Part XI — Emergency and first aid

11.1 Emergency triage — is this a real emergency?

The following are TRUE EMERGENCIES — take to a vet immediately, call ahead if possible:

• Difficulty breathing, blue gums, extended neck to breathe.
• Collapse, sudden weakness, unresponsiveness.
• Unproductive retching with distended abdomen (GDV in large breeds).
• Seizure lasting > 3 minutes or repeat seizures within 24 hours.
• Bleeding that does not stop with 5 minutes of pressure.
• Suspected poisoning (see 11.4).
• Bloat, retching without producing anything, restlessness in a large-breed dog.
• Trauma — hit by vehicle, fall from height.
• Heatstroke — rectal temperature > 41 °C, weakness, extreme panting.
• Bloody diarrhoea in a puppy.
• Prolonged straining to urinate — especially in male dogs (possible urethral obstruction).
• Whelping difficulty — > 30 min hard labour with no puppy, or > 4 hours between puppies.
• Swollen face, hives, sudden allergic reaction.
• Eye trauma, sudden change in eye appearance, prolapse of eyeball.

11.2 Basic first aid procedures

• Bleeding — direct pressure with clean gauze; elevate; do not apply tourniquet unless trained.
• Fracture — do not attempt to splint on the way to the vet unless the vet is > 30 min away; muzzle if the dog is likely to bite from pain.
• Seizure — do NOT put your hand in the mouth (dogs don't swallow their tongues); move furniture away; time the seizure; darken and quieten the room.
• Choking — carefully sweep the throat with fingers if you can see the object; canine Heimlich (below rib cage compression) if the dog is not breathing.
• Heatstroke — immediately move to shade / air-conditioning; wet with cool (NOT ice-cold) water especially on the paws, belly, and inner thighs; do not immerse; transport to vet immediately.
• Burns — cool with room-temperature water for 5–10 minutes; cover loosely with a damp clean cloth.

11.3 Canine CPR (owner-level)

For a dog that has collapsed and is not breathing / has no pulse. Do not perform on a conscious dog. Compressions may cause injury and are not without risk.

1. Check responsiveness — call the dog's name, tap.
2. Open the airway — extend the neck, pull tongue forward, remove any visible obstruction.
3. Check breathing — watch for chest rise for 10 seconds.
4. If not breathing — close the mouth, breathe into the nose for 1 second, watch for chest rise.
5. Check pulse — femoral artery inside the thigh.
6. If no pulse — begin chest compressions. Position: for large dogs, hands over the widest part of the chest (dog on side); for small dogs, one hand over the heart. Rate: 100–120 per minute. Depth: one third to one half of the chest width.
7. Ratio: 30 compressions to 2 breaths.
8. Transport to a vet even if you get spontaneous breathing back — the underlying cause needs attention.

11.4 Poisoning response

• Identify the toxin if possible (chocolate, grapes, xylitol, onion, rat poison, human medication, house plant, insecticide).
• Do NOT induce vomiting for: caustic substances, petroleum products, sharp objects, if the dog is unconscious, or if it has already been more than 2 hours.
• Do NOT give home remedies (milk, oil, activated charcoal on your own) without vet guidance — some worsen the situation.
• Call the vet or the nearest 24/7 emergency clinic immediately. Bring the toxin container / plant sample.
• Common toxins to be aware of: rat bait (anticoagulant rodenticides — a very common poisoning); onions and garlic in cooking; xylitol in sugar-free products; ornamental plants (oleander, sago palm); slug/snail bait; some medications kept in reach.

11.5 Emergency first-aid kit contents

• Digital rectal thermometer + lubricant.
• Gauze rolls (2 sizes) + self-adhesive bandage (Vetrap).
• Antiseptic solution — Betadine or chlorhexidine.
• Saline eye rinse.
• Tweezers (for tick removal).
• Blunt-nosed scissors.
• Disposable gloves.
• Muzzle (soft, fabric) sized for your dog.
• Torch.
• Emergency contact list — regular vet, nearest 24/7 emergency clinic, poison-control (dedicated animal-poison-control coverage varies by country and may be limited; vet emergency line is primary).
• Digital thermometer for water (heat-stroke triage).
• Corn syrup or honey (for suspected hypoglycaemia).

11.6 Emergency vet contacts by metro (to compile)

The Dally application maintains this list per-city; here is the TEMPLATE the owner should complete for their own city, with the primary emergency clinic, secondary options, and their opening / on-call hours. This section is deliberately left as an owner-completed template — 24/7 emergency vet clinics vary by city and change over time. Compile from Dally, from the Kennel Club of India directory, or from your regular vet's referral list.