The normal appearance of the healthy dog is that of an alert animal with bright eyes who is taking an interest in every thing around him. He should move freely and easily, his tongue and mucous membranes should be pink and feel warm. He should react to stimuli – i.e.; the rattle of a dish or squeak of a toy. He will be interested in food when it is offered and he will be able to eat and drink without difficulty.

It is normal for a male dog to urinate frequently when being exercised, he is marking his territory, bitches will do this less often, although as a heat or season approaches she will begin to advertise her self!! Urine should be clear, not cloudy, and should not be offensive. It will have a slight straw colour (pale yellow tinge) to it. Stools should be firm, and passed without difficulty, and they will go to the loo approximately twice a day, puppies will go more often usually after each meal.

The coat will be glossy and clear; the skin will be supple and free from dandruff, or scabs. The body should be well covered, neither too thin, or too fat.
Eyes ears and nose should be clean and show no signs of discharge.
Usually the first sign of ill health in the dog is a change in his behaviour, he may become dull or miserable, he may show loss of appetite or develop a voracious appetite, and he may have an increased desire to drink. An unwillingness to move or change in posture………………….all these can be signs of illness, along with change of colour (from the inside of his mouth), panting, restlessness or more obvious things like limping etc.
Veterinary advice should always be sought, but in some instances there are things we can do to help as first aid.

Shock

It is worth remembering that SHOCK CAN KILL, it is essential to get professional treatment for your animal as soon as possible and remember that first aid is just that; the initial treatment of a wound or issue, before seeking veterinary help.
Signs of shock include; Weak rapid pulse, pale mucous membranes (gums & lips), rapid breathing, cold feet/paws, shivering, glazed expression.
Keep the patient warm and seek help.


Skin Wounds

Any bleeding should be dealt with, if the blood is just gently oozing, then a clean dry covering can be applied. If the wound is superficial then it can usually be dealt with at home. Clean the wound with cooled boiled salted water (about half a teaspoon to a litre) and use clean tweezers to remove any grit or other debris. Usually a clean dry dressing is enough until the healing process has started. Deeper wounds should be covered and veterinary advice taken. Any wound bleeding profusely should be covered and pressure needs to be applied until veterinary help arrives.

Dog bite/puncture wounds

These are very prone to infection, flush the wound out with saline as above, and you will need veterinary advice because the animal will probably need a course of appropriate antibiotics.
Strains and sprains
The area might be tender and swollen. The dog must be made to rest, cage rest is ideal, cold compresses can be applied followed a few hours later by warm compresses to encourage healing.
Sprains, these usually occur at the joint. Treatment is as above; if the condition does not settle then again seek veterinary advice.

Heat Stroke  (Visit this page)

This is caused by overexposure to heat, for example leaving a dog in a hot car, giving too much exercise during hot and humid weather. The dog will initially be distressed, with excessive panting, and he will show signs of restlessness. As the condition becomes worse the dog’s body temperature will rise still higher, he will drool, and become unsteady on his feet, his mucous membranes (inside his mouth) will become cyanosed (blue). If it is not dealt with he will become comatose and die.

The treatment for this condition is to cool the animal as quickly as possible, ice packs, wet towels, a hosepipe, or even complete submersion before seeking veterinary advice.
This condition is easily preventable, by keeping our dogs cool on hot days, not exercising them until the sun has gone down, protecting them from the sun and not leaving them in warm cars. When travelling with dogs it is useful to have ice packs made from plastic bottles full of water then frozen to help keep them cool in the absence of air conditioning.


Burns & scalds

A burn is damage caused by dry heat, excessive cold, chemicals or electricity.
Scalds are damage caused by moist heat such as steam, water or oil.
It is important to know what has caused the burn, as treatment is different.
Burns from direct heat usually appear straight away, but burns from chemicals or cold can take hours to appear. The signs to look out for are redness, swelling, heat around the area; the skin may feel damp or moist. After a few days the fur may come out and the skin will look leathery, it can then break down and leave an open wound.
Extensive burns of course will need emergency veterinary treatment, burns are extremely painful and the dog/animal will almost certainly be in shock. (See above).
Electric burns, switch of the electricity, BEFORE touching the animal, wear rubber gloves/rubber soled shoes. It is a good idea to push the dog /animal away from the source with a broom or something similar. Cover any wounds and get help IMMEDIATELY.

Chemical burns, again wear gloves, rinse the area that has been in contact with lots of water and remember the feet if the dog has been standing in it, a little washing up liquid can be used too. If you know whether the chemical is alkaline or acid you can dilute it, but this is unlikely. An alkaline burn should be diluted with 50-50 vinegar and water, while an acid burn diluted with bicarbonate of soda or washing soda at a high concentrate.

Fits

If a dog is fitting it is important to put him in a dark and quiet room, do not touch him just observe him until the fit settles. Once the fit is over then reassure the dog, he will probably be a bit disorientated, so keep a calm and confident voice while speaking to him, he is also likely to pace, allow him to do this until he is relaxed again reassure him if he comes to you but don’t try to restrain him.
Seek veterinary advice.


IDEAS FOR A CANINE FIRST AID KIT

It is a good idea to have a basic first aid kit for the dog. It need not be elaborate or expensive, just have the basics that might be needed before you can get help.
It would be a good idea to have your vets telephone number on the kit or inside it - during emergencies it is all to easy to become a bit confused and forget important information.

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Scissors
Cotton wool
Crepe bandage
A solution of saline
Iodine to clean wounds
Tweezers to remove splinters or stings etc.
Eye dropper
Disposable rubber gloves
Nail clippers
Towel
Torch
Hot/cold pack
Paracetamol (DO NOT GIVE CATS THIS DRUG)
Anti-histamine tablets (Piriton)
Non adhesive dressing gauze

All of these items are readily available, it is not meant to be exhaustive but enough to administer FIRST AID while waiting for help for your dog.