Wacky First Aid For Pets

 

Today's Snack: How about that great old friend, animal crackers, with a big glass of milk?

 

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Supplies:

 

Large craft stick or short ruler

Roll of gauze

First-aid tape

Q-Tips

Wesson corn oil

Cotton balls

Dawn dishwashing liquid

Bounce dryer sheet

 

Would you like to be a veterinarian, an animal doctor? It's a great profession. But you have to do as well in school as, or even better, than those who are going to doctor humans. Veterinary medical school is as hard to get into as regular medical school. You need top grades in tough science courses, and all others. So hit those books hard, if that's your dream!

 

In the meantime, you can have a lot of fun and pretend to be a vet by providing common-sense health care for your dog or cat. Here are some ideas for what you can try:

 

• Put a "practice" splint on a dog or cat's leg with a large craft stick and a roll of lightweight gauze. Put the stick over the animal's leg so that it can't bend its leg, and then wrap the gauze around - not too tightly, but not too loosely. Try to make sure all of the stick is covered in gauze. Tape the gauze in place with white first-aid tape. See how long it lasts!

 

• Clean your dog or cat's ears every few months by VERY carefully wiping the inside of them with a Q-Tip. Do NOT dig inside or you might hurt your pet's sensitive hearing!

 

• Eliminate ear mites with a few drops of Wesson corn oil in your pet's ear. Cats are especially susceptible, so do this for your cat every three months or so. Massage the 2 or 3 drops into the ear, then clean what you can with a cotton ball. If your cat has the mites, repeat daily for 3 days. The oil soothes the cat's skin, smothers the mites, and accelerates healing.

 

• Kill fleas by giving your dog a bath in the bathtub or a tub outside, only use Dawn dishwashing liquid instead of regular dog shampoo. Add just a few drops of Dawn to the bath water. Shampoo the animal thoroughly. Rinse well to prevent skin irritations.

 

• Next time your dog comes in from the rain and stinks, take a sheet of Bounce or any dryer sheet, and rub your dog with it. Presto! Springtime fresh!