Pet instructor skill review
Course Content
- Introduction to your Pet First Aid Instructor refresher course
- Course introduction
- Dog First Aid and The Law
- The vet and your role in first aid
- The Role of the Dog First Aider
- When is Veterinary Care Required?
- Keeping your pet safe in an emergency
- Car Accidents
- Car Accidents - Injuries and Treatment
- Pet Proofing your home
- Please rescue my pets stickers
- Hand Hygiene
- Dog Microchipping
- Cat microchipping
- Precautions and Safety
- Pet Anatomy and Physiology
- First Aid Kits and Equipment
- Checking a Pets health
- Initial Assessment
- Checking Your Dog's Health and Finding Out What Is Normal
- Gum Colour
- Collecting a Urine Sample
- How Dogs Show Pain
- How Dogs Show Pain - Vets Comments
- Taking a Pulse
- Taking the Temperature
- Taking the Rectal Temperature
- Vital Signs
- Comprehensive Assessment and Checking Vital Signs Example
- Pet Accidents and First Aid
- Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation - CPR
- Choking
- Bleeding Control
- Types of Bleeding
- Dressings, Bandages and Controlling Bleeding
- Catastrophic Bleeding
- Dogs and haemostatic dressings
- What is the ideal animal haemostatic agent
- Collaclot - Collagen pad to stop bleeding and promote clotting
- Dogs and Tourniquets
- Commercial Tourniquets for Dogs
- HaemoCap™ MultiSite - Dogs
- Shock
- Shock - vets comment
- Different Conditions you may see
- Breathing and Respiratory Problems
- Loss of Appetite
- Sneezing
- Lethargy
- Urination Problems
- Weakness in Animals
- Weakness and Collapse - additional vets comments
- Hair Loss and Skin Conditions
- Cataracts
- Dehydration in Dogs
- Clinical signs of dehydration in dogs and cats
- Hydration and rehydration in dogs
- Fluid balance in dogs and cats
- Oralade - treating dehydration
- Oralade for cats
- Oralade - The Science
- Injuries
- Suspected fractures
- Types of fractures on animals
- Dog Fractures Treatment
- Spinal injury and moving an injured dog
- Spinal Injuries
- Paw Problems
- Paws and Claws
- Nail and Claw Injuries
- Eye Injuries
- Eye Problems
- Ear Problems
- General Bandaging
- Bandaging the Ear
- Bandaging the Tail and Tail Injuries
- Bandaging the Body
- Fight Wounds
- Puncture Wounds
- Mouth and Dental Problems
- Animal bites and scratches on dogs
- Small Cuts, Scratches and Grazes
- Bandage aftercare
- Stings on animals
- Ibuprofen and pets
- Carbon Monoxide and dogs
- Poisoning
- Vet poison information line
- Inducing Vomiting in a Dog
- Inducing Vomiting - vets comments
- Snake Bites
- Dog Burns
- Chemical Burns
- Electrocution
- Electric Shocks
- Cruciate Ligament
- Falls From Height
- Illness
- Dogs and Illnesses
- Bloat and Gastric Dilatation and Volvulus (GDV)
- Why do dogs eat grass
- Why are Onions Toxic to Dogs
- Why is Chocolate Toxic to Dogs
- High Temperatures and Heatstroke
- Hyperthermia - Vets Comments
- Hypothermia Treatment
- Hypothermia - vets comments
- Vomiting in Animals
- Different Types and Causes of Vomiting
- Vomiting - vets comments
- Seizures and Epilepsy
- Diabetes
- Allergies in Dogs
- Allergic reactions
- Pancreatitis
- Cushings Disease
- Nose and Respiratory Problems - Vet
- Breathing Difficulties
- Coughing and kennel cough
- Kennel Cough - vets comments
- Diarrhoea in Animals
- Stomach Conditions
- Possible Causes of Blood in Dog Faeces
- Rabies
- Alabama Foot Rot
- Blue Green Algae
- Hip Dysplasia
- Urinary Tract Infections
- Carbon Monoxide Poisoning
- Pyometra
- Vestibular Syndrome
- Parasites that affect pets
- Cats
- Different types and sizes of animals
- Summary and Your Practical Session
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Get StartedBreathing Difficulties
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There are many diseases and illnesses that can cause breathing difficulties in dogs and cats. The first thing that you can do as the first aider is to know what is normal for your pet. So when you are measuring a respiratory rate, measure different ones. So know roughly what the normal respiratory rate for your pets is when they are asleep and what it is when they are active, when they are exercising, and when they are just resting with you at home.Respiratory distress isn't just an increase in the respiratory rate, it can be the noises that you make and your pet may make or the way they breathe. So you may find that your pet has got some abdominal efforts when they are breathing. Normally, when you're breathing, the chest will just raise and lower. If there are abdominal involvements where you're seeing the abdomen raise as well, that's giving you a clear that those probably increase pressure in the chest and that the lungs aren't able to expand fully, and therefore you are using some of the exertions from the abdomen to try and get that breath in.The possible causes of respiratory issues would be an infection and this can be an infection of the lungs, like pneumonia, or it may be an upper respiratory infection. So if you have an upper respiratory infection, you may then have inflammation associated with that, around the throat, around the trachea, and this can cause respiratory problems. You may also notice that there's discharge from the nose or they may be discharged when your pet coughs as a result of the infection or the inflammation. The other causes of inflammation that could cause respiratory issues could be if there's fluid on the chest. This may be caused by an accident, it can be caused by an illness, it may be caused by a tumour on the chest. Tumours themselves can affect the lungs. They can also affect the heart base as well and both of these can then show signs of respiratory distress.If you have got an animal that is in respiratory distress and they are struggling to breathe, you need to get him to the vet so they can have oxygen treatment. Even if they are not struggling, it's still important to get them seen by the vets because we need to find out why they are having these breathing difficulties. The way we would look into this is to listen to their chest and then also x-ray and potentially ultrasound the chest to look for fluids or potentially look for a lung tumour as well that will be causing the breathing difficulties.
Understanding Breathing Difficulties in Dogs and Cats
Monitoring Respiratory Rate
Recognizing normal respiratory patterns:
- Know Your Pet: Understand your pet's typical respiratory rates during various activities, such as sleeping, exercising, and resting.
- Signs of Distress: Respiratory distress may include unusual breathing noises or abdominal efforts while breathing.
Possible Causes of Respiratory Issues
Identifying underlying conditions:
- Infections: Respiratory infections like pneumonia or upper respiratory infections can lead to inflammation and breathing difficulties.
- Fluid Accumulation: Fluid in the chest, often caused by accidents, illnesses, or tumours, can impede lung function and cause respiratory distress.
- Tumours: Lung or heart base tumours can affect breathing and require medical attention.
Seeking Veterinary Care
Importance of veterinary intervention:
- Immediate Care: If your pet shows signs of respiratory distress, seek veterinary assistance promptly for oxygen therapy and diagnosis.
- Diagnostic Procedures: Veterinarians may conduct chest examinations, x-rays, or ultrasounds to identify the underlying cause of breathing difficulties.