Based simply on their curious nature, puppies are relatively accident-prone animals. Just being their playful selves they can easily get themselves hurt or make themselves sick. They might attempt to inject a big object, climb up and jump or fall from high spots, become exposed to chemicals around the house like cleaners, or injure themselves by rough-housing or crashing into things.

Frequently occurring injuries that puppies and dogs encounter are choking on swallowed objects; electrical shocks; being poisoned by household chemicals, cuts and punctures, and bone fractures. These can be, to a large extent, prevented by taking some common-sense precautions and being proactive.

First of all, I need to remind you that when your dog appears to be injured or facing a health risk, it`s important to contact your veteranarian and get your pooch checked out to be sure no problem goes unnoticed. And of course some injuries and health risks may not be symptomatic or readily apparent so you should take your dog for its yearly checkup whether it is exhibiting symptoms or not.

Electrical Shocks

Puppies are curious creatures and like snooping around the house for things to play with, and they also like to chew. That makes chewing on electrical wires an important danger to puppies and dogs. It is common for dogs to encounter burns to their mouths or electrical shocks due to chewing through wires. Try to keep all wires out of the dog`s sight or reach, and cover any exposed segments with duct tape.

Diet and Exercise

This is more of an issue of general health than of safety, but it relates to home life so we will address it here. Too many dog owners have the tendency to feed table scraps to their dogs, but dogs have specific dietary needs that can be easily violated by eating table scraps. The best food for dogs is homemade foods that conform to the guidelines of your veterinarian or a well-known dog diet; or commercial high-quality dog foods, whether canned or dried. It`s also important to always leave the dog`s bowl filled with water, and change the water frequently to make sure it doesn`t get dirty or tainted.

As for exercise, a daily walk should most certainly be part of your dog`s routine. The length of time depends on the breed, but it can be as little as 15 minutes a day so you don`t have any excuse for missing your loyal pooch`s daily exercise. After eating, your dog should have at least one hour to digest before exercising.

This list tells you some of the foods that you should never feed to your dog:

1)    Alcoholic beverages or caffeinated drinks, as well as caffeinated foods like chocolate.

2)    Milk, cheese, and other dairy products.

3)    Raw eggs, and raw fish.

4)    Grapes or raisins.

5)    Vitamins for humans that contain iron.

6)    Vegetables like mushrooms, onions, potatoes, and garlic.

Household Chemicals and Other Potentially Poisonous Substances

It`s important to keep your dog away from a lot of different household substances like bleach, cleaners, detergent, polishing substances, and others. Plants should also generally be kept out of your dog`s range since some plants can make them sick or cause indigestion and upset stomach, or a worse illness depending on the type of plant. Of course, you should also take that no medicines or drugs fall to the floor within reach of your dog, and don`t leave them on tables or other surfaces like your sofa where your dog may be able to reach.

Other things to note:

Garbage – Make sure that your garbage is tightly closed both outside and inside your home, so that your dog can`t get into it.

Keeping your dog restrained – Maybe it goes without saying, but you should always keep your dog on a leesh when walking him outside your home.

Car Travel – Get a pet carrier or kennel and fasten it securely inside the car. Leaving your dog unrestrained in the back of a pickup truck, or letting him ride with his head out the window is bad news, an accident waiting to happen.

Over the course of a dog`s life, there is the possibility that it will be in an emergency that requires immediate action on the part of the owner to save its life. Most owners don`t know what to do in the immediate situation and simply rush their dog to the veterinary clinic, where the canine may have already passed on on arrival.

Whenever a canine is injured, no matter if the injury is minor or major, there are two main things that the owner should try to do. The first is to stop the bleeding; the second to treat the dog for shock. And the logical third step is to take the dog to the vet, the urgency of which depends on the severity of the injury. Most people skip steps two and three and rush straight to the vet.

Become Educated

“Shock” is a term most people have heard either on the news, or in first aid presentations. “Going into shock” and “undergo treatment for shock” are phrases familiar to most of us, in relation to human beings. But these cursory mentions of the term “shock” usually fail to explain exactly what shock is, what causes it, and why it is so critical to treat. Most people are under the impression that shock simply means “surprise” or “emotional turmoil”, rather than understanding that shock is a potentially lethal condition.

Shock is a condition that can comes with bee stings, snakes, insect bites, extreme fright, physical trauma, hemorrhage, burns, and other conditions that cause extreme pain. It results in a dramatic drop in blood pressure, and a lack of blood being pumped to your vital organs.

