Keep this handy

Pet first aid, for the first few minutes.

When something goes wrong, the first few minutes matter and panic is normal. This is a calm, plain-language guide to steady you while you get to a vet. Read it now, so you are not reading it for the first time in an emergency.

Call first. This guide does not replace a vet.

If your pet is in danger, call your vet or the nearest emergency animal hospital right now, and put them on speaker so they can talk you through it. If you think your pet ate something toxic, call a poison line before you do anything else. These steps are to help you act while help is on the way, not instead of it.

ASPCA Animal Poison Control (888) 426-4435 24/7 · a consultation fee may apply Pet Poison Helpline (855) 764-7661 24/7 · a consultation fee may apply
Choking Not breathing Bleeding Poisoning Heatstroke Seizures Hit or not moving First-aid kit

Choking

Signs: pawing at the mouth, gagging, hard or noisy breathing, blue gums, panic.
  1. Stay calm and keep your pet as still as you can. A frightened animal may bite.
  2. Open the mouth and look. If you can clearly see the object and reach it, sweep it out with your fingers. Do not push it deeper, and do not blindly poke down the throat.
  3. Small pet: hold them with the back against your chest and give a few quick inward and upward thrusts just below the ribcage. Large dog: stand behind, make a fist under the ribcage, and thrust inward and upward.
  4. Check the mouth again between attempts and remove anything that comes loose.
Then: get to a vet, even once the object is out. The throat can swell or bruise.

Not breathing (CPR)

Signs: not breathing, no response, gums pale or blue. Only do CPR if they are truly unresponsive and not breathing.
  1. Check the airway. Pull the tongue forward and look for anything blocking the throat; clear it if you can.
  2. Compressions. Lay the pet on its side. Push firmly on the widest part of the chest about twice per second (around 100 to 120 a minute). For a small pet you can cup the chest with one hand.
  3. Breaths. After about 30 compressions, close the mouth and give two breaths into the nose until the chest rises.
  4. Keep repeating, 30 compressions then 2 breaths, and do not stop until your pet breathes on its own or you reach a vet.
Then: head to the vet while doing CPR. If someone else can drive, keep going in the back seat.

Bleeding

Signs: a wound that keeps bleeding, blood soaking through, a deep cut.
  1. Press. Put a clean cloth or gauze over the wound and press firmly with your hand.
  2. Hold it. Keep steady pressure for at least 3 to 5 minutes without lifting to peek. If blood soaks through, add another layer on top, do not remove the first.
  3. If it is a limb, raising it gently can help slow the bleeding.
  4. Only use a tight wrap or tourniquet as a last resort for life-threatening limb bleeding, and tell the vet exactly when you put it on.
Then: any deep, dirty, or non-stopping wound needs a vet, often the same day.

Poisoning

Common culprits: chocolate, grapes and raisins, xylitol (sugar-free gum), human medicine, rat bait, antifreeze, lilies (cats), certain plants and cleaners.
  1. Call a poison line first (numbers at the top) or your vet. Have the product or plant in front of you.
  2. Tell them what, roughly how much, and when. Take a photo of the label or plant.
  3. Do not make your pet vomit unless a vet tells you to. With some poisons vomiting makes it far worse.
  4. Keep the packaging or a sample to bring with you.
Then: follow the poison line's instructions exactly. Many cases need the pet seen quickly.

Heatstroke

Signs: heavy frantic panting, drooling, bright red gums, wobbliness, collapse. Common after a hot car, hot day, or hard exercise.
  1. Get out of the heat into shade or air conditioning right away.
  2. Cool with cool (not ice-cold) water over the body, especially the belly, armpits, and paws. Ice-cold water can be counterproductive.
  3. Offer small sips of cool water if your pet is awake and able to drink. Do not force it.
  4. Point a fan at the wet fur to help the cooling along.
Then: go to a vet even if they seem to recover. Heatstroke can harm organs hours later.

Seizures

Signs: collapse, paddling legs, stiffening, drooling, loss of awareness.
  1. Do not touch the mouth. Pets do not swallow their tongue, and you can be bitten without them meaning to.
  2. Clear the space of hard furniture and move them away from stairs or water so they cannot hurt themselves.
  3. Dim the lights, keep it quiet, and note the time the seizure starts.
  4. Afterward they may be dazed for a while. Keep them calm and warm.
Then: call your vet. A seizure over about 5 minutes, or several in a row, is an emergency.

Hit, fallen, or not moving

Signs: after a car, a fall, or a fight. Pain, limping, not standing, or lying still.
  1. Approach slowly and gently. A hurt pet may snap. If needed, a soft makeshift muzzle (a strip of cloth) can keep you safe, but never on a pet that is struggling to breathe or vomiting.
  2. Move them as little as possible. Slide a flat board or a firm blanket underneath as a stretcher to keep the spine straight.
  3. Keep them warm with a blanket and watch their breathing on the way.
  4. Do not give any human painkillers. Many are toxic to pets.
Then: go straight to an emergency vet. Internal injuries are not always visible.

Keep a small kit

A shoebox by the door covers most of it.

Tip: keep your pet's records and meds in Petbook, so you can show a vet in seconds.
This guide is general information to help in the first few minutes, gathered from common veterinary first-aid advice. It is not veterinary care and cannot account for your pet's specific situation. When in doubt, call your vet or an emergency clinic. If you spot anything here that should be corrected, please tell us.