In an emergency, the minutes before you reach the vet can change the outcome. These cards cover the situations most likely to save a life, with the steps to take, the things never to do, and the moment to get help. Read them now, while it is calm, and print the ones you want on the fridge or in the car.
First, get help coming. Call your vet or nearest emergency clinic. For poisons in the US, call ASPCA Animal Poison Control on (888) 426-4435 or the Pet Poison Helpline on (855) 764-7661. First aid buys time; it does not replace a vet.
Choking
Signs: Pawing at the mouth, retching without bringing anything up, blue-tinged gums, panic, or silent, laboured efforts to breathe.
Do
Stay calm and safely open the mouth. If you can clearly see the object and reach it, sweep it out with a finger or tweezers - do not push it deeper.
For a small dog or cat, hold them with the back down and give up to five firm thrusts just below the ribcage, inward and upward.
For a large dog, stand behind them, make a fist just behind the ribs and give up to five quick upward thrusts (a canine Heimlich).
Check the mouth again between attempts, and get to a vet the moment the airway is clear or if you cannot dislodge it.
Never: Do not blindly poke fingers down the throat, which can drive the object deeper or cause a bite injury. Do not waste time if they collapse - go straight to emergency care.
Vet: Any choking is an emergency. Even if you clear it, the throat can swell, so have them checked.
Poisoning
Signs: Vomiting, drooling, tremors, seizures, wobbliness, sudden collapse, or you simply saw them eat something toxic.
Do
Call your vet or a pet poison line at once (in the US, ASPCA Animal Poison Control 888-426-4435 or Pet Poison Helpline 855-764-7661).
Have the packaging or a sample of the substance, the rough amount, and your pet's weight ready.
Follow their instructions exactly, and note the time it was eaten.
If advised to travel, bring the packaging and any vomit with you.
Never: Do not make your pet vomit unless a vet tells you to - with some poisons (acids, petroleum, sharp objects) it does far more harm. Do not give home remedies like salt, milk or oil.
Vet: Call immediately. Minutes matter with many toxins, and the right first step depends entirely on what was swallowed.
Heatstroke
Signs: Heavy, frantic panting, bright red gums, drooling, wobbling, vomiting, or collapse - often after heat, exercise or a hot car.
Do
Move them to shade or air conditioning immediately and stop all activity.
Cool with cool (not ice-cold) water over the body, especially the belly, armpits and groin, and keep air moving over them with a fan - the owner first aid that VCA and the AVMA describe for the trip to the vet.
Offer small sips of cool water if they are alert enough to drink.
Head to the vet even if they seem to recover - internal damage can follow hours later.
Never: Do not use ice or ice-cold water, which constricts vessels and traps heat. Do not cover them with a wet towel and leave it on - it holds heat in.
Vet: A true emergency. Cool on the way, but get to a vet fast; heatstroke damages organs even after the temperature drops.
Severe bleeding
Signs: Blood that spurts, soaks through fast, or will not stop, from a wound, paw, ear or the mouth.
Do
Press firmly on the wound with a clean cloth or gauze and hold steady pressure for several minutes without lifting to peek.
If it soaks through, add another layer on top rather than removing the first.
For a limb, you can add a firm (not tourniquet-tight) bandage over the pad and elevate it if the animal allows.
Keep them warm and calm and get to a vet.
Never: Do not apply a tourniquet unless a vet directs you - done wrong it can cost the limb. Do not keep lifting the pad to check, which restarts the bleed.
Vet: Heavy or spurting bleeding, or any bleed you cannot control in a few minutes, is an emergency.
Not breathing / CPR
Signs: No response to your voice or a firm shake, and no normal breathing. Do not spend time feeling for a pulse: the Merck Veterinary Manual's CPR chapter advises against checking pulses before starting compressions, because it delays help.
Do
Check the airway and clear anything blocking it. Pull the tongue forward and look inside the mouth.
For rescue breaths, close the mouth, extend the neck, and breathe into the nose - watch for the chest to rise. Give a breath every few seconds.
For compressions, lay them on their side, hands over the widest part of the chest (or over the heart in small pets), and push hard and fast, about 100-120 a minute.
Alternate 30 compressions with 2 breaths, and have someone drive you to the vet while you work.
