First aid for farm animals prioritizes preserving life, preventing suffering, and stopping deterioration in emergencies. Various injury scenarios require immediate veterinary consultation and specific first aid measures such as controlling hemorrhages, administering artificial respiration, and providing wound care. Important considerations include using appropriate treatments for animals as human medicine can be harmful, and recognizing signs of severe conditions like bloat and poisoning for prompt veterinary intervention.

1. First aid of farm animals
In all of these cases a Veterinarian should be consulted immediately.
The described situations do not include emergencies that can occur
when an animal is not properly vaccinated.
Injured animals must be handled with caution after applying muzzle
as they may snap or bite out of fear and pain.
Never use human medicine on animals unless recommended by a
veterinarian (aspirin can be fatal to cats).
First aid treatment is based on three aims i.e.
To preserve life
To prevent suffering and
To prevent the situation deteriorating
The four rules of first aid are
Don’t panic
Maintain the airway
Control the hemorrhages
Contact the Veterinarian as soon as possible

2. First aid and injured animal
The airway must be checked and clean if necessary.
Hemorrhage must be controlled.
Fractures should be immobilized with the splints of dressing.
If possible wound should be dressed.
First aid treatment of open wounds and abrasions
Arrest haemorrhage
Prevent shock and
Prevent sepsis

3. Treatment of contusion
Cold compresses should be applied immediately to cause
vasoconstriction in the damaged area.
Firm bandaging will increases the back pressure, control
haemorrhage and limit swelling.
Haematomas (Blood clot)
Bandage the affected area firmly as soon as possible, apply firm
pressure with a cold compress if bandaging is impractical.
Once the area is swollen, surgical intervention may be necessary to
drain the blood clot eg. Haematoma of the earflap.
Heat burns and scald
Cool the damaged area as quickly as possible.
Keep the patient warm, once the initial cooling treatment is
complete.
Dress the wound.
Splinting to limit movement if necessary.
Preparing intravenous drips.

4. Cont…
Epistaxis (Bleeding from the nose)
Cold compresses applied externally to the nose will help to control
the haemorrhage, reduce soft tissue swelling and alleviate pain
Lungs
Rest is essential and the animal be allowed to assume the position
which it find most comfortable.
Artificial respiration
It should be applied immediately after animal has stopped
breathing.
Mouth-to-mouth respiration: Clear the animal’s mouth from any
foreign objects, hold it close and blow into its nostrils, 12-15
times/minute. Wait and repeat as long as necessary.
Birth
If it is born with the membrane around it still intact and the mother
does not remove them do quickly. If a bowl of warm water and then in
cold water (head above water), or hold it by its hind legs and swing
slightly for a few seconds, or apply artificial respiration. Then give it
back to the mother to lick it.

5. Bleeding
External bleeding
Hold a cold water compress against the wound with as much
pressure as possible; then apply an absorbent bandage ad repeat if
bleeding does not stop. (One can, determine whether the bleeding is
form an artery or from a vein.
If the blood comes in a pumping way and bright red, then it is
from an artery, and you apply the tourniquet above the wound, but
if the blood is flowing regularly and is dark red, it is coming from a
vein and apply the tourniquet below the wound.
For heavy bleeding from the legs, apply a tourniquet releasing
every 1 min for a few seconds, and after 10 on completely to see if
bleeding has stopped. Tie a cloth above the wound; insert a pencil
between the tie and twist to tighten.
Internal bleeding
Signs: Blood from the mouth or rectum together with vomiting,
state of shock, very rapid but weak pulse may be due to internal
bleeding.
Don’t waste time, take the animal to the veterinarian.

6. Bloat
Bloat (Accumulation of gas in the stomach, mainly in dogs)
Signs
Sudden swelling and hardening of the abdomen in the flank
with excessive passing of gas, obvious pain, happens mainly to
large breeds when they are too active just after a large meal and
needs immediately veterinary care.
Blood in vomit
Don’t feed the animal and take into immediately to the
veterinarian.
Broken back signs
The cat or dogs unable to move its hind legs and feel pain
below the affected portion of the back (no response if you pin the
toe firmly). Don’t move the animal, just keep it warm until the
veterinarian arrives.
Broken bones
Touch or move a broken bone as little as possible. Keep the
animal warm and comfortable.

