Do you know what to do if your cat gets injured? What if he/she suddenly becomes ill? It is really scary when you are faced with a veterinary medical emergency that you don’t know how to handle. Pro Pet Hero is making these pet emergencies a little less panic-provoking for cat and dog owners by offering a helpful online pet first aid course.
A Terrifying Moment: Obi-Wan’s Injury
Obi – Wan on a much less harmful chair in 2005.
The first pet that owned me as an adult was a cat named Obi-Wan. He came to Dave and me as a high energy 1.5-year-old from a friend of a friend. We should have renamed Obi-Wan as “Trouble” because he could make mischief out of any activity.
It would have been very helpful to have known pet first aid when I had Obi-Wan. There was a night gave Dave and me quite the scare and sent us rushing to the emergency vet. As usual, Obi-Wan was playing in the living room while we were watching tv. We had a couch that had recliners at either end. When Dave put his recliner up, we heard a yelp. I knew it was Obi and immediately went searching for him.
We had a couch that had recliners at either end. When Dave put his recliner up, we heard a yelp. I knew it was Obi and immediately went searching for him. I found Obi under Dave’s recliner with his paw stuck in the chair’s mechanics. My heart started pounding as we desperately looked for a way to release him carefully.
Then there was blood. I saw a few drops of blood fall to the floor as Obi moaned and continued trying to pull his foot from the chair. I was in full panic mode. Dave was too. He was ready to hack that couch apart with a saw when I figured out how to get Obi’s paw out.
I was shaking so hard that I could barely dial the number to the emergency vet (it was near midnight). I actually had to redial a few times because my fingers kept hitting the wrong numbers. Obi ran to hide in our closet and Dave went after him to put him in the carrier.
To make a long story short, Obi was fine. He was bleeding because his nail was cut off past the quick when his paw was released from the recliner. All he needed was some ointment and a bandage.
How Pet First Aid Training Could Have Helped Me
Manna giving first aid to her giant mousie.
What would knowing pet first aid have done for me in this situation? It would have given me the information I needed to calmly assess the situation and give Obi the help he needed before we got to the vet. When I called the emergency vet, I could barely talk, none-the-less explain what was happening. All I could tell them was that he got caught in a recliner and that he was bleeding from his foot. Pet first aid training would have helped me to know some basic problems to look for so that I could give the veterinarian a clear understanding of my situation. In this case, I may have discovered the broken nail.
Pet first aid training would have helped me to know some basic problems to look for so that I could give the veterinarian a clear understanding of my situation. In this case, I may have discovered the broken nail. Had I seen that and understood how breaking the past the quick affects a cat, I could have helped stop the bleeding then and there.
It is possible that pet first aid could have saved me some money too. With this clearer description of the problem, the emergency veterinarian could have advised about whether or not I really needed to take Obi to the emergency vet. Being able to wait until morning and see our regular veterinarian would have been a lot more cost effective!
Pro Pet Hero
Pro Pet Hero has a series of online pet first aid trainings from the creators of ProTrainings. This course is designed to help cat and dog owners (as well as pet professionals) to know what to do if their pet has a sudden illness or accident. Topics offered by Pro Pet Hero include:
Pro Pet Hero has excellent pet first aid courses that could help you save your pet’s life!
- Dog CPR
- Preparing a First Aid Kit
- Pet Poisonings
- Lethargy
- Vomiting and Diarrhea
- Itching and Scratching
These easy-to-understand trainings are taught by Dr. Bobbin Conner, DVM. Dr. Conner is passionate about the health and well-being of small animals. She is a professor of Veterinary Medicine and Critical Care ad the University of Florida and she is certified by the American College of Veterinary Emergency and Critical Care (ACVECC).
Pro Pet Hero’s pet first aid course fits into your schedule rather than the other way around! You can view the trainings when you are ready and rewatch them when you need to be refreshed on a subject. Since the trainings are accredited by several governing authorities, you may even be able to earn continuing education credits for taking them.
You can learn more about Pro Pet Hero and sign up for pet first aid trainings on their website. You can view a sample course by going to PetProHero.com and clicking on the “Videos” tab. Follow them on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram to stay up to date on all of their course offerings!
Sample Dog (and Cat) CPR Training
The Giveaway That Could Save Your Pet’s Life
Pro Pet Hero is so passionate about saving pet’s lives, that they have agreed to allow us to give away a free pet first aid training course to three (3) of our readers! This giveaway is open worldwide, but keep in mind that the training videos are in English.
Entries can be received from Tuesday, June 7, 2016, until Tuesday, June 14, 2016, at 11:59 PM (EST). Winners can be from any country, but must be at least 18 years of age. A winner will be randomly selected within 48 hours of the end of the giveaway and notified by email. If the winner does not respond to the notification email within 48 hours, a new winner will be drawn. No purchase necessary. Void where prohibited. Use the Rafflecopter widget below to enter!
I’m glad Obi-wan was okay – I panicked just reading about it. The first-aid course is a great idea and I’d love to win. I’m interested in learning about vomiting and diarrhea. Thanks so much!
I’m REALLY interested in learning about CPR for dogs.
I think you will love the Pro Pet Hero course! I’ve just updated the giveaway post to include a sample video from the Pro Pet Hero Dog CPR training if you would like to see it. 🙂
I love this and want to do bad. I’ve been looking all over locally for one but haven’t found any. Everyone should know first aid and cpr
This course sounds like a really great idea! My human has taken CPR courses locally, but she needs to brush up on it.
