This is Brett...
Brett works for Noah's Ark Veterinary Clinic as an animal care attendant. He is currently training to become a veterinary nurse. He has been participating in client consultations and assisting with treatment procedures. The clinic is in a large town and mainly services families and their domesticated pets such as dogs, cats and birds. Occasionally they see snakes, rabbits, ferrets and Australian native animals. If an animal is brought into the clinic with an acute injury, Brett is required to assist with the first aid triage and treatment.
What types of acute injuries do you see most often?
Because our clinic operates in an urban area the most common type of injury is a cat or dog that has been hit by a car. This is known as a trauma injury, can be very serious and often fatal. Other types of injuries include wounds received from fighting or attack by a predator, poisoning, bites, seizures and occasionally burns and smoke inhalation.
Fortunately, we don't get too many emergency situations. But we always have to be prepared.
What does it mean to triage a patient?
Triage involves a quick assessment regarding the severity of the animal's injury and determining how best to help it. We must quickly determine whether we have the facilities and the expertise to treat and operate, as some injuries can be severe and require complicated surgery to recover. Also, we need to gauge what the prospect of recovery is likely to be. That is one of the hardest things to decide. However, sometimes it is just not viable to attempt surgery or complicated first aid and we need to make the animal as comfortable as possible or even euthanise them.
For example, last month we had three animals brought into the clinic at the same time. One of them, a Jack Russell Terrier, had been bitten by a snake. The other two were cats that had been fighting each other and injured themselves through biting and scratching. In this situation, the dog's injury was more urgent than the cats because a snake bite is often fatal if left untreated for too long. The cats were uncomfortable and in pain, but they could wait 20 minutes while we stabilised the dog. All animals made a full recovery. Jack Russell terriers are notorious for chasing snakes and this one had been bitten twice previously. He's a very lucky dog.
Tell us about the first time you applied first aid on an animal
I had been working at the clinic for about four months when a member of the public brought in a dog that had been hit by a car, just down the road from the clinic. All other staff were in surgery, so I was the only staff member available. The dog was bleeding profusely from a massive foot injury. I took him straight into the treatment area, based on the amount of bleeding, triaged him as an emergency. I needed to deal with the blood loss first because it was the initial concerning sign. So, I applied a moist, non-stick bandage to the wound to prevent it sticking, keep it viable and to control the bleeding until the veterinarian could scrub out of surgery and diagnose and treat the dog fully. It was amazing how my instincts and training took over and I knew just what to do. By controlling the bleeding, I helped that dog survive!
What are the risks and hazards that you have to be aware of when attempting first aid?
Mainly hazards related to bystanders, myself and also to the animal. For example, if an animal has been hit by a car there may be traffic-related hazards that need to be considered. It is not always possible to easily retrieve an injured animal from a busy road. Injured animals, especially wild ones, can be extremely stressed and may kick, scratch or bite someone who is attempting to help them.
