Paws to Heal

Whilst it is not always possible to get immediate Veterinary attention, it is possible to administer some basic first aid or principles to an animal in distress.
There have been innumerable books written on this subject but the ‘take home message’ should always be the same.
Trust in your own capacity to act always in the best interests of your pet and your family in times of stress. In short, take a minute to stop, look and process the information. We all have different ways of dealing with problems and we need to be comfortable with our own decisions. I am, therefore, often asked by my clients to give them an idea of what they can do in certain circumstances since many of my clients have some knowledge of natural healing and have remedies on hand.

In extreme emergencies which, fortunately, also do not occur very often; the road traumas and serious injuries with bleeding or tissue damage, the standard first principles apply. Firm pressure on bleeding wound, immobilisation of injuries and trying to stay calm until veterinary attention can be sought. Rescue remedy and Arnica are well indicated in these cases and maybe Aconite for fear. In these situations, first aid remedies can be given two or three times an hour for the first few hours. Both the owner and the animal can benefit from the remedies in these circumstances. Caution must also be exercised in approaching a terrified or injured animal even if they are your own as they will bite. Placing a cover gently over them first will calm them and assist you to assess the situation and handle them more safely.

Many enquiries, however, come from those niggling cases of annoying illnesses like itchy skin and ear infections where the advice will be to be patient and not overmedicate. It is all too tempting to think that doing more will be helpful when, in fact, the tenet of good practice is often that less is best. A dog or cat driven to distraction with skin disease requires calming in their system. This can often be achieved through such things as cool or warm bathing, feeding flax oil, massage or Bowen, giving them raw meaty bones to chew or adding Vitamin C to their diet as a supplement or as a raw green vegie slurry. All or any of these simple practices can assist the immune system to calm itself and reduce anxiety in the animal and owner.

Now that Summer is upon us in Australia, many farmers have taken to carrying bottles of vitamin C injection in their work vehicles in the event of unforeseeable but possible snakebites.

There is much controversy about this practice and I am not about to enter into a debate about the efficacy of Vitamin C in these cases, except to say that vitamin C is far more and greater than just a dietary supplement! I would add that it needs to be given in high doses and preferably intravenously or at least intramuscularly to be an extremely effective protectant against toxic insult to cells. It can save lives and can be applicable for any envenomations from ticks, spiders, snakes and the like.

For those of you who dabble in homeopathics I would recommend that, if veterinary advice is unavailable, you administer one well selected remedy and try to be patient. When we set a healing action in place we have to be kind to the system and trust the process. If you are in doubt about what to give then you shouldn’t give anything. There are first aid homeopathic remedies available for home use for a variety of problems.

In the sad case where your beloved pet is nearing the end of their days the kindest thing you can do for them is to make them as comfortable as possible and allow them the freedom to assist themselves. This may involve placing feed and water dishes closer to their resting place, elevating their bedding in cases of incontinence or moving it to a more sheltered or quieter location. They may also appreciate more time patting and grooming as this will calm them in many circumstances. It will also assist you to make the adjustment and enable you to feel that you are really helping them.

Many of us become alarmed or frightened when sudden changes occur in the health or behaviour of our pets. This is quite normal and inevitable at times. In these cases the administration of rescue remedy ( a Bach Flower remedy) can be of enormous benefit both to the owner and the animal and can give you some thinking and breathing space to see more clearly what needs to be done.

Never underestimate your or your pet’s innate knowledge. With practice, it can be rediscovered and trusted to serve you both very well in these times of need.