What is normal?

The reason we emphasise the importance of learning ‘normal’, is because if you don’t know what is normal, how can you recognise when something is wrong? Unfortunately, we see many animals at the vets who arrive very sick, and if their owners had recognised earlier that they weren’t ‘normal’, their recovery may have been a lot quicker, smoother, and may have had a much better outcome.

We discuss this at length during our dog first aid courses. The importance of knowing what is ‘normal’. What the normal heart rate, respiratory rate and temperature is of a healthy dog. What a healthy dogs gum colour should look like. How to perform a full health check on your dog and what signs of illness you should look out for. We also recommend owners get to know ‘their’ dog, and their ‘normal’, as dogs aren’t textbooks, and they can vary ever so slightly from one another. For example, greyhounds can have a very low resting heart rate! Which for them, is ‘normal’.

We then go on to discuss and learn early signs of illness, and what changes to these normal parameters can indicate, using real life photographs and videos to better you’re understanding. This way you can recognise these signs and get your dog to the vets at the soonest opportunity, before they become that very sick dog, who’s owner did not recognise earlier that they weren’t ‘normal’.

Dog first aid courses aren’t just for professionals, they’re for anyone who has the luxury of owning a canine companion. Dogs can’t tell us when they’re sick, it is our job to recognise early signs of illness on their behalf.

We provide in person CPD accredited and Ofqual regulated dog first aid courses taught by veterinary professionals, or have the option of a comprehensive online course.

© The Dog First Aid Co. Ltd 2022