Canine First Aid Made Easy: Saving Dogs, Saving Money and Easing Your Stress

By Andi Dencklau

Every dog owner knows that their furry friend is not just a pet; they're a beloved member of the family. In "Canine First Aid: A Comprehensive Guide for Dog Owners," you'll find the essential knowledge and skills needed to be your dog's first responder in times of crisis. Whether you're a seasoned dog owner or a new puppy parent, this comprehens

• Language: English
• Publisher: Andi Dencklau
• Release date: Sep 18, 2023
• ISBN: 9798989202515

Andi Dencklau

Andi is a wife, mother, and devoted grandmother who pours her whole heart into loving her family. With a background in veterinary technology and animal aromacology, she possesses a unique understanding of animals that comes alive in her storytelling. Andi has a particular fondness for Border Collies and has spent over 40 years involved in dog training and competitive activities like agility, dock diving, and herding.Her passion for animals and storytelling combine to create whimsical worlds filled with adventure and life lessons. When she isn't writing or tending to animals, Andi enjoys baking and cake decorating, as well as spending quality time with her beloved family. 'Dinosaur Day in the Primal Paleo Playground' is a testament to her vivid imagination and her commitment to creating stories that entertain, educate, and inspire.

Book preview

Canine First Aid Made Easy

Canine First Aid Made Easy

Canine First Aid Made Easy

Saving Dogs, Saving Money and Easing Your Stress

Andi Dencklau

Natural Paws Publishing LLC

Contents

Dedication

Introduction

1 Assessing the Situation

2 Building a First Aid Kit

3 Handling Injuries and Wounds

4 Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR)

5 Chapter 5: Poisoning and Toxins

6 Chapter 6: Seizures and Convulsions

7 Allergic Reactions

8 Burns and Scalds

9 Gastrointestinal Emergencies

10 Emotional Well-Being

11 Conclusion

Breed Specific Ailments

Common Medications

Emergency Contact Information

References

About The Author

Copyright © 2023 by Andi Dencklau

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

First Printing, 2023

To my amazing husband, Gary.

In every twist & turn of our journey, you've been my unwavering support & the love of my life. Through everything, your patience & understanding have been my rock. This book is a testament to your belief in me & your commitment to Us, our family, and our fur babies.

With every page, I hope to convey my gratitude for your sacrifices, steady presence, & extraordinary love that fills our lives. Your love is my inspiration and my strength.

With all my love, Andi

Introduction

Have you ever experienced that heart-stopping moment when your dog gets into a sudden scrape or an unforeseen mishap? I have, and let me tell you, it's a feeling that sends shivers down your spine. Yet, in those moments of panic and uncertainty, I've also witnessed something truly remarkable – the power of quick thinking and canine first aid.

Picture this: A serene afternoon in the park, the sun casting a warm glow over everything in its path, including your furry companion, who's bounding with joy. Suddenly, a misstep, a yelp, and your dog is writhing in pain. You rush to their side, fear and helplessness washing over you. But then, with a steady hand and the knowledge of canine first aid, you take immediate action, providing the care that saves their life. This isn't just a hypothetical scenario; it's a reality I've faced more than once in my four decades of loving and caring for dogs.

Welcome to Canine First Aid Made Easy: Saving Dogs, Saving Money, and Easing Your Stress – Your Essential Pet First Aid Guide. I'm Andi Dencklau, and I'm here to be your trusted guide on this journey to equip you with the essential first-aid skills every dog owner should possess.

I have always loved black and white tri-colored border collies. My first border collie was a tri and because we had such a great bond, my brain decided that I would never have another kind of dog. Well, after 17 years of life, she went to the rainbow bridge. I had a couple of other border collies between her and Jack, one of them was named Sampson. He was a great dog, too, and when I lost him, I took about a year before I could bring myself to bring another dog into our lives.

I ended up with my girl, Gadget, who, at the time of this writing, is still with me at the age of 15. She's a great dog; she just has never been a lap dog, a snuggler, like Sampson was, and to be honest, she favored my husband more because he was home with her more than I was. So, I started searching for our next family member.

