April is National Pet First Aid Awareness Month

April is National Pet First Aid Awareness Month — a month we dedicate to teaching fellow pet parents about providing emergency care to their animals.

The first thing all pet parents should understand is that prevention is the best medicine.

While you can’t stop all accidents from happening, you can take steps to reduce the dangers and risks your pet faces every day.
All pet parents should be familiar with household items that could cause choking, injuries, or accidental poisonings in their animals. These are some of the most common causes of emergency vet visits every year.

Of course, you should also have a pet first-aid kit stocked and ready, just in case. If you haven’t checked your kit in a while, you may want to make sure that the supplies inside haven’t expired. If we don’t use first-aid kits for a while, sometimes we forget to restock them or replace expired items. This month is a good reminder to do that.

You should also know how to use the items in your first-aid kit, as well as emergency procedures like the Heimlich maneuver and CPR.
The best resource for this information is your veterinarian. Ask them for instructions. They’re usually happy to educate and help.

For more information, look at the attached infographics that describes common reasons for emergency vet visits, steps for prevention and treatment, and what to include in your pet first-aid kit.