Fishers Fire Department EMTs/Paramedics and Fishers Police Department K-9 Officers/Paramedics were in the classroom recently learning how to treat injured and sick K-9 animals.
Photo provided
Dr. Lisa Booth from Vale Park Animal Hospital educated responders on how to treat working animals for a variety of medical reasons or injuries, including equipment protocols such as:
- Restraining techniques for dogs and/or cats
- Checking heart rates and temperatures
- Pet CPR basics
- Giving oxygen
- Dealing with an overheated animal and giving fluids
- Burns, wound care and broken limbs
- Blunt and penetrating trauma care
- Dog psychology basics
- Common scenarios first responders encounter in the field and best approaches to handle those situations
- Tools to help manage various types of dog behaviors
- Worst case scenarios/extreme situations and best approaches
- Basic anatomy
Effective July 1, a new Indiana law allows ambulances to transport canines who are injured in the line of duty to be treated by medical responders and to transport them to an appropriate emergency animal hospital.
This law does not allow transport of non-working animals.