By Sonya D. Lavett
As a pet lover, have you ever wondered if you are fully prepared to respond to a pet medical emergency? While most of us love our pets, treat them like family and talk about them incessantly to our friends, many of us are not prepared for something tragic to happen.
This is precisely why Pet Tech has taken it upon themselves to conduct pet CPR training to individuals who are passionate about keeping their beloved dogs and cats safe.
Jaynae Carpenter is just one of the members of Pet Tech. Before coming aboard with CSU, she was a 911 dispatcher for 15 years and EMT basic licensed in the state of Alabama. She has always had that life-saving mentality. Since Jaynae is as fond of her furry, four-legged creatures as she is of human beings, learning more about this training became somewhat of an obsession for her.
“My husband and I don’t have children. Our dog, Tabitha, is like our child and she is a big part of our family. I wanted to learn how to help her in case of emergency. The training is very relatable if you have ever gone through CPR training or first aid. The care you are providing is exactly what you would provide to another person, maybe your child. The anatomy is just a little different,” Jaynae explained.
Going through the training is not the same as becoming a doctor or a veterinarian, however, in the midst of a medical emergency, time is always of the essence. Just as it is with human beings, it’s those first few minutes that are critical to saving your pet’s life. Learning through practice how to offer immediate, life saving techniques to your dog or cat may be just what is needed to prolong their life and avoid a terrible tragedy.
People have had many questions for Jaynae regarding pet CPR and she describes it best like this: “Pet CPR is exactly the same philosophy for human CPR and first aid. You still have a doctor. You still have a hospital. I can’t do everything in the field that a doctor or nurse can in a hospital setting, but through history and best practices, we’ve developed first responders. So, you have paramedics and EMTs, as well as outreach into the community, to teach anybody how to properly administer CPR and first aid. In many cases of medical emergency, the very first thing that we do can make a much bigger difference than what we do later on.”
This training is designed specifically for cat and dog “parents,” but because there is a large equestrian community that has expressed interest, Pet Tech is currently working on a protocol to train horse lovers on lifesaving techniques as well. Not only do dogs and horses serve as service animals, but there are many areas of the country where horses are prevalent in search and rescue activities.
The Pet Saver Program, which is a full eight-hour course, includes dental care, health, nutrition, life stages of your dog or cat and those specific health concerns related to their age. This is more quality of life caregiving information. Then, the pet CPR is offered. For those who do not wish to attend the full eight-hour class, attendees can sign up for just the pet CPR, which is broken down into a four-hour course. The pet CPR portion covers emergencies including bleeding, choking, injuries, insect stings, not breathing, poisoning, seizures and snake bites.
“I’m not a veterinarian and I’m not training individuals on how to become a veterinarian, however, I can show you hands-on techniques to improve the quality of your pet’s life and potentially change the outcome of a dangerous, life-threatening situation for your cat or dog until you are able to get them to emergency care.”
Who would benefit the most from this type of training? Anyone who owns and loves dogs and/or cats, animal clinic workers, boarders, groomers, kennels, pet sitters, trainers and vet techs. These are all individuals and businesses who are signing up for these courses.
There is not much that we would not do for our children or our pets. If you could potentially save a precious life, wouldn’t you want to be prepared?
If you would like to learn more about the company Jaynae is certified through, please visit this link www.pettech.net.
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