First Aid For Severe BleedingKnowing how to administer first aid for severe bleeding may help you save your dog's life. If your Golden Retriever is bleeding heavily, there are a few things you can do before you head for the vet. It's also an emergency if the wound is in your dog's chest cavity, abdominal cavity, or head. Your dog can experience arterial bleeding (the spurting of bright red blood) or venous bleeding (oozing of dark red blood) or sometimes both. Both types of bleeding require immediate veterinary attention. Your dog is in danger from shock, coma, or bleeding to death. Where Do We Start?If the wound is on an extremity, first aid for severe bleeding starts with applying pressure to one of the closest pressure points:
Direct pressure is best for outside bleeding, except for an eye injury. Keep pressure on the dressing to stop bleeding. If blood soaks through the dressing, do NOT remove it. Apply more dressing and continue to apply pressure until the bleeding stops. Wrap torn rags or other soft material around the dressing and tie or tape it just tightly enough to keep the bandage on. Start below the wound and wrap upward. More on First Aid For Severe BleedingDoing so may cause more damage and may increase bleeding. Place pads and bandages around the object and tape it all in place. Seek immediate medical care for any abdominal or chest wound, as there can be considerable internal damage. If organs are showing through the wound, do not try to push them back into place unless they slide back in without your assistance. Cover the injury with a moistened cloth or bandage, and apply only very gentle pressure to stop the bleeding. Here are some other points to remember as you give your dog first aid for severe bleeding:
What About Tourniquets?Use a first aid tourniquet only in life-threatening situations and only when all other steps to stop bleeding haven't worked. Apply it to the leg or tail between the wound and the heart.Loop a strip of towel, a tie, rope, or belt, around the limb. Tighten the loop by hand or by inserting and twisting a stick beneath the loop.
That's why you need to loosen the tourniquet every five minutes to allow blood flow to the limb or tail. Use direct pressure for three or four minutes and then re-tighten the tourniquet. As soon as the bleeding becomes controllable (manageable by applying direct pressure), stop using the tourniquet. Get to the Vet!After you've done everything you can in the way of first aid for severe bleeding, it's very important that you get your dog to the vet or an emergency veterinary clinic as soon as possible.They're experts in knowing how to stop bleeding in dogs (if you haven't been able to do that yet), clean out the wound, put in stitches, and check for internal bleeding. It's great to have them around at times like this! Search here for more information on Golden Retrievers |
Place your hand over the dressing and press firmly.
Your dog could lose a leg or his tail if his blood supply is cut off for too long.
