Animal First Aid: 3 Reasons Why You Should Complete a Training Course

Did you know that over 60% of households in the UK own a pet, which makes up over 17 million households? It’s not a shocking statistic – as a nation, we love animals.

Surprisingly however, a 2021 MetLife poll found that only 2% of pet insurance policy holders had taken an animal first aid course, with many unsure about how to respond in an emergency.

If your pet is injured, ill or has an accident, they will be counting on you for life-saving help, with every second before you can get to a vet being critical.

Here’s three crucial reasons why you should consider completing a pet first aid course as an animal owner (and lover!)

Animals are inquisitive

Whether you’re a dog or a cat person, there’s no denying that all animals are curious creatures - which often means they like to eat things they shouldn’t and explore off-limit places. Sometimes these situations can lead to pet emergencies. In these moments, it’s essential that you’re fully prepared to act quickly and effectively.

Whether your pet has eaten toxic foods or has got into a fight with another animal, you should be able to administer pet first aid as soon as possible, with every second after an incident being vital.

Reduce pain and improve outcomes

Sometimes life-threatening situations can occur with your pet. Knowing how to care for an unconscious animal and being able to treat commonly occurring injuries and illnesses such as choking and bleeding means that you can immediately reduce the amount of pain your pet is experiencing.

Not only this, but prompt animal first aid can also prevent minor injuries from becoming fatal. In an emergency, it’s always important that you call your vet for advice. You should do this if your pet:  

• Is having difficulty breathing
• Is severely bleeding
• Has had a traumatic injury
• May have broken bones
• Has been vomiting or passing diarrhoea for longer than a day
• Has lost consciousness, is fitting, or showing severely abnormal behaviour

Preventative measures are better than recovery

Animal first aid is more than how to respond in an emergency – it includes preventative health too. Make sure you are well informed when it comes to vaccinations, diet, and grooming, to give your pets as much protection as possible against a range of problems, including diseases and parasites.

It’s also a good idea to store your vet’s name, address, and telephone number in your mobile phone. By doing so, you reduce the time it would take to speak to them, and you can alert them if you’re on the way with an emergency.

Pet first aid courses

Developed in partnership with the national animal charity, Blue Cross, our Pet First Aid course will teach you how to keep your pets healthy, avoid potential dangers and take action in the event of an emergency.

Our online Pet First Aid course includes guides on vaccinations, diet, grooming, hazards in the home and detailed advice from vets on how to deal with a wide range of situations. The course costs just £17.50 and will mean you’re well equipped to provide animal first aid.

If you would like to find out more, please call us on 01543 711150 or email hello@busybees.com today.