Never: Do not delay compressions to hunt for a heartbeat in a pet that is unresponsive and not breathing. Do not give up too early - keep going until you reach veterinary help.
Vet: Call ahead and go immediately. CPR buys time; it is not a cure, and survival needs a vet.
Seizure
Signs: Collapse with paddling legs, jerking, drooling, loss of bladder or bowel control, and a dazed period afterwards.
Do
Clear the space around them of furniture and hazards, and dim the lights and noise.
Do not touch the mouth. Time the seizure - most last under two minutes.
Keep others and other pets away, and let them come round quietly afterwards.
Note what happened and any triggers to tell your vet.
Never: Do not put anything in the mouth - pets cannot swallow their tongue, and you will be bitten. Do not restrain or cuddle them mid-seizure.
Vet: See a vet after any first seizure. Call at once for a seizure over five minutes, or several in a row - that is a genuine emergency.
Hit by car / trauma
Signs: Obvious injury, limping, pain, difficulty breathing, pale gums, or shock after a fall, fight or road accident.
Do
Approach gently - a hurt animal may bite. Muzzle a dog if safe and needed, but never if breathing is difficult or they are vomiting.
Move them as little and as flat as possible; slide them onto a board or blanket to carry, supporting the spine.
Cover to keep warm, control obvious bleeding with pressure, and get to a vet immediately.
Even a pet that seems fine can have internal injuries - have them checked.
Never: Do not give any human painkillers - many are toxic to pets. Do not let them run off to hide, and do not assume no visible wound means no injury.
Vet: Always an emergency, even if they look unharmed. Internal bleeding and shock are not visible from outside.
Bloat (GDV) - dogs
Signs: A swollen, hard belly, unproductive retching, drooling, restlessness and pacing, most often in deep-chested large-breed dogs.
Do
Treat it as a life-threatening emergency and go to a vet immediately, calling ahead so they are ready.
Keep the dog as calm and still as you can on the way.
Do not wait to see if it passes - a twisted stomach cuts off blood supply within hours.
Never: Do not offer food or water, do not try to make them vomit, and do not press on the belly. There is no safe home treatment.
Vet: One of the fastest-killing emergencies in dogs. Every minute counts - go now.
Allergic reaction / sting
Signs: A swollen face or muzzle, hives, intense itching, vomiting, or in severe cases difficulty breathing and collapse after a sting, food or medication.
Do
If you see a bee sting, scrape it out sideways with a card rather than squeezing it.
Call your vet - they may advise an antihistamine and the correct pet dose for your animal's weight.
Watch closely for swelling that spreads to the throat or any breathing trouble.
Keep them calm and cool while you get advice.
Never: Do not give any human medication without checking the dose with a vet first. Do not wait out facial swelling that is getting worse.
Vet: Mild hives can often wait for a call, but any breathing difficulty, collapse or fast-spreading swelling is an emergency - go at once.
Burns
Signs: Red, blistered or singed skin, pain, or a chewed electrical cord, from heat, chemicals, or an electric shock.
Do
Cool a heat burn with cool running water or a cool wet cloth for several minutes.
For a chemical burn, flush with lots of water and, if you know it, note the chemical for the vet.
For an electric shock, switch off the power before touching your pet, then check breathing.
Cover loosely with a clean, damp cloth and get to a vet.
Never: Do not use ice, butter, creams or ointments on a burn. Do not touch a pet that may still be in contact with a live wire.
Vet: Any burn beyond a tiny superficial one needs a vet, and electrical burns always do - internal damage is common.
These cards are general first-aid guidance based on widely accepted veterinary advice (such as the RECOVER CPR guidelines and AVMA first-aid recommendations). They are not a diagnosis or a substitute for professional veterinary care, and doses, techniques and decisions can vary with your individual pet. In any emergency, your first move is to contact a vet. Consider taking a hands-on pet first-aid and CPR course, and keep your vet and a poison-control number saved in your phone.
Worth having ready: a basic pet first-aid kit (gauze, vet wrap, tweezers, a digital thermometer, a spare lead and a muzzle), your vet's number and the nearest 24-hour clinic. For everyday worries that are not emergencies, use the symptom checker, know what is toxic with the can my pet eat it checker, and read this season's dangers before they happen in the seasonal hazard checklists.
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