Shock Symptoms

When a dog is injured, check to see the color of its gums. Pale, gray-colored gums are an indication of shock. So is a weakly beating yet fast heartbeat. The dog`s body temperature will be cold, and its skin will turn a blueish hue. Its mucous membranes such as its lips will also turn pale. These symptoms are a result of the weak circulation of blood to the vital organs.

If you let your dog roam around outside in your big yard or take your dog for walks outdoors, then there is always the chance that he`ll face some insect bites, or bee stings, or depending on your location and climate, maybe even a scorpion sting or snake bite. All of these things happen to dogs fairly regularly, especially insect bites.

In most cases these problems will be minor, especially in the case of insect bites and bee stings. They will pass in a few days. Yet there are times when we as dog owners know that our dog is in more serious pain and possibly danger. It`s important to be aware of the potentially more serious bites and stings that can take place.

If your dog encounters an insect bite or sting

These cases are typically not so serious, and are only an uncomfortable yet temporary annoyance to your dog, just as they are to humans. Normally there will be a red mark plus some swelling, but it`s not the end of the world, and they will typically fade on their own without medical intervention. The cases to be aware of, though, are when you dog experiences an allergic reaction to the bite or sting. If your dog shows symptoms such as joint pain, swelling, diarrhea, fever, and vomiting, he is possibly facing an allergic reaction.

In extreme cases, this allergic reaction could cause respiratory failure. This can result in death very quickly. This situation is called anaphylaxis, a rapidly progressing allergic reaction that could result in death. In such a case you must get your dog to the veterinarian immediately.

What if you dog gets a snake bite?

In most environments snake bites are uncommon. But there are certain environments such as dry desert terrain where snakes abound. And they also live in areas dense with bushes and trees, and sometimes around and in streams, creeks, and rivers. Luckily, most snakes are not poisonous and if your dog is bitten by a non-venomous snake then it will simply endure some pain while the light wound heals. There are, however, venomous snakes which are very dangerous to your dog.

How do you know if the snakes in a particular area or environment are venomous or dangerous? The following criteria apply:

1) In the United States and Canada, most snakes with a solid body color, or stripes running all the way down their bodies, are generally thought to be non-poisonous.

2) Snakes that have colored stripes going around their bodies are considered to be poisonous. So are snakes with a blotchy color pattern. Indeed so is the “diamondback” pattern on a snake thought to indicate a venomous threat. Some of the well-known poisonous snakes in North America are cottonmouths, rattlesnakes, copperheads, and water moccasins.

Many people who have dogs wouldn’t know exactly what to do if their dog was to go into shock. Many people are torn between giving their dog a stimulant like a caffeinated beverage to help them stay conscious. The general guidelines for administering a stimulant is only give it to a dog that is conscious. And, only give a sweetened stimulant to a dog. If the dog is not conscious, make sure that you do not administer anything to them and take them to a veterinarian’s clinic as soon as possible.

Many books that are available today about the subject of treating shock in dogs go against emergency first aid procedures. These books are many times more confusing then helpful because they give no clear cut way to treat your dog for shock in any situation.

There is a big point of controversy surrounding the idea of whether or not emergency first aid procedures should be followed at all. Some people say that emergency first aid takes too much time and could be the difference between a healthy recovery and a slow death. However, other medical officials say that emergency first aid procedures have a greater chance of saving a dog’s life than losing it.

Either way, most people can agree that the biggest controversy of all is over what stimulant should be used to help the dog get out of its state of shock. Many people say that giving a dog in shock an alcoholic beverage does not stimulate the body and does more harm than good. However, the other side argues that alcoholic beverages are only depressants if they are consumed in large amounts.

It would seem logical that so many highly educated veterinarians would have come up with a definite solution to shock in dogs by now, but that is not true. There is still a lot of controversy over the issue and most likely won’t be resolved any time soon.

However veterinarians do agree that it is good to do something, whether it be covering your dog in blankets or giving it a stimulant.

No matter what you choose to do if your dog does happen to go into a state of shock, remember that you should always try and keep the dog as calm as possible. Then, either give the dog a stimulant if the dog is conscious, or take it to the hospital if the dog is not conscious.

It isn’t hard for a dog to go into shock. This can happen because of a variety of things went wrong, including a painful injury or a toxin that your dog has ingested. Treatment of shock is a subject that many people disagree on. That is, there are many different ways to remedy shock if it happens to your dog.

Some veterinarians argue that the only way to effectively treat shock is to give your dog intravenous treatment and also oxygen. However, these methods are not usually instantly available in an emergency.

The other side of veterinarians say that the best way to treat shock is to use other emergency procedures to help cure shock.

