Leesburg Vet Blog 
Leesburg Vet Teaches Pet CPR and First-Aid at Local Fire Departments
September is National Preparedness Month. As we’ve talked about in other articles, this is a great time to think about creating disaster and emergency preparedness plans for your entire family – including pets. To further assist our community to be prepared for emergency scenarios, Leesburg Veterinary Hospital is proud to be working with Loudoun County Fire and Rescue Stations by offering companion animal CPR and first aid training classes to our local first responders.
The goal of these classes is to provide our first responders with the skills needed to give life-saving care to pets in critical situations while keeping themselves safe. LVH veterinarians Dr. Mike Strickland and Dr. Rachael Dunn, along with Licensed Veterinary Technicians Kimberly Shaffer and Jennifer Strickland led sessions on pet CPR and resusitation, how to check vital signs, and basic pet first aid care and bandage techniques.
As a veterinary hospital with many staff members certified in Fear Free techniques, the doctors and technicians also demonstrated Fear Free methods and protocols. In emergency situations, even regularly calm and happy pets may be fearful or stressed. By learning to read pets’ body language and warning signals, first responders are better able to help pets in need.
Dr. Strickland began the training sessions by discussing emergency scenarios like treating burns, smoke inhalation, and heat stroke.
Dr. Dunn demonstrated CPR and compression techniques on our canine resuscitation mannequin.
Then our attendees had an opportunity to practice and perfect their skills.
Licensed vet tech Kimberly Shaffer demonstrated Fear Free approach methods and bandaging on her dog, Gator.
Dr. Strickland’s pup, Hudson also joined the training sessions, allowing attendees to have hands-on experience with a live pet.
Here, Dr. Strickland is demonstrating how to check for a pulse. In dogs, the best place to check for a pulse is by the femur – the inner thigh bone where the femoral artery passes.
LVH provided each fire house with pet-specific rescue kits. Here, Dr. Strickland discusses the contents of the kit and how to use the supplies.
Pet-specific rescue kits allow first responders to perform critical care that may mean the difference between life and death in emergency situations. Contents included muzzles, slip leashes, first-aid wrap, and oxygen masks.
Thank you, Loudoun County Fire and Rescue for keeping our community safe!
Leesburg Vet Blog 