Dog First Aid: What to Do in an Emergency

In a dog emergency, keep yourself safe first, because even a gentle dog may bite when hurt, then call your vet or the nearest emergency vet while you give first aid. They can talk you through it and prepare for your arrival.^1,2 The most useful first aid steps are firm pressure on bleeding, cooling an overheated dog with water before you drive to the vet, keeping a seizing dog away from hazards, and moving an injured dog on a flat board or blanket.^2,3,1 Don't give human medicines or make your dog vomit unless a vet or poison hotline tells you to.^2,4

Stay Safe and Call Ahead

• Any dog in pain may bite, even your own. Keep your face away from his mouth and don't hug an injured dog.^1,2
• Draping a towel over the head can calm a frightened dog, and a thick towel can be used to wrap and lift a small dog.^1,4
• Call your vet or emergency hospital before you leave, so they're ready.¹
• Don't give food, water or any human medicine on the way, in case your dog needs sedation or surgery.⁴

How to make a temporary muzzle

1. Use a strip of gauze bandage, a necktie, a stocking or a soft belt, about 2 to 3 feet long.^2,7
2. Make a large loop, slip it over the nose from behind, and tighten it on top of the nose.
3. Cross the ends under the jaw.
4. Bring the ends behind the ears and tie them in a bow you can undo quickly.⁷

Don't muzzle a dog who is vomiting, coughing, struggling to breathe, has a chest injury or is overheating, or a flat-faced breed such as a Pug or Bulldog. Never leave a muzzled dog alone, and take the muzzle off right away if he tries to vomit.^1,7,4

Normal Vital Signs

Check your dog's normal numbers when he's calm and healthy, so you can tell when something changes. Ranges vary between sources and with size and activity.^8,9

See dog heart rate, dog fever and normal temperature and pale gums.

What Counts as an Emergency

Go to a vet now for:^1,10,11,12

• Trouble breathing, choking, or blue or very pale gums
• Bleeding that won't stop within a few minutes of firm pressure
• Collapse, unconsciousness or severe weakness
• A swollen belly with retching that brings nothing up (possible bloat)
• A seizure lasting more than a few minutes, several seizures in a day, or a first-ever seizure
• Possible poisoning, even if your dog seems fine
• Being hit by a car, even with no visible injuries
• Eye injuries, a limb your dog won't use, or severe pain
• Heat stroke, a venomous snake bite, or a severe reaction to a sting
• Large or deep burns, or burns to the face

Bleeding

1. Press firmly on the wound with a clean cloth, towel or gauze.^2,13
2. Hold steady pressure for at least 3 minutes without lifting to check.²
3. If blood soaks through, don't remove the first layer. Add more on top.^2,13
4. If the leg isn't broken, raise it slightly while keeping pressure on.¹³
5. Wrap a bandage firmly but not tightly, and check for swelling below it. Keep pressure on during the drive to the vet.¹³

Direct pressure is the safest method for owners. Tourniquets are a last resort only for life-threatening limb bleeding that pressure can't control, and they aren't a routine first step for dogs.^4,14 Don't pull out an object stuck in the chest, belly or head. Steady it and go to the vet.^1,2

Cut Paw Pads and Broken Nails

Cut pad: remove debris you can easily lift out, rinse with cool water, apply pressure with a clean towel, then cover with a non-stick pad and a self-sticking wrap from the toes up, loose enough to slide two fingers under. Go to a vet if bleeding hasn't stopped in 10 to 15 minutes, the cut is deep, or something is embedded.¹⁵ Broken nail: wrap the foot and press firmly for 5 to 10 minutes; styptic powder, or flour or cornstarch, can help stop the bleeding. The broken part usually needs to be trimmed by a vet.¹⁶ See paw injuries.

Burns and Eye Injuries

Burns: run cool water over the burn for at least 5 minutes, then cover with a clean, non-stick dressing. Don't apply creams or ointments, and remember fur can hide how bad a burn is. For chemical burns, call your vet first.^4,1,12 Eyes: gently flush dirt or chemicals out with sterile eye wash, saline or clean water, stop your dog rubbing it, and see a vet. Don't try to remove anything stuck in the eye.^17,4 See dog eye injuries.

