Canine First Aid and Health Care

Patrick Burns over at Terrierman's Daily Dose has done a better job than I am able describing the perverse incentives at work in the field of veterinary care.  He also does wonderful job offering an outline of how to prepare to go to the vet to reduce the likelihood of being charged unnecessary fees or sold unneeded services. 

Five stars and four stars respectively.

Finding a publisher willing to take the liability risk of arming skeptical dog owners with contemporary veterinary advice, however, must be difficult due to the time it took me to find straightforward advice for an audience without a medical background.  Two books that do just that are How to Afford Veterinary Care without Mortgaging the Kids and Field Guide to Dog First Aid.

I ordered How to Afford Veterinary Care on the advice of the breeder from whom I bought Sparta.  My expectations were high and upon receiving my copy in the mail, I was initially disappointed.  Most chapters are only a page or two long and much of the advice was not aimed at someone like myself.  It seems primarily aimed at the overwrought dog owner who is likely to see their fur baby limping and rush it off immediately to the clinic.  The good news is that the book contains more.

How to Afford Veterinary Care also contains suggested dosages for the use of Ivermectin for both heartworm control and as a routine warmer, suggestions for dog safe pain relievers, long-term treatments for conditions such as chronically stiff joints and many other simple remedies for common problems.  There is also more than ample space for the addition of personal notes.  I am glad that I own it though I am also glad I bought it used for a reduced price.

The second book, Field Guide to Dog First Aid, in addition to instruction on how to care for many minor injuries, contains a lot of information every dog owner hopes they will not need but could very well save a dog' life during a serious emergency while in transport to an animal hospital.  The Field Guide is organized in such a way as to make it more difficult to read but this is only due to the large amount of information presented with as much brevity as possible.  A dog owner, especially anyone who works their dog or spends abundant time in the field with their dog, would do well to familiarize themselves with the contents as well as include the book itself in their first aid kit.