Pet first aid

What to do in an emergency

Simple steps to help your dog or cat until you reach a vet. First aid buys time, but it never replaces a vet.

• ChokingPawing at the mouth, gagging, or struggling to breathe after eating or chewing something.
• Heavy bleedingBlood that is spurting, pouring, or soaking through a pad within minutes.
• HeatstrokeHeavy panting, drooling, wobbliness or collapse after being somewhere hot, like a car, a walk or a conservatory.
• Fits (seizures)Falling over, paddling legs, stiffness, twitching or jaw chomping, often with drooling or peeing.
• PoisoningEaten, licked or been exposed to something that might be poisonous.
• Hit by a car or badly hurtAfter an accident, a fall from a height, or a serious injury, even if they seem fine.
• Burns and scaldsContact with something hot, hot water or a chemical.
• Adder bites and stingsSudden swelling, often of the face or a leg, after being in long grass, heathland or woods.
• Eye injuriesA scratched, swollen, bulging or chemical-splashed eye, or something stuck in the eye.

These guides are saved on your phone after your first visit, so they work without signal.