All pet owners would agree it's Murphy's Law that if you have an injured animal it could be tough to find a vet. With a small amount of knowledge and a basic pet first aid kit, you can help to save an animal's life. In an emergency situation, however you will still need to get to your vet as soon as possible.

First aid basics

Getting together a basic pet first aid kit isn't difficult at all. Here's what I recommend as a starter for all pet owners:

• A list of important phone numbers, such as poisons information line (131 126), your vet, an after-hours emergency vet and the local wildlife rescue, as well as the number of the ranger.
• Saline. Sterile saline solution can be purchased from your vet or chemist. Individual small vials are best. You can use these for flushing wounds and eyes.
• A muzzle or a piece of stocking that can be made into a muzzle. All pets can bite, especially if they're in pain.
• A pair of tweezers. These are handy for removing stings, ticks and other foreign bodies. Stings can also be removed by sliding a credit card under them if tweezers are unavailable.
• A blanket. This is essential for restraining an animal, for wrapping to stop bleeding, and also for using as a stretcher.
• Gauze, tape, a roll of Elastoplast and some scissors for bandaging.
• Other useful items include a thermometer, sodium carbonate crystals to induce vomiting and Betadine solution to apply as an antiseptic.

While it is extremely important that your pet gets pain relief when they need it, many animals, especially cats, can be sensitive to paracetamol and non-steroidal anti-inflammatories (such as aspirin), so I don't recommend you have these in a first aid kit. Your vet will provide suitable pain relief as soon as you get there.

How to Help a Pet In Pain

Here are a few emergency scenarios and how you can help your pet:

If your pet isn't breathing:

Lie him on his right side and check the heart is beating by listening to the chest where the front leg touches the rib cage. If there's a good heartbeat but no respiration, place your mouth over the muzzle and blow into the nose until the chest expands.

This should be done every four seconds.

Bite wounds:

Dogs and cats that have been bitten are often frightened and in pain, so a muzzle is essential. Use a piece of stocking or rope to tie around their mouth. Flush the wound with saline or warm water. Large wounds can be wrapped in a cloth to stop bleeding.

Dog bites can be especially problematic as the wound can look small, but underneath there may be extensive tissue damage. Infection is also a problem, so seek veterinary attention as soon as possible.

Choking:

If your pet is choking, gently inspect the mouth for a piece of bone or similar stuck in the teeth or palate. This can be removed with a pair of pliers - be careful not to force any foreign object further into the throat.

Convulsions/seizures:

These can be very frightening for pet owners and people are often tempted to restrain an animal or try to comfort it by talking to it or petting it. Pets may bite, unknowingly while convulsing.

If your pet has a seizure, leave it alone. A dark, quiet environment is best, and move obstacles out of the way so the animal can't hurt itself. Fits usually last only a few minutes.

Broken toenail/bleeding beak:

You can try to stop the bleeding by pressing the beak or nail into soft soap or some paraffin wax. Wrap the toenail if possible (not the beak!) and get to the vet, who will apply a cauterising solution.