I want to know about dog and cat CPR. ALL the topics are important, though!
Thank you for entering! I just updated the giveaway post to include a sample of the Pro Pet Hero Dog CPR video if you are interested in seeing it. 🙂
I wish that I knew how to recognize Pet Poisonings.
That’s one of the topics that we cover. In fact, we’ve got three videos on the subject:
-Recognizing Cat and Dog Poisoning
-Common Pet Poisons
-Dangerous Cat Poisons
this is an awesome idea; best fishes as the tabbies say to all who enter
for a chance to win these courses !!! Will check out their website ♥♥
Reading about Obi-Wan’s incident had my heart going – I can only imagine how scary it was for you! This course sounds great. I would probably most want to learn about CPR.
Oh my gosh, that is a terrifying story. Glad Obi was OK. We had a similar incident with our cat Toonces years ago. We lived in apartment with very old windows and in order to close them, you had to put all your weight into it and then they would crash down. Well, one night just as I was closing the window, Toonces jumped up and her tail was hit by the window. It was bleeding and she was in a lot of pain. We rushed her to the emergency vet and she had broken the tip of her tail. Fortunately, she was OK and did not lose her tail – but gosh, it was horrible and I can still hear her cries.
I would love to learn CPR and how to handle it when your pet eats something they shohld not.
I wish I knew proper dog CPR, but I also hope I never have to use it!
I am glad Obi was OK. Great giveaway.
Redtwinkle@aol.com
I want to learn about Vomiting and Diarrhea since my cats in the past had these issues.
I could use a CPR refresher. I took a course a few years ago but I’m sure I’ve forgotten some things.
I would like to learn about dog and cat first aid topic!
They all are topics I’m interested in. I have four dogs and they have all experienced different health issues. I would love to learn more about vomiting/diarrhea and poisonings.
I would most like to learn about treating small cuts and abrasions that my pet receives.
i took the Red Cross lifesaving course for dogs many yrs ago. i would like to learn how to identify broken bones, snake bites, and what to do for poisioning if you cant get to the vet in time.
I would be interested in hearing about how to deal with injured animals. I know they can lash out and bite when they are in pain and confused. I had a friend who witnessed a 1 year old Great Dane get hit by a car, then went to help and both he and his girlfriend were bitten. They were fine, but poor dog.
This could come in real handy
When your animal is in labor and distress.
I have two areas that I am interested: CPR and setting up a pet first aid kit.
Preparing a first aid kit would be most important for me initially.
Cpr for sure!
It’s great that this course is available online in such a flexible format. Every pet owner should know these things!
What a great idea to create video lessons on pet first aid. This course looks wonderful.
It was helpful to read about your experience with Obi and how you may have even been able to avoid the trip to the emergency vet had you had pet first aid training.
I really loved this post! I’m so sorry you had to go through such a scary situation with Obi-Wan, but you did a wonderful job describing his accident and your panic, and how this series would have made a very real difference for you. The video was really wonderful, and makes me definitely want to check this out!!
I need to know about -Dangerous Cat Poisons because I have 4 cats
I’d like to learn about treating cuts and what to do if an animal is choking
I keep saying I’m going to take one of these courses hands on. I keep saying that. When I finally do, I will write about it.
This is a giveaway I’d definitely love to win. So great to know what to do if it came to it.
Oh poor Obi-wan! And, poor you!!! I would have been panicking too! I agree that knowing some basic first aid is a must when you have furry babies in the house.
I saw a picture on Pinterest of ‘doing the Heimlich manoeuvre on your pet. It went nut, so many pinned it. It taught me that pet first aid is vital to know!!
Apologies if I’ve left 2 comments but my internet connection went just as I was posting. Anyway, what I would like to know more about is how to recognise & what to do in the case of poisoning. We live in the countryside & having had to put a much-loved cat to sleep after he picked up rat poison, I want to know the warning signs to prevent any of the animals going through such a horrible death ever again.
I have watched videos on dog CPR and a few other emergency first aid tips but a class would be awesome!
My cat vomiting and my dog choking always scare me the most.
it’s so great of you to share this story as we have all had these types of experiences and I’ve also totally lost my mind, I think taking these every few years just so the material is fresh is really key. Great partnership you have here!
I can’t imagine how terrified you must have been. And blood?! Total freakout. This sounds like a great course for pet parents. You never know what might happen.
I am always concerned about Kilo the Pug eating things he shouldn’t or choking
Recliners near pets scare the crap out of me. Sorry that happened to your cat, but glad he was OK. I might be able to deliver first aid, except not sure about choking. 🙁 Good luck to the entrants!
I’ve thinking for a while I should learn CPR for my cats. They are the most important thing to me.
Glad Obiwan was ok, I can only imagine the fear you must have felt then.
Thanks for the great giveaway!
I would like to know how to handle really warm weather.
I would like to learn CPR for my dogs. I have 3 Boston’s that have breathing trouble as it is!
All of it is so important. Dog CPR, to know when to take the dog to the vet (when is it an emergency and when can you wait), safest way to transport the dog if there has been an accident.
I want to learn more about pet poizoning!
Excellent post! I am certified and think it’s so important for all pet parents. Great giveaway!
Id like to learn about poisoning
Pet poisonings and pet CPR could come in useful, I’m sure. So those are my highest rated topics of interest.
I would love to learn CPR since I wouldn’t know what to do if my cat or dog stop breathing.
Where their ears are full of blood and feel like a balloon. Not sure the proper name for it but my black lad just had that.