[.ca] The First-Aid Companion For Dogs & Cats (ISBN 1579543650)

From Amazon.com:
It's every pet owner's nightmare: suddenly your four-legged friend isn't breathing. What to do? There is no 911 for pets, so it's up to you to save a life. The First Aid Companion for Dogs & Cats is a straightforward guide that covers both major problems--CPR, heat stroke, and strangulation--and minor ones, such as swollen tails, ingrown nails, and flea allergies. Beginning with simple tests and explanations of general care issues like dehydration examinations and triage, this guide then moves on to an alphabetical listing of every possible situation, from arrow wounds to worms. The individual sections are good for both general reading and instant assistance. Each one starts with a notice of when to call the vet--immediately, the same day, or as needed. It also lists what items from your pet's medicine chest will be needed, which may include anything from corn syrup to towels and panty hose. The information that follows this simple checklist is divided into "do this now," "special situations," "follow-up care," and "the best approach." Whenever necessary, simple sketches are included to help show proper technique, such as fashioning an instant muzzle from a pair of nylons, or how to cover a dog's head in case of an ear-flap injury. Relying frequently on common household items like antihistamines, turkey basters, Gatorade, and plastic wrap, this guide assumes most of us won't have special medical training or supplies and focuses on very specific and simple methods of helping your pet achieve the best possible care. Even more importantly, many suggestions are included on prevention of accidents--isn't it easier to get that window screen repaired than to rush your kitty to the vet after a bad fall?--Jill Lightner

hero, not sicko!:
This is a wonderful resource full of helpful, potentially life-saving techniques that every pet owner should know. It was especially useful in convincing my (now ex) wife Susie that yes, you can perform cpr on a cat. I can understand that the situation must have looked odd to her when she walked into the room, but she didn't have to fly off the handle and tell her mother I was "making out" with Rosco (our Russian Blue). Thank you Ms. Shojai, for helping restore some order to my house and clearing my name. This book is highly recommended (cat cpr pictures worth the price alone!)

Wonderful resource every owner should have:
This large and handy paperback tells any pet owner what to do in the first critical minutes after discovering an injury or other emergency. The advice is clear, specific and experience-based. The author is a popular writer on pets, and she is supported by expert advisors and the experience of some 80 veterinarians. Cat owners, incidentally, should not be put off by the fact that the book covers both cats and dogs. This in no way distracts from the coverage of feline problems and, in fact, it broadens the scope and inclusiveness in the portrayal of many conditions and injuries. Introductory chapters set the stage for the specific remedial actions discussed in the rest of the book. The contents of a first aid kit are spelled out in full, plus there is a list of human medicines and how they should be used (or not used) for cats and dogs. Tests and vital signs for assessing the seriousness of a problem are discussed. Basic first aid techniques are explained including homemade muzzles and restraints; artificial respiration and CPR; cleaning wounds; bandages and splints; transporting an injured animal; and, giving medications. Finally, this preliminary material ends with a 12-page listing of symptoms, setting forth likely or possible causes, and the pages where they are covered. The bulk of the book contains over 150 sections, alphabetically arranged, ranging from ï¿1/2Abdominal Woundsï¿1/2 to ï¿1/2Worms.ï¿1/2 Each section explains when to call the vet, what supplies or medicines may be needed, what actions to take at once and what follow-up care will be necessary. These sections are direct and to the point. Good drawings illustrate some of the harder-to-describe procedures. Throughout the book, brand names are used whenever appropriate to clarify recommendations. In many of the problem sections, the basic discussion is supplemented by sidebars or boxes on related subjects. For example, the section on ï¿1/2Gunshot Woundsï¿1/2 contains a sidebar on shotgun wounds. The section on ï¿1/2Urinary Blockageï¿1/2 has a sidebar on bladder stones. The section on ï¿1/2Shockï¿1/2 has a sidebar on blood loss. The ï¿1/2Birthing Problemsï¿1/2 section contains a sidebar on the afterbirth. All of these extras add an enormous amount of information to the basic advice on how to deal with emergencies. Numerous other recommendations of products or devices are also included, such as: · A pillowcase to restrain an injured cat · A soda bottle as a kitten body warmer · Hemostats for removing foreign objects from a catï¿1/2s mouth · A Bite-Not collar instead of an Elizabethan collar · A homemade solution to ï¿1/2de-skunkï¿1/2 a cat · Plastic wrap for bandaging abdominal wounds, and · Pumpkin to prevent constipation All are additional to the basic sections on injuries and conditions, which cover not only such items as car accidents, diarrhea, poisoning and the like, but also such subjects as clothes dryer injuries, limping and smoke inhalation. This book is a wonderful resource that every cat owner should have at hand. It is a quick helper and is organized accordingly. To top things off, it has a very good 22-page index. Leigh Curry, for Cat Fanciersï¿1/2 Almanac, March 2003

Necessary!:
I brought this fine book home the same day I won "Colonel" in an all night card game. Colonel is a three year-old gimpy bulldog, but my safety-first nag of a wife was concerned about how he and Bobo (her annoying tabby) would get along. I think she suspects I plan on using the Colonel to finally get rid of Bobo (ridiculous). In order to assuage her fears, I used this excellent book to convince her of my commitment to Bobo's safety. Amy Shojai has created a useful book much in the same vein as the "Take Care of Yourself" medical books for humans. Nearly 200 "emergency situations" are covered (including the essential 'how to handle bites and scratches') for pets, often with innovative techniques. Even a simple ailurophile like my spouse can follow the instructions provided (the pictures are excellent and helpful as well) and I've become comfortable with the CPR techniques (just in case). Fear not, there is no mouth-to-mouth involved. Additionally, small time injuries and problems are covered as well. But what really makes this book a keeper for me is: Colonel can stay!!!

Five Stars:
Excellent book and good for quick reference. Has at home medicines that an animal can and cannot take. I would definately recommend this for any animal lover or owner.

Excellent guide to taking care of pet emergencies...:
Ms. Shojai has done a wonderful job in this book--with everything the layperson needs to know when something goes wrong with their four-footed companion. I've used this book several times and I'm happy to say it's been informative, easy to understand, and downright interesting. I highly recommend it.