First Aid for Cats and Dogs Offered as Half Day Class by Colorado State’s Veterinary Teaching Hospital

Do you know how to save your pet’s life in an emergency? If not, the Student Chapter of the Veterinary Emergency and Critical Care Society at Colorado State is offering a half-day first aid program that can help pet owners save their four-legged friends in emergency situations.

The program runs from 8 a.m.-2 p.m. Feb. 9 in Room 101 Pathology Building on Lake Street on the main campus. Breakfast and lunch are included. The cost is $30 for those who register by Jan. 25 and $35 after that date. Proceeds go to SVECCS.

The First Aid for Dogs and Cats seminar will feature a lecture by clinicians and veterinary students at Colorado State’s James L. Voss Veterinary Teaching Hospital, followed by hands-on practical labs led by veterinary students using stuffed animals. Live animals are not used and participants are advised not to bring their own pet.

"One of the most important things to know about your pet is the normal values such as temperature and heart rate," said Raegan Jay Wells, president of SVECCS and one of the participating veterinary students. "Know how your animal looks when it’s healthy and you’ll be able to recognize signs indicating when something is wrong."

The program will instruct pet owners how to manage emergency situations and how to safely manage pet care and transport to the veterinary clinic. Topics include pet cardiopulmonary resuscitation, bandaging and how to handle poisonings, insect stings, snake bites, trauma and heat stroke. The seminar is not meant to replace veterinary care, but gives pet owners the skills to manage emergency situations and increase the animal’s chance of survival before arrival at the veterinary clinic.

"Even if your veterinarian is only a few minutes away, being able to perform these simple procedures could save your animal’s life," said Dr. Tim Hackett, a clinician at the James L. Voss Veterinary Teaching Hospital. "In an emergency, every moment is critical and improper moving could have could have a profound effect."

Animal first aid kits will be available for $25. The kits include essential items for treating common emergencies including tape and bandages, a thermometer, emergency telephone numbers and a list of vital statistics for healthy pets.

Sponsors are Hill’s Pet Nutrition and Tyco/Kendall Healthcare.

For more information and to register, contact Raegan Wells at (970) 231-3861 or send e-mail to rjwsloth@colostate.edu.