Affectionate Pet Care acknowledges the importance of emergency preparedness to ensure the safety of the pets in our care. Therefore, we require all of our Pet Sitters and employees to complete an animal first aid and CPR program. We have been updating our knowledge of the subject through the Colvin Run Veterinary Clinic. Dr. Kim Schiller, Board Certified Specialist in Canine and Feline Medicine and Surgery, conducts the class. Dr. Schiller has many years of experience in emergency/critical care. We have also been certified through the Pet Tech and Pet Saver programs.

In the course of this program our professionals learn how to recognize the signs that indicate that a pet is in need of medical attention. One goal is to prevent a symptom from becoming a serious problem. We learn proper methods of approaching an emergency, using restraints, and transporting to a veterinarian. First aid techniques such as control of bleeding, wound care, and monitoring of vital sings (temperature, pulse, capillary reflex and respiration) are covered in this program. Additionally, our professionals learn how to induce vomiting if a pet has ingested a poisonous substance, and cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR). As a last resort, when the pet shows no signs of breathing or has no heart beat from accidents such as drowning or severe electrical shock, CPR is used to revive the pet until transported to a veterinarian hospital. These techniques applied to a critically injured animal could mean the difference between life and death.