First Aid

A cranial cruciate ligament injury in a young, healthy dog is typically an athletic injury. In older dogs, it is usually an injury of chronic wear and tear. This explains why its so common for a dog who has damaged the CrCL on one side to then tear it on the other side. When you take one back leg out of commission, the work load shifts to the other, increasing the strain on the ligaments of the good leg.

It is wise to make sure your dog is always wearing identification, with up-to-date contact information! Ideally, your dogs tags have enough information that anyone who might find your dog could contact you directly, 24/7, in the event that she darts out, gets lost on a hike, etc. There are many options for you to employ!

complications from incorrect bandaging can be severe. The original wound on this foot was bandaged for several days by the owner. The dog was seen at a veterinarian's office after the bandage became wet and had an odor."

Your dog's paw pads act much like the soles of sneakers, protecting your dog's foot and cushioning each step. Paw pads are tough, but they can still be cut by sharp objects or worn off if your dog runs hard on rough terrain. What should you do when your dog cuts or tears a pad?

All I could hear was the buzz of a thousand bees as I parted my way through a deep thicket of Heracleum lanatum, a tall, broad-leaved member of the parsley family commonly known as cow parsnip." The big

meant to help the vestibular apparatus develop properly. This is thought to help prevent vestibular disease and motion sickness later in the puppy's life."

Every owner should have a first-aid kit for their dogs. But what should be included in that kit? If you're looking for a definitive answer, you'll need to pull out your crystal ball, because there's no telling what you might need in an emergency, since there are infinite ways your dog can be injured. To be prepared for every possible scenario, you'd need a fully stocked van. It really can't be done – and shouldn't be done – because that's not what first aid" is all about. "

because Otto wasn't growling or trying to get away. He would benefit from some counter-conditioning.üThis dog loves being petted – but panics when being even gently restrained. He would benefit from some counter-conditioning, so he forms the same sort of positive association he has with being petted as he does with being held or restrained.üThis dog is uncomfortable with being touched on the head. The handler is feeding her a treat that she likes, but you can tell the dog's backward-leaning posture and tightly tucked tail that the proximity of the petting hand and the handler's body has the dog obviously over her threshold for comfort.üThat's better! When the handler leans back a bit, and feeds the treat with her hand near, but not on the dog's head, the dog relaxes a bit. Her tail is still tucked, though, telling us she is near her threshold.

Say your dog swallows a golf ball or your daughter's teddy bear. Depending on the size of your dog versus the object, inducing vomiting might be a good idea, but many times, the object needs to be removed with an endoscope. In these cases, confer with your veterinarian regarding the probability that the object could make it back up your dog's throat if vomiting was induced.

Who among us has not fretted over a seemingly sick dog, wondering whether we bring him into the emergency vet clinic – or wait until morning? Pretty much every dog owner has done it at some point. And most of us have probably frustrated the heck out of the vet’s receptionist. Telling her that the dog is “just not himself!” doesn’t give her a lot to go on; it leaves her no choice but to advise us to bring the dog in! It’s far more helpful to all concerned if you first examine your own dog, gathering solid information about his condition, before calling the vet.

A muscle strain here, a pulled ligament there, a sprain, a bruise pretty soon we're talking about serious problems. Canine sports injuries are increasingly common, but there is much you can do to catch them early, treat them correctly, and reduce the risk of your dog getting badly hurt, needing surgery, or having to retire from competition.

Your dog just had surgery, stepped on broken glass, caught her tail in a door, has a puncture wound, got bit or scratched, tangled with barbed wire, or has an abrasion that came from who knows where. You want the wound to heal quickly without bleeding, pain, or infection. The following strategies help achieve that result.