There are many emergency procedures that you can do to help cure a dog’s shock. The first thing that a person should do is make sure that the dog remains calm. If the dog doesn’t remain calm, it will be hard for them to get out of their state of shock. You also need to keep the dog warm. To keep the dog warm, make sure that you have plenty of blankets available in your house. You could also use hot bags of water to keep your dog warm. If the dog is conscious, you should make sure that it stays conscious. To make this happen, give the dog something with caffeine in it. Many times this could be coffee or whisky. If you decide to use coffee, make sure that you put sugar and milk into the coffee so that your dog will actually drink it and not find it bitter. If you decide to use whisky or another alcoholic beverage, make sure that you put sugar in it too.

Remember though, try and get your dog to take the caffeinated beverage by itself because it is not good to have to make them take it. Many times this could put the dog in an even greater state of shock. And, if your dog is not conscious, do not put anything in their mouth. What could happen is the liquid could go into your dog’s lungs, which could cause much worse problems. After you have done the preceding steps, make sure that your dog gets to a veterinarian clinic as fast as possible.

If you have a dog, it is a good idea to know how to help your dog is he or she is in shock or choking. Although it is hard to acknowledge that your pet might be hurt, it is important to remember that your dog getting in an accident is not uncommon. Knowing how to administer CPR to your dog is one of the best ways to save your dogs life if it is in danger.

The steps that follow will explain to you how to respirate your dog in an emergency as well as perform CPR on your dog if necessary. Although these steps will help you get a good idea of how to perform CPR and respiration, it is recommended to take a class on the subject as well. To respirate and perform CPR on your dog, follow these steps.

- If you find your dog or puppy lying on the floor unconscious, always see if you can feel their heart beating. If you can’t feel your dog’s heart beating, you need to immediately give CPR.

- To give CPR, put you hand on one side of your dog’s chest. Make sure that they are lying on their back so the process will go easier and quicker.

- Now, you need to do compressions next to your dog’s heart. It is best to administer a compression every second.

- Lastly, you need to breathe into your dog. To get the best results, give a breath of air every six seconds.

Another thing you need to do if you find your dog unconscious is to make sure that there is nothing obstructing your dog’s airway. To check and make sure that your dog’s airway is clear, open his or her mouth and look down their throat.

If respiration is needed, follow these steps.

-Put your lips over your dog’s mouth and then put your hands around your mouth and the dog’s mouth.

-Make sure that the passage that is formed is as secure and airtight as possible.

-Third, breathe deeply into your dog until they come back to life.

Dog first aid kits

When most people think of first aid kits, they think of a box of supplies for humans to use, not pets. But your dog is part of your family and deserves to be protected and kept safe just like every other member of your family. And since local emergency services are unlikely to help your dog, you need to be prepared and equipped to give your dog first aid on your own until you can get him to a vet. If you are camping or travelling, the nearest veternarian office might be far away!

So let’s outline the items that would be a good idea to keep in dog first aid kits.

First of all, keep a list of important telephone numbers. These include:

-Your veteranarian’s number

-The number of an emergency pet clinic in your area or the area you’ll be visiting

-Poison control phone number

The next items to include are for nutritional aid:

-a rehydrating liquid like Pedialyte. Even Gatorade is useful.

-a nutritional supplement like Nutri-Cal, in case you dog can’t get suitable food to consume.

-a source of concentrated sugar for immediate energy. For example, Karo syrup.

Next on the list for our first aid kit are some medicines:

-disinfectant for cleaning wounds. For example Betadine or Nolvasan.

-Triple antibiotic cream, for application to skin.

-Antibiotic opthalmic cream for eyes. For example, Terramycin.

-Antidiarrheal medicine like Pet Pectate

-Canine Aspirin

-Benadryl for allergies

-Itch Stop or another cortisone product to treat itches and rashes.

-Hydrogen peroxide. This can be used to make a dog vomit if it ingests something dangerous.

-Activated charcoal. This can help absorb poisons consumed by the dog. Ask your vet for detailed information.

The last category of items to consider is equipment to aid in treatment:

-a muzzle, or guaze for making an impromptu muzzle.

-a magnifying glass

-tweezers

-scissors

-a penlight for darkness

-an eye dropper / oral syringe

-cotton swabs and cotton balls

-a rectal thermometer

-Bitter Apple or another item that discourages licking an biting of a wounded or treated area

-cold packs and heat packs

-a stethoscope

Obviously you may not bring all of these items if you don’t know how to use them or how to carry out thorough first aid for your dog, but these are all ideas to consider, and some may be more practical for you than others. The point is to keep your dog as safe and stable as possible until you can get him to a proper veteranarian for thorough treatment.