Treating Animals

Paramedics and EMTs can administer emergency medical care to animals and have the ability to greatly influence the outcome for the animal. Typical examples that have happened here in the Rochester area: caring for an animal pulled from a smoke filled house (giving oxygen), assisting a police officer when his K-9 partner is injured (controlling bleeding, splinting, even an IV of Saline), being called to the local zoo surgical center to defibrillate a tiger.

All of these examples are appropriate so long as you do not deny human patients care.

paramedic working on dog
paramedic helping during tiger surgery

Paramedics or their dispatchers should have the phone numbers of 24 hour Animal Hospitals and Veterinarians that would be willing to respond to the scene.

Photos are reprinted with permission from the Democrat and Chronicle, Rochester, NY.

LEARN ANIMAL CPR

LEARN AVLS