Pet First Aid Awareness: Everything You Need to Keep Your Pet Safe
Pet first aid is incredibly important because you never know when something could happen to your pet. What you can accomplish in the first few minutes can make all the difference in helping your pet. The Companion Animal Hospital at Helen Woodward Animal Center is a great resource for keeping your pet safe.

Emergencies can happen quickly and unexpectedly
- Ingesting something toxic
- Getting hurt while playing or outdoors
- Overheat in warm weather
- Choke on toys or food
Knowing basic first aid helps you respond immediately instead of panicking or waiting.
First aid can stabilize your pet before veterinary care
Simple actions like the ones below, can prevent a situation from getting worse on the way to care.
- Stopping bleeding
- Cooling a heat-stressed pet
- Keeping an injured pet still and calm
In intense cases like choking, poisoning, or trauma, a quick reaction and response can be the difference between life and death of your pet before you are able to receive veterinarian care.
Items to keep on hand
- Emergency Contact Card
- Gauze
- Tweezers
- Gloves
- Antiseptic Supplies
- Towel
- Water
- Treats (to help reassure your pet)
Having the tools with you to help your pet in an emergency gives you the ability to act quickly, safely, and confidently when your pet needs you most.