Heat Stroke

Signs include heavy panting, drooling, bright red or dark gums, vomiting, wobbliness and collapse.^1,2 In a large UK study, about 1 in 7 dogs with heat stroke died, and three-quarters of cases were triggered by exercise, not hot cars.¹⁸ The current veterinary advice is cool first, transport second: start cooling with water right away, then drive to the vet with the air conditioning on. Dogs cooled before the trip arrived at the vet more than 2 degrees C cooler than dogs that weren't.³

• Move your dog to shade or indoors.
• For a young, healthy dog, put him in cool or cold water up to the neck if you can. Otherwise pour water over his whole body and use a fan or moving air.³
• Don't just drape wet towels over him, which can trap heat.³
• Offer small sips of water if he's alert, and call your vet while you cool.

Some US sources still advise lukewarm water rather than cold, but recent UK research supports cold water for healthy dogs.^3,2 See heat stroke in dogs for details.

Poisoning

Call your vet, an emergency vet, or a pet poison hotline right away, even if your dog seems fine: ASPCA Animal Poison Control at (888) 426-4435 or Pet Poison Helpline at (855) 764-7661.^5,6 Keep the package, and note what your dog ate, how much and when.^2,12 Don't make your dog vomit unless you're told to. Some substances cause more harm coming back up, and hydrogen peroxide, still sometimes used on a vet's advice, caused stomach lesions in every dog in one study.^2,19 See dog poisoning.

Choking

If your dog is coughing but still breathing, keep him calm and go to a vet. If he can't breathe: carefully look in the mouth and remove an object only if you can see and grasp it without pushing it deeper or getting bitten. If that doesn't work, give 5 sharp abdominal thrusts just behind the ribs (hold a small dog with his back against your chest; lay a large dog on his side), then 5 firm blows between the shoulder blades, and repeat.^20,2 Start CPR if he becomes unconscious, and see a vet afterward even if the object comes out.²⁰ See dog choking.

Seizures

Stay calm, move furniture and hazards away, and keep your hands away from your dog's mouth. Dogs don't swallow their tongues, and they can bite without knowing it. Don't hold him down. Time the seizure and take a video for your vet. Afterward, keep him quiet; he may be confused or temporarily blind.^11,2,12 Go to an emergency vet for a seizure lasting more than a few minutes, several seizures in a day, or a first-ever seizure.^11,12 See seizures in dogs.

Bloat

Bloat (gastric dilatation-volvulus) is a life-threatening emergency, most common in large, deep-chested breeds. Signs include restlessness, drooling, a swollen belly, and retching that brings nothing up. There's no home treatment: go to an emergency vet immediately.¹⁰ See bloat in dogs.

Hit by a Car and Moving an Injured Dog

Make sure you're safe from traffic before you approach. Go to a vet even if your dog seems fine, because internal injuries are common.¹² Keep the head, neck and back as still as you can. Slide a large dog onto a flat board, thick cardboard or a blanket held taut by two people; put a small dog in a box or carrier.^1,2,12 Don't try to splint a broken leg unless you've been shown how. Control any serious bleeding and keep him confined for the drive.^4,2

Snake Bites, Bee Stings and Cold

• Snake bite: keep your dog calm and still and go to a vet now. Don't use ice, a tourniquet, cutting or suction, and don't wait for signs. A photo of the snake helps, if you can take one safely.^21,12
• Bee or wasp sting: if you can see a stinger, scrape it out with a card rather than squeezing it, and apply a cold pack. Go to a vet for swelling of the face or throat, trouble breathing, vomiting, pale gums or collapse, or stings in the mouth.^22,4
• Hypothermia: dry a wet dog, wrap him in blankets with warm (not hot) water bottles, and see a vet. Shivering isn't a reliable sign.¹

Dog First Aid Kit Checklist

Keep a kit at home and a smaller one in the car. Based on the American Veterinary Medical Association and Blue Cross lists:^2,4

Never give human pain relievers. Common over-the-counter pain medicines can cause stomach ulcers, kidney damage and liver injury in dogs and should only be used if your vet prescribes them.^23,24

Knowing CPR is part of first aid too. See how to do CPR on a dog.

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