Course Content

Basic Care & Prevention

  • Basic Grooming
  • Skin and Hair
  • Teeth and Gums
  • Nails
  • Anal Sacs
  • Nutritional Needs
  • Exercise and Rest
  • Training
  • Conditioning a Dog to Accept Treatment
  • Vaccinations
  • Parasite Control
  • Fleas and Lice
  • Ticks
  • Spaying and Neutering
  • Identification

Risk Management

  • Home hazards
  • Environmental hazards
  • Common poisons

First Aider Roles and Responsibilities

  • Safety
  • Identification of Situation
  • Assess
  • Securing Scene
  • Restraint and Safe Muzzling of Dog

  • When to Call the Veterinarian and What they Need to Know


  • Nose to Tail Survey
  • Appearance and Movement
  • Behaviour and Response
  • Vital Sign
  • Odours
  • Ears, Eyes, Nose, and Mouth
  • Head and Neck
  • Chest
  • Abdomen
  • Limbs
  • Anus and Genitals

  • Priorities of Treatment

Emergency First Aid Response

  • Assess and Prioritize
  • Aggression and Behaviour Changes
  • Balance Issues
  • Birthing and Whelping
  • Bites and Stings
  • Bees, Wasps, Hornets, Ants
  • Flea Bites
  • Ticks
  • Jellyfish
  • Snake, Spider, Scorpion
  • Bleeding
  • Types
  • Treatments
  • Bloat
  • Bones
  • Fractures and Breaks
  • Robert Jones Bandage
  • Burns
  • First Degree and Superficial
  • Second Degree and Partial Thickness
  • Third Degree and Full Thickness
  • Chemical Burns
  • Electrical Burns


Carbon Monoxide

Breathing Issues

Choking-Abdominal Thrust and XXT Methods

  • Mouth to Nose Resuscitation
  • CPR
  • Comatose
  • Constipation
  • Convulsions and Seizures
  • Cough and Cold
  • Cuts and Wounds
  • Diabetic Episodes
  • Diarrhea
  • Drowning and Dry Drowning
  • Ear Issues
  • Ear Hematoma - No Blood
  • Ear Hematoma - Bleeding
  • Head Shaking
  • Electrocution
  • Elizabethan Collar
  • Eye Injuries
  • Feet - Claws and Pads
  • Fish Hooks
  • Frostbite and Hypothermia
  • Heatstroke and Hyperthermia
  • Head Injuries
  • Heart Failure
  • Horse and Livestock
  • Impalements and Penetrating Injuries
  • Lameness
  • Mouth and Tongue Injuries
  • Nose Injuries
  • Poison
  • Skin and Sting
  • Inhaled
  • Swallowed and Ingested
  • Common poisons and treatments
  • Plants and foods poisonous to dogs
  • Porcupine Quills
  • Shock
  • Skunk Spray
  • Scratching - Excessive
  • Spinal Injuries 
  • Identification
  • Securing and Transporting
  • Smoke Inhalation
  • Swallowed Object
  • Swimmer’s Tail
  • Urinary Issues
  • Vomiting

Traffic Accidents

  • Scene security
  • Permission
  • Assessment
  • First Aid

Administering Medications

  • Oral
  • Eye
  • Ear
  • Anal and Suppositories
  • Injections

What to Have in Your Canine First Aid Kit

  • Home Kits
  • Non-stick gauze pads
  • Rolled gauze
  • Cotton roll & swabs
  • Vet wrap
  • Wound gel
  • Medical tape
  • 3% hydrogen peroxide
  • Scissors
  • Tick tweezers
  • Thermometer
  • Rubber Gloves
  • Alcohol and Antiseptic Wipes
  • Polo Wraps
  • Triangular Bandage
  • Muzzle
  • Extra collar and leash
  • Antihistamine
  • Pepto Bismol
  • Activated Charcoal
  • Blanket
  • Brush

Travel Kits

  • Non-stick gauze pads
  • Rolled gauze
  • Vet wrap
  • Medical tape
  • Antiseptic wipes
  • Alcohol wipes
  • Cotton swabs
  • Scissors
  • Tick Tweezers
  • Band aids
  • Brush

**Always make sure you include any specific medications your dog may require.