7. Choking, drowning and electric shock
Choking
If foreign object is stuck in the throat, try to get it out with
your fingers or a long spoon. Hold the tongue down with a
handkerchief if necessary.
If the cat or dog becomes unconscious, clear the throat and
give artificial respiration.
Drowning
Take the animal pour of the water quickly. If it is unconscious,
lay it on its side and open its mouth, tongue out, and check that
nothing is obstructing the windpipe.
If the animal still doesn’t breath, administer artificial
respiration.
Electric shock
Do not touch the animal before you have switched off the
electricity. If you are unable to turn the electricity off, push the
cat or dog away from the electric flex.
If it doesn’t region consciousness, administer artificial
respiration.

8. Cont…
Fits : Signs
Screaming, salivation uncontrolled movement, falling, foaming
from the mouth.
Darken the room and left the animal get over it.
To catch cat in this stage, throw a blanket over it and grab it.
Heat stroke
Never leave your pet in the car parked in the sun. If you see an
animal locked in a car obviously in serious distress, try to contact
the owner of the car and relive the pet from distress.
Move it to a cool place and give small amounts of water
frequently. Cool it by applying a cold wet towel on its body,
mainly on the head and chest. Mix a spoonful of glucose (or
sugar) into the drinking water.
Hypothermia
An animal left in the extreme cold can have its body
temperature drop dangerously low. Cover it, let it build up its own
body heat, and never give any alcohol.

9. Cont…
Injuries to abdomen
Touch the wound as little as possible. Clean the wound by
pouring clean (boiled and cooled) water gently over the wound. If
portions of the intestines push out gently push them back through
the wound, and bandage. Treat for shock if necessary.
Middle ear infection
Sign of an acute form: head constantly held on one side, loss of
balance. This is very serious go immediately to the veterinarian.
Milk fever
Occurs mainly in bitches that just had large litters, usually about
5-6 weeks after birth
Signs: Restlessness, rapid breathing, loss of coordination, high
temperature. Orphaned kittens and puppies up to 4 weeks, and
then every 2 hours using dropper or feeding bottle).
If they develop diarrhea, give warm boiled water with a pinch of
glucose instead of the milk supplement. Between 5-8 weeks start
with soft solid food 3 times daily.

10. Cont…
Poisoning signs
Convulsions, loss of coordination, salivation, muscular twitches,
diarrhoea, vomiting, pain shortness of breath, trembling.
If you are sure that your animal has not eaten anything corrosive
(acid, lead, etc) and is not in shock or unconscious, induce vomiting
within an hour by force feeding 1-3 spoonfuls of table salt (depending
on size of animal).
Road accident
Remove the injured cat or dog from the street by lifting it carefully
without twisting the body or applying pressure on it.
If there are indications that the back is broken, do not move the
animal at all. Lie it on its side, make sure that nothing is obstructing
breathing and keep its mouth open.
Shock (Collapse)
Signs: Head should be lower than the body to allow blood to reach
the brain. Keep the animal warm by wrapping it in a blanket and keep
it as quiet as possible until the veterinarian arrives.
If necessary, a maintain breathing manually by laying it on its side
and applying pressure to the same side for more than 10-15 min.

11. Cont…
Snake bites
If the animal is bitten by a poisonous snake, induce bleeding
at the site and keep it warm and calm until you can get it to the
veterinarian.
If you are sure the bite is by a non-poisonous snake, reduce
swelling by applying ice packs.
Sprains and strains
Signs: swelling around joints or muscles. Apply alternating
hot and cold compresses over the swelling until it goes down.
Swelling
Swelling in the throat or on the tongue is dangerous because
it obstructs breathing.
Vomiting
If your pet drinks excessively and vomits at the same, time,
take its water away and bring it most urgently to the
veterinarian.

12. Cont…
Wounds
First control the bleeding, then wash gently with soap and
warm water.
Bandage the wound firmly, but not so tightly as to stop
circulation, and stick the bandage end with a tape rather than
using a pin.
Prolapse of the rectum
This condition involves a protrusion of the rectum through
anal opening. Moisten and lubricate the prolapsed tissue with
warm normal saline solution.
This will help to rehydrate the mucosa, followed by liquid
paraffin to lubricate the tissue and prevent from drying out
again.
Reduce the prolapsed mass by gentle pressure. Analgesic,
suppository may be inserted to prevent further straining. Patient
will have to be kept under constant observation.