WAFFLES: Hey Boss! Did you see my new lunchbox?
KATIE: Waffles, this isn't a lunchbox. It's a first aid kit. For us apparently.
WAFFLES: So does that mean there's no lunch inside? No snacks?
KATIE: Not unless you enjoy a little Neosporin at lunchtime. 
WAFFLES: Does that come in chicken flavor?
Cat & Dog First Aid Online Training Course
Recently the people at ProPetHero offered Glogirly an opportunity to take their new Cat and Dog First Aid Online Training Course. It's a comprehensive video-based course focused on what to do in the case of medical emergencies, including how to recognize problems, minimize injury and take action. It's not at all meant to replace emergency veterinary care, but rather helps to provide a roadmap of what to do quickly and immediately in the case of sudden accident, injury or illness before you even arrive at the veterinary clinic or hospital.
It's often those first few steps that pet guardians take at home that can make a big difference in the outcome at the clinic.
About the Instructor
The course is taught by Dr. Bobbi Connor DVM. She specializes in small animal emergency medicine and is ACVECC board-certified in veterinary emergency and critical care. She loves animals and has a passion for educating others. Currently she practices and teaches at the University of Florida School of Veterinary Medicine.
Who Can Benefit from Taking the Course?
- Pet Guardians
- Cat Sitters
- Dog Walkers
- Groomers
- Pet Trainers
- Anyone who works with cats or dogs
About the Course
Dr. Bobbi is the primary developer of the course and has chosen specific first aid topics she's most frequently encountered in her own practice.
- Lessons are broken down into short, easy to understand videos.
- Each video features up-close demonstrations with real pets.
- Total course time includes 1 hour and 39 minutes of video training as well as knowledge reviews, a final test, remedial help and review of downloaded material.
- Certification of Completion is provided.
- The cost of the full course is $49.95 per trainee.
Curriculum Details
The course is divided into 7 sections, each containing between 4-12 individual training videos:
- Introduction, Preparation & Safety (4 videos)
- Knowing Your Pet (6 videos)
- Illness (12 videos)
- Cardiovascular Emergencies (2 videos, including Cat & Dog CPR)
- Poisons, Envenomation & Allergies (8 videos)
- Respiratory Emergencies (4 videos)
- CPR (3 videos)
Because Life Matters - Sample Videos
ProPetHero's company motto is "Because Life Matters." They feel that should be a part of everything they do, including making it possible for people to access a skill that they might need without much getting in their way. They've made all of the introductory videos for the above mentioned sections available for free. In addition, if there's a video that someone who doesn't have access to the full course yet wants to view, like 'making a cat or dog vomit,' they can simply enter their email address to unlock any single video of their choice. This can only be done once, but can really help out in a time of need.
ProPetHero's company motto is "Because Life Matters." They feel that should be a part of everything they do, including making it possible for people to access a skill that they might need without much getting in their way. They've made all of the introductory videos for the above mentioned sections available for free. In addition, if there's a video that someone who doesn't have access to the full course yet wants to view, like 'making a cat or dog vomit,' they can simply enter their email address to unlock any single video of their choice. This can only be done once, but can really help out in a time of need.
Downloads Provided with Course
- New Kitten Checklist
- New Puppy Checklist
- Pet First Aid Student Manual
- Pet First Aid Kit Checklist
- Pet Disaster Preparedness Checklist
Glogirly's Experience with the Training:
In Her Own Words
"I wish I had seen these videos years ago. If I knew then what I do now, I would have been SO much more prepared for both minor injuries and illnesses as well as accidents and emergencies. These videos have really driven home the adage, "An ounce of preparedness is worth a pound of cure."
The videos themselves are very well done. I love how they're broken up into bite size chunks and can be viewed at my own pace. Retaining knowledge is so much easier for me when I learn a little bit at a time.
Dr. Bobbi is professional, compassionate and explains things in a way that's easy for someone like me, just a cat guardian who loves my furry family, to understand. Not only does she explain the hows and whys, she demonstrates with real pets. It's a much better way to learn than with just words or pictures.
I haven't even finished all of the videos yet, but already feel so much more prepared in the event of an emergency. The videos have inspired me to put together a feline first aid kit for Katie & Waffles, a human first aid kit for me and Gloman and a disaster preparedness plan and kit for all of us."
It's Easy to Panic.
We Know.
We've Been There.
If you're a long time reader of our blog, you may remember that fateful Saturday a couple of years ago. Glogirly was getting ready for a friend's wedding. She was giving herself a last minute pedicure in the bathroom. Sitting on a stool with her foot up on the side of the tub, she was taking off her old polish. She hadn't noticed Waffles slip into the room and had no idea he was sitting right underneath her stool.
Then it happened.
A tiny drop of polish remover fell from her cotton ball and landed in Waffles' eye. He took off like a lightening bolt into the bedroom, rolling on the floor, pawing at his eye and making a scary exhaling/blowing kind of noise with his mouth and nose.
First aid kit? What first aid kit?
She panicked. Trying to keep her head, she did the only thing she could think of. She grabbed Waffles, and ran down to the kitchen where Gloman was. She wrapped him in a towel, burrito style, and held his head still while Gloman flushed his eye with water from the kitchen faucet. In hindsight they should have used a sterile eye wash, but didn't have anything like that on hand and didn't even think of it either. After a few minutes of irrigating the eye, Glogirly called the vet to let them know she was on her way.
Fortunately, the water had worked. The doctor said their quick action had saved his eye from any permanent damage. The whole ordeal was incredibly scary for Glogirly and her stress level only exacerbated poor Waffles' fear.
If she'd been more prepared, she could have remained more calm. Both for Waffles and for her.
And for the record, she only paints her nails now behind a securely closed bathroom door. No cats allowed.
Our Own Feline First Aid Kit
✔︎ Emergency Contact Information✔︎ Poison Control Hotline
✔︎ Gauze Squares
✔︎ Roll Gauze
✔︎ Cotton Swabs
✔︎ Elastic, Cohesive Wrap ('Vetrap')
✔︎ Bandage Scissors (blunt end)
✔︎ Cat Nail Clippers
✔︎ Styptic Powder
✔︎ Antimicrobial Ointment
✔︎ Sterile Saline Eye Wash
✔︎ Hydrogen Peroxide
✔︎ Isopropyl Alcohol
✔︎ Disposable Gloves
✔︎ Tweezer
✔︎ Towel or Blanket
✔︎ Cat Muzzle
✔︎ Mini Flashlight
✔︎ Reading Glasses
Most of these items can be easily found at your local pharmacy, Target or grocery store. The few pet-specific items like feline nail clippers, styptic powder and the cat muzzle were easiest for us to find online. The spare reading glasses and mini flashlight are something we thought would come in handy in the event you need to see something really close up and magnified.
Our cute little first aid case is just an ordinary first aid bag that we personalized with stick on MEOW letters.
Full Course Training Giveaway!
We're very excited to be able to offer two lucky GLOGIRLY readers a full training 'scholarship.' You'll receive a code to unlock the entire Cat and Dog First Aid Training Course, including all of the curriculum and downloadable materials we mentioned above. This giveaway is open worldwide.
This post is sponsored by ProPetHero and ProTrainings®. We are being compensated for helping create awareness about the new Cat and Dog First Aid Training Course. GLOGIRLY only shares information we feel is relevant to our readers. ProPetHero is not responsible for the content of this article.
