Wilderness First Aid – Canine Style
Dr. Heidi Woog, DVM, pulls a large partially de-limbed dog toy from her backpack. “So,” she asks, “who wants to practice stapling flesh lacerations on one-armed Steve?”
This is all in a days work for veterinarian and search and rescue professional Heidi Woog. Dr. Woog, who practices traditional and holistic veterinary methods at the Sun Valley Animal Center in Ketchum, recently held a Canine Wilderness First Aid class for backcountry enthusiasts.
With my dog Franconia in tow, I joined a small group of other dog owners in the Sun Valley Animal Center lobby. Franconia immediately began investigating the contents of Dr. Woog’s extensive doggie first aid kit, which were spread out invitingly on the carpet. As we all settled into a wide circle on the floor, Dr. Woog began by describing and demonstrating how to check our dogs “normals.” This part, which included assisted stretching with the dog and a good deal of massage, was undoubtedly Franconia’s favorite part of the evening.
After covering normals, Dr. Woog led us on the wild (and sometimes humorous) ride of common, and not-so-common, injuries and illnesses to dogs in the backcountry. She thoroughly covered the more likely situations (hyperthermia, injured paws) as well as the less likely (puncture wounds, “cold tail”).
Dr. Woog then gave an informative tour through a well-stocked doggie first aid kit, and moved on to demonstrating various methods of wound wrapping and care (enter one-armed Steve and the medical stapler). As a great relief to Franconia, there was not a live demonstration on flesh stapling. We did, however, practice different wraps and bandages on our furry friends. The dogs were patient enough for their reward – a generous helping of dog bones.
Recreating in the backcountry poses risks for humans and pets alike. The Canine First Aid class encouraged me to contemplate more carefully what is needed for a backcountry trip, what dangers may lurk there for my dogs, and how I can treat any mishaps in the field. Thank you, Dr. Woog, for sharing your skills and knowledge!
Zeke looks on patiently as a class participant wraps his hypothetical paw wound.
Dr. Heidi Woog demonstrates wound wrapping techniques on Franconia.
Tasman, a Portuguese Water Dog, shows off his two well-wrapped front paws.
