heavy bleeding)

• If there is heavy bleeding on the leg, apply a "tourniquet" with a strip of cloth or a shoelace about 5 cm above the wound;
• Make a knot in the fabric;
• Place a pin or a sturdy stick on top and tie it tightly;
• Turn the pin or stick around until the strip of fabric is tight around the leg;
• When you drive to the vet, tie the strip on the stick so it cannot twist loose;
• Note: unscrew the fabric every 5 minutes to keep the blood flowing. This is very important to avoid tissue dying;
• Once you have applied the tourniquet, you can apply a pressure dressing to the injury if necessary. Then loosen the tourniquet to see if this is sufficient to stop the bleeding.

Bone fractures are often caused by brute force, such as a collision, fall or bite incident. Certain diseases can also cause fractures, such as bone tumours or osteoporosis.

In case of a broken leg: The animal is usually unable to stand on the leg and the leg often has a strange, unnatural position or abnormal mobility.

In case of a broken jaw: an abnormal position of the jaw, inability to chew, difficulty in swallowing and the mouth often no longer closes properly.

Think about your own safety. After all, your animal is in pain and even the most adorable pet can unintentionally bite as a result. Get your animal to a vet as soon as possible. If you call us, we will provide first aid and transport your animal as stably as possible.

Gastric torsion, also stomach twisting or called stomach tilt, is a very dangerous condition in (mainly large) dogs that is very painful and fatal if not dealt with quickly is intervened. At a gastric torsion the stomach rotates on its axis. This closes the entrance and exit of the stomach (in the case of oesophagus and colon). Blood vessels are also pinched off. As a result, blood pressure and heart function are lowered and the body does not get enough oxygen. Because the stomach is closed, gases produced by fermentation cannot escape and the stomach becomes increasingly bulgy. This expansion prevents the diaphragm from moving properly, restricting breathing. As a result, even less oxygen reaches the tissues. The stomach wall begins to die, bacteria in the intestines start secreting toxins, the kidneys and liver are affected and eventually the animal dies. Quick action is therefore necessary. 

Preventive: let your dog eat calmly and give him or her at least half an hour's rest after eating. 

A 'urinary hangover' is a male cat that suddenly cannot urinate. A blocked urethra is most common in male cats, as the urethra is narrower. If a female cat urinates little or not at all, it could be due to e.g. a bladder infection or bladder stones. Often male cats have had a bladder infection before, or suffer from bladder stones. If the urethra is clogged with grit, the animal cannot get rid of its urine. The urine contains toxins that need to be removed from the body. The bladder becomes increasingly full and at some point the kidneys can no longer discharge the urine, causing acute kidney poisoning. 

Shock is a shortage of absolute or relative circulating blood volume. Blood pressure in the body drops as a result of, for example, blood loss, heart problems, fluid loss from burns, vomiting, diarrhoea, allergic reactions, electric shock or brain injury.
Blood flow is severely disrupted due to stress, shock, accident, external/internal bleeding. If shock is not treated properly, the animal may die. 

Oxygen administration can be life-saving and prevent severe oxygen deprivation from leading to cell and organ damage. We therefore always give oxygen on the ambulance on the way to the vet. 

Call your vet anyway. 
It is important that you as the owner remain as calm as possible. Pay attention to your own safety and reassure the animal. Offer a low-stimulation environment and see more tips opposite.