I love my dogs and I would be lost without them. I think that much is clear to anyone who has perused the content of this website. Medical emergencies can strike unexpectedly at any moment and dogs and cats are wholly different in their physiology to we humans. Knowing how to handle a medical emergency of our own species can be difficult enough without prior training or experience but when it comes to our pets, we enter a whole new territory. All pet owners have known the fear and uncertainty that occurs when our pets suddenly start acting strange, and without past experience or prior training, it can be difficult to identify an emergency situation from a minor issue that will pass.
When I first saw the advertisement for the Paw à Peau First Aid Workshop For Dogs and Cats, I was curious. With a price tag of over €80, I was hesitant as to whether I should spend so much and whether it would be value for money. The workshop is 4 hours long so it was clear that it would cover a lot but there weren't many reviews by people who had taken previous workshops. I ruminated on it for a couple of days and then, inevitably, bought the ticket and spent the next two weeks looking forward to what I might learn.
On the day, I arrived 15 minutes early because I did not want to be late - it was a one hour journey and I had to take two buses and we all know how unreliable this mode of transport can be! The event coordinators arrived soon after and were welcoming and warm.
The workshop was led by a veterinarian named Fenway who works as an emergency vet in the US part of the year and as a holistic vet when she's in Berlin. She seemed like a very sweet natured woman and was really very likable. She also had a very accessible teaching style and made plenty of time for questions at the end of each section of the workshop. In the first section, we learned how to read vital signs - how to judge by the shade of the gums whether the animal is sick, how to correctly take the animal's temperature and how to read their pulse. We were given a card with the healthy and emergency ranges for pulse rate, temperature and breathing rate and the knowledge was solidified with a quiz at the end of the section.
The second section covered common things that are poisonous to dogs and cats, how to judge the severity of the situation if your pet consumes something toxic, as well as how to deal with a poisoning event. We were also given a card with resources including a QR code for the organisation that runs US poison database where they can analyse a blood panel and tell you what poison your animal has been exposed to if it is unknown (there are many weirdos in Germany who like to put poisoned bait down for dogs. It is prolific and it's not just happening in Berlin).
In the third section, we were taught how to correctly bandage wounds on different areas of the dog and we were given the opportunity to practice on a dog that was present for this purpose. Bandaging a wound on a dog is not as straightforward as one might imagine. Learning how to correctly bandage wounds on different parts of a dog so that they do not come off is a valuable skill that could come in handy for many pet owners - especially if you live in an area where you often see broken glass in the middle of the street. There exist, seemingly in most places of this world, troglodytes who can smash a glass bottle in the middle of the street - either accidentally or on purpose - and not think it necessary to nudge the shards out of the walkway so they are not stepped on.
The final section was presented by the event organiser, Natasha, and it covered different types of muzzle and the correct situation in which to use them, how to measure the dog to determine what size muzzle would be appropriate and how the right sized muzzle should fit. In Berlin, you are legally obliged to muzzle your dog on all modes of public transport. Even if you do not do this, you should nonetheless always carry a muzzle with you when you're with your dog because if you don't muzzle them when accosted by the BVG security, you will be asked to get off of whatever mode of transport you are on.
As well as muzzling your dog on public transport, if you do not have a torch light on your dog to see where they are sticking their noses on evening walks along Berlin's barely lit streets (I do and others should), you really aught to muzzle them for their own safety because of the serious, widespread and unnervingly common issue of poisoned bait (or sausages stuffed with razor blades) being put down by warped individuals.
Finally, you should also muzzle your dog at all times while outdoors if he is a cunt. I could not possibly count the number of savage four legged cunts my two have had to deal with. They are frequently the target of badly trained, out of control dogs that should be permanently muzzled because of their antisocial and violent instincts. Irresponsible dog ownership is rife in this city. If you can't afford to neuter an aggressive dog, muzzle the bastard! (neutering in Germany is unaffordably expensive for reasons that I cannot fathom)
At the end of the workshop, there was a final interactive group task where we had to look at vital signs of different cases and determine whether the animal was in an emergency situation or if it was low risk. At the very end, there was a quiz on the topics covered and the prize was a first aid kit. I won and I've been carrying it around with me ever since. Without a shadow of a doubt, I would say that the event was worth every cent of the price tag. I would highly recommend this workshop to all dog and cat owners in Berlin. If you're reading this and you live elsewhere, you should find a workshop or course in your local area or else use YouTube videos to learn how to administer proper first aid to your pets. When our pets get sick, it can be very scary and unbelievably stressful. If you are knowledgeable in this area, you will have the necessary tools to manage the situation appropriately without the same degree of panic and the knowledge that you will gain could be lifesaving for your pet.
Comentarios