Tuesday, March 30, 2010

Mouth-To-Snout Resuscitation

I took a pet first aid class at the American Red Cross this weekend, so I am now certified to save your dog's or cat's life! The class involved lots of practice on plastic dog and cat dolls with expandable chests that filled with air when you breathed in their mouth and large stuffed animals. I am certified in performing "mouth-to-snout resuscitation," and I promise you that is what it is actually called. When I got home, I wanted to show Adam everything that I had learned, so I enlisted Stasia's help. She was a good assistant, but I don't think she was very happy about it. Some of the techniques I learned included:

the doggie Heimlich,
how to construct a makeshift muzzle,

how to bandage a wound such as an injured ear,

(she was pretty mad at me...)

and how to splint a broken limb using a rolled-up newspaper.

The class was really informative and I feel much more prepared to handle any doggy accidents my charges or Stasia may encounter. Somehow, though, judging by the look on Stasia's face, the fact that I can now save her life if she chokes on a bone doesn't make her nearly as happy as it makes me.

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