Canine Trauma Care Definitions;
TCCC – Tactical Canine Causality Care
C-IFAK – Canine-Individual First Aid Kit
Let’s say your canine is injured and he flees. Now what? As a Police Officer or as a Canine Home Protection Owner do you know how to treat your canine until you get to a facility? Do you have the right equipment/first aid to do so? Do you have the training to apply and use the equipment effectively?
Do you have a plan?
On the Home Protection Canine side and, in some cases, even on the police handler side, medical aid training is dropped by vendors and it is left up to the clients to figure out on their own. Often, canine medical kits are actually only just a good supply of cotton balls and band-aids etc… not practical for serious canine injuries.
Let’s think of injuries that a home protection canine or a working canine could experience:
- Blunt force trauma
- Heat exhaustion
- Gun shot wound
- Knife wound
- GDV (Gastric Dilatation Volvulus)/Bloat/Twisted Stomach
These are five major potential injuries your canine could suffer. What can you do?
I am not suggesting you need Vet training to treat trauma injuries, but you can do something. It is better to do something than not to do anything. It is important to learn how to quickly assess and stabilize your canine for transport; those first few minutes could save their life. Have a plan. Ask your Vet: Do they have the staff, equipment, and experience to treat the trauma injuries listed and conduct surgery within 25 minutes of your arrival at anytime day or night? Only way to find out, interview your Vet.
Canine Tactical offers C-IFAKs http://www.caninetactical.com/ifak.php for sale, but I recommend it only if you know how to use the contents along with Truck Medical Bags that will be available soon, practical items for canine trauma care and can be used on people as well. Both items were part of my equipment as a handler and they continue to be of vital use in my company.
Protect the protector, don’t fail your canine, because your canine won’t fail you. Next weeks blog: On-Leash Protection.