
Your dog will need oxygen and intensive supportive care in a hospital. Some individuals will also develop cherry red mucous membranes and neurological abnormalities.Ĭontact the nearest available veterinary team – and transfer your pet directly to the nearest appropriate facility. The most common signs of carbon monoxide poisoning in pets are an increased respiratory rate and abnormal sounds heard via stethoscope in the lungs during breathing. When carbon monoxide poisoning is severe or lasts for hours, brain damage or death can occur due to lack of oxygen. The concentration of carbon monoxide in smoke-filled air can be high, resulting in carbon monoxide poisoning in pets.Ĭarbon monoxide binds more strongly to haemoglobin than oxygen does, preventing the haemoglobin from properly doing its job of carrying oxygen from the lungs to the body’s tissues. It can take 2 to 3 days for thermal damage to become apparent – so pets evacuated from fires must be carefully monitored for several days. While damage to the lining of the airways will result in the risk of secondary pneumonia. Smoke and high heat can damage the airways acutely – causing them to constrict and become inflamed. Some injuries may not be immediately obvious and especially if your dog has a heavy coat, there can be burns you cannot see… Don't forget to also check their feet!Īdditionally, even if they are not obviously burned, animals exposed to fires may have damage to their airways – the associated morbidity due to airway and lung damage can be insidious.Īir travels through your pet’s nose and mouth, into the trachea (windpipe) and through the small airways, as it makes its way into the lungs. The animals will be thirsty – offer them cool fresh water or isotonic oral electrolyte rehydration fluid ( Lectade / Gastrolyte). Transport your animal to the nearest emergency veterinary facility for thorough assessment. To avoid hypothermia during transport, the patient should be wrapped in several clean, dry sheets or blankets. Very cold water or ice should NOT be used as this can rapidly decrease the patient's body temperature, and can contribute to increased wound depth by inducing vasoconstriction. The cling wrap can help to keep the wound clean and moist, and also help to provide pain relief.


SIGNS OF CARBON MONOXIDE POISONING IN DOG SKIN
The skin is slow to cool and the burning process may actually continue for some time after the patient is removed from the heat source.Ĭattle Dog puppy who suffered severe burns on Black Saturday (2009) and underwent many weeks of burns careįor this reason, burned areas should be cooled with running water for 20 minutes – then cling wrap applied. Flames should be extinguished and any collars or harnesses that may become constrictive should be removed ( significant swelling can occur following burns). The first consideration in treatment of the burnt patient is to stop the burning process. Pre-hospital Treatment of the burnt patient What can you do if your dog is burned or affected by the fire? Practice how you will move your animals if you need to evacuate – and refine the process. Stay in touch with each other regarding plans during the fire danger period.ĥ. Discuss with neighbours about where your pets are located when you are not home. bottled fresh water, bowl, bedding (include a woollen blanket / clean sheet).

