Someday you may need to act fast to save your furry friend, but don't think they can be treated with the same first aid techniques as humans.

Dr. Kate Boatright said if you're doing CPR on an animal, often, you're breaking the law.

“Technically, you're practicing veterinary medicine without a license,” she said.

Boatright said the issue is complicated. She said if the animal is your own, and you feel the need to try CPR, then she wouldn't say stop, But treating someone else's animal falls in a gray area legally.

“Right now it's in a little bit of flux,” said Boatright, one of seven veterinarians at the Butler Veterinary Associates and Emergency Center, 1761 N. Main St.

Boatright said some states are considering making it possible for first responders to treat animals, but as of right now even emergency responders are breaking the law when they treat animals.

In Pennsylvania's legislation regarding veterinary licenses and penalties there are 11 exemptions. Neither first responders nor EMS employees are listed.

While Boatright said things may change in the future, she also noted that some first aid techniques may not affect animals as intended.

“CPR a lot of times is not as successful as in humans,” she said. “A lot of times there are a lot of things going on.”

Boatright said when in doubt pet owners should call a veterinary clinic to at least ask questions about the pet's condition, and she said the summertime can bring a lot of unique problems.

Boatright said she deals more with heat stroke cases in the summer, usually brought on by being in a car or outside for too long. She said increased time outdoors also leads to more insect bites and stings, allergies and even fights between animals.

“You can give (your pet) Benadryl, but not combined with anything else. The dosage is 1 milligram per pound of cat or dog,” Boatright said. “If they're swelling rapidly, get them to a clinic.”

Boatright said another concern for Butler County pet owners should be Lyme disease. She said ticks are notoriously populated in the county, and animals can get the disease just like humans. In animals, the disease primarily attacks the joints and kidneys.

“Butler County is highly incensed with Lyme disease,” she said.

Boatright said the best thing to do for your pets, especially if they are outdoors a lot, is to stay current with flea and tick prevention. She said there is also a vaccine for Lyme disease in animals.

“If you see a tick, remove it right away,” Boatright said.

Boatright said at their clinic, they use a tick twister instead of conventional tweezers. She said the twister works pretty well.

“It's been around for quite a while,” Boatright said.

While it's good to know some first aid for your pets, you may not always be around when they're in danger.

Mary Beth Rock, who owns and runs Paws for Comfort pet sitting service, said she prefers prevention.

Rock worked in a veterinary clinic for 20 years before opening her own business.

Rock said much of her job as a pet sitter is preventing emergencies from happening, which means she needs to have good judgment when animals display symptoms.

“We want to be cognizant. We don't want to rush everyone's pet to the veterinarian,” she said. “If the dog is limping, that can sometimes wait. You can parallel it to us. If we strain a muscle, we won't go running to the doctor.”

But sometimes emergency visits are needed. She said things to look out for are white gums, labored activity, shallow breathing, eye problems or severe wounds.

Rock said seeing these signs means the animal should get to a vet as soon as possible. She said these indicators are much more apparent in dogs than cats because dogs are more expressive.

“Cats can mask an illness very, very well. Cats can be in kidney failure and be in kidney failure for a long time before they exhibit any systems,” she said.

Rock said transporting an animal in an emergency can also be tough. She said wrapping animals in blankets while loading them in the vehicle is helpful, especially cats that may not want to be touched at all. She said she has a few other tools for dealing with a fussy cat.

“Do I have a suit of armor in my closet. Yes, I pull that out for cat duty,” Rock said.

Rock said crates are the best way of transporting an animal to a vet because it keeps them from moving around in the vehicle and possibly worsening their injury or illness.

Rock said she likes to stress the importance of prevention. She said few people even think about allergies, which appear differently in animals than humans.

“Pets can have seasonal allergies to the grasses and things just like people do. You'll see them more as skin irritants,” she said.

She said a lot of times people are too distracted by their pet's antics.

“What I think is that a lot of time people think more about the fluff for their pets, the beds and toys ... rather than the practical things,” Rock said.

One time some people forget about their pets' safety is when they take their dogs for walks or rides or leave them chained outside, where they can overheat easily.

She said walking a dog on a hot day, especially on a sidewalk or asphalt, can injure a dog.

“Their paws can burn. I see people walking their dog on asphalt on 100-degree days, and that's just wrong,” she said.

Rock said after all the nationwide examples of dogs dying in hot cars, people are still negligent. A hot car can reach deadly temperatures in as little as 20 minutes, even on a 70-degree day.

“If you're going to run errands, leave your dog in the comfort of your air-conditioned home,” she said.

Rock said whenever you take your dog anywhere or let your cat outdoors, you need to evaluate their safety and keep tabs on their animals at all times. She said the best way to save an animal's life is to help it avoid life-threatening situations.

“You really have to be proactive rather than reactive with a lot of these things,” she said.

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