Knowing how to perform basic first aid on the animals in our care is essential for all pet care professionals. Once groomers have a good understanding of how to care for pets in the event of an emergency, they should consider assembling a first aid kit to keep at hand. A good basic kit will have items to treat minor injuries on both humans and pets.
In a perfect world, no pet groomer would ever need to use any form of first aid on any pet they groom, but the last time I checked, the world still wasn’t perfect. In the grooming environment, all kinds of emergencies can crop up.
When pets feel threatened or discomfort, their natural tendency may be to bite. Some animals have higher bite inhibition than others, but all of them are capable of biting in certain circumstances. Pet groomers are in harm’s way because we handle dogs and cats in an up-close and personal manner and sometimes inadvertently cause them pain merely by doing something as innocent as flexing a joint that we have no way of knowing is sore.
If a bite happens, knowing the proper way to treat the wound and having first aid essentials on hand is crucial. Here are step-by-step instructions for what to do if you are bitten by a pet.
