Would you know what to do if Fido was choking? What if Sam stepped on a piece of glass?
A first aid course designed specifically for dog owners is coming to Langley on Saturday, Sept. 29.
Dog owners are invited to sign up to get certified in dog first aid, a skill that Dogsafe canine first aid educator Susan Ayotte says is important.
“Every dog owner has the responsibility to be able to help their animal if they are in an emergency situation. Or to help other animals they may see in an emergency.”
Knowing pet first aid “helps the owner to stay calm and to handle the situation themselves without taking them to the vet. They also learn when they should take the animal to the vet,” she said.
Ayotte has been teaching Dogsafe pet first aid for approximately eight years, and runs a mobile canine service out of Surrey.
The course teaches such skills as how to handle an emergency situation, airways, breathing, and circulation, how to perform CPR, what to do when a dog is choking or drowning and how to bandage a dog.
Ayotte said the course covers the most important skills every dog owner should have.
“I think a dog choking is a huge one. And what to do if there’s a dog fight—how to put a bandage on and how to clean a wound yourself.”
Participants are asked to leave their own dogs at home to minimize stress for both pet and owner.
Ayotte is bringing in her own Siberian husky named Spirit, and students get to practise with plush demonstration dogs.
The course will be held at Petplayland Pet Care Services in Langley.
For more information and to register, Alyssa Eagleton from Petplayland can be contacted on Facebook here.