Getting Ready for Your New Pet: Orlando Pet First Aid and CPR Classes
Jul 10th, 2008 by Lisa Holt RN MS
You’ve researched breeds and visited the Central Florida area animal shelters looking for the perfect pet for your family. Shiny new food bowls are waiting to be filled, you’ve bought one of everything from your local pet store’s toy department, and you’ve researched all of the best pet food options out there! What’s left to do before you finally get to bring your new pet home for the first time?
Add one more category to that to-do list; take a Pet First Aid and CPR class! Accidents are going to happen and illness often strikes without warning. In just a blink of an eye, Fido or Fluffy could be hit by a car, receive an electric shock after chewing on an electric cord, or get into a nasty fight with another animal. Learning what to do before an emergency happens will help you keep your cool and help you get your new pet safely through a crisis.
Here are some ways to get ready:
1. Buy or make a first aid kit so that you always have the essentials on hand. Here are some basic contents you should pack inside:
- Pet ID information
- Phone number for your vet
- leash
- muzzle
- roller gauze
- sterile gauze pads
- adhesive tape
- elastic bandage roll
- triangular bandages
- cotton swabs
- tongue depressor
- tweezers
- antibiotic ointment
- saline solution
- vinyl gloves
- irrigation syringe
- medicine dropper
- Pepto-Bismal
- Benadryl tablet
- ice pack
- space blanket
- Pet CPR barrier mask
- hand sanitizer
- toilet paper tube (makes a great splint!)
- activated charcoal
- hydrogen peroxide
2. Buy a Pet First Aid manual and read it thoroughly before there is an emergency. Familiarize yourself with the layout of the book so that you’ll be able to rapidly find the information you need in a hurry.
3. Take a Pet First Aid and CPR class with a certified instructor. Health and Safety Training offers Pet First Aid and CPR classes and includes a comprehensive Pet First Aid manual. Not in the central Florida/Orlando area? You can order study materials and a Pet First Aid manual and have them delivered anywhere in the United States!
Contact Lisa Holt, RN, MS to schedule a class today or to have your study materials and First Aid manual delivered!