As a professional pet sitter and dog walking company, my team is trained and certified in pet first aid and CPR. We do this for a variety of reasons, but most simply-because we want to be able to fully take care of your loved ones in cases of emergencies.
However, many pet sitters and dog walkers are not skilled in recognizing the first signs of distress or trauma. Many of the online pet sitting sites where you can hire help do not “vet” their pet care providers and sell “cuddling’ versus knowledge. Far too many rely on “selling love” which basically means that they will take selfies, cuddle with your dogs or cats in the picture but have no clue what to do if your dog should bloat, know what a hot spot is, have a seizure, have heatstroke, why Fluffy is peeing outside her litter box or remove a tick. These are basic concepts yet so few, including pet parents know how to look for the first signs of distress.
My friend, Cara Armour of Pet Health Academy has come up with a solution to this problem. She has developed an intensive on-line training session for everyone-not just limited to pet professionals. The course consists of Pet First Aid and Certification and at a very affordable price so that pet parents will feel confident in knowing what to look for, or even how to treat the challenge themselves. (Considering this could save the life of your animal-its priceless!) When you complete the program, you are CERTIFIED!
Many things have happened with our client’s dogs during the course of our care. One dog had bloated (resulting in severe pain, the dog not wanting to go out, not being able to take in fluids, and leaving feces over the entire house) to recently an abscessed anal gland that was preventing the dog from defecating. Had the pet sitters not known what to do in this case, the animals could have died a painful death or been living in severe pain. All of this and more should and can be covered in a Pet First Aid and CPR class given at a local vet or humane society OR online with Pet Health Academy.
Know what to look for. Many signs of distress can be solved without a trip to your vet. Many things can’t. It behooves an animal owner and lover to be educated and knowledgeable with first aid supplies at home just for the unexpected. Preparation is always the key to success in any relationship.