I found Jack on a website. When I saw his picture and the name they had given him, I knew it was fate. He was the cutest black and white tri-colored border collie I had ever seen. He had this adorable white spot on the top of his head. My heart melted. Then I saw the name. They were calling him Samson. I knew at that moment that he was meant to be my dog.

So, in my sweetest wife’s voice, I told my amazing husband how much I loved him and how much I appreciated all he did for me and our family. I explained to him that I thank God every day for having put him in my life. His response was, What do you want?

I showed him the picture of Samson, and he quickly, and very loudly exclaimed NO PUPPIES!!!!

I sighed heavily and went about my day. He went off to work, and a few hours later called to tell me, Get him if you want him, and the rest is history. I don't think a puppy could have been on a plane to us any quicker. We lived in California at the time, and Samson was located in Kansas. I got all the important test information and questions answered that I felt I needed, paid the breeder, and he was on a plane to us in a couple of days.

My husband drove us to the airport to pick him up. When they brought the kennel out to us, I did not hesitate to rip it open and grab my boy. Didn't even let my husband love him. He was going to be MY dog. MY snuggle buddy. MY shadow. And from that day on, he was.

Of course, he loved every person on the face of the planet equally, but let's not burst my bubble.

We name all our animals after Disney characters, so we decided on Captain Jack. He loved to be up against me when he slept, on my lap, in my face. He was a licker. I didn't mind him licking my arms or feet for that matter, but I can't stand to be licked in the face. So, we taught Jack to give beeps. This allowed him to give us love without his tongue. He would simply touch our cheek with his nose.

Jack was that dog that was in tune with me. He could tell exactly how I was feeling, even before I could. I have migraines, and he would alert me that a migraine was coming on, by beeping my cheek. If I was down, he would come and lay on my lap, give me the snuggles I needed, and do something silly to make me laugh. I remember one time when he was a puppy. My youngest child was a baby, and we were doing our nightly routine of reading a book in the rocking chair, and out comes Jack, running from the bathroom, around the corner, dragging the toilet paper, which somehow did not rip from the roll. He was so proud of himself.

One day, I was at work, in the middle of a major software migration launch, and my husband called. I can remember the exact words that he said, Where's the emergency vet you take the dogs to? Of course, I asked why, and he told me Jack had been hit by a car. I gave him the address and told him I would meet him there, grabbed my keys, and ran out of the office.

When I arrived at the vet, they had already taken Jack to the back. I kept asking my husband how bad it was, and he kept telling me it wasn't good. I paced the hospital waiting room, people came and went, and still no word on Jack. My heart was breaking, my hopes were waning. My best friend was unable to come to the hospital herself, so she sent her husband to see what they could do to help. When he walked in and hugged me, I lost it. Tears started running down my face, and right then, the vet came out to talk to us.

He took us into a room, closed the door behind us, and my heart dropped. He told us that Jack was still with us, but the prognosis was not good. They had given Jack all the medications they could to help him recover from the brain trauma, but he wasn't responding. They were moving him to a place where we could come in and say our goodbyes to him.

When we got back to the treatment area, Jack was lying on an exam table, hooked up to all kinds of monitors, with IVs in him. He barely lifted his head and moved his eyes towards us when we got to him. I could tell that he had many broken bones but unless they could get his brain to heal, none of the breaks mattered. We were told that more than likely, he would not make it through the night.

In my rush out of the office, I had the forethought to grab a couple of natural products that I use on my family. I immediately started petting them on Jack's head. Within 30-45 minutes, Jack started looking around more, lifting his head more. The vet noticed and told me whatever I was doing to keep doing it.

I spent the next 3 hours by his side before I was asked to leave. The emergency hospital was very busy that night and I was on the way. I reluctantly agreed with the promise from the vet that they would give me updates hourly. He agreed and cautioned me not to get my hopes up. Jack's brain trauma had been so severe and because the medication had not worked