FIRST AID OF ANIMALS AND MINOR VETERINARY PRACTICES FOR PARAVETS
Suvaneeth. P1*, Saurabh Karunamay2, Ajeet Singh3, Demian C. Johnson4, Anupam Brahma5
1* Assistant Professor, Department of Veterinary Pathology, FVAS, I.Ag.Sc., RGSC, Banaras Hindu University, Mirzapur, U.P.:- 231307.
2Assistant Professor, Department of Livestock Products Technology, FVAS, I.Ag.Sc., RGSC, Banaras Hindu University, Mirzapur, U.P.:- 231307.
3Assistant Professor, Unit of Livestock Farm Complex, FVAS, I.Ag.Sc., RGSC, Banaras Hindu University, Mirzapur, U.P.:- 231307.
4Assistant Professor, Department of Veterinary Extension, FVAS, I.Ag.Sc., RGSC, Banaras Hindu University, Mirzapur, U.P.:- 231307.
5Assistant Professor, Department of Veterinary Parasitology, FVAS, I.Ag.Sc., RGSC, Banaras Hindu University, Mirzapur, U.P.:- 231307.
*Corresponding author: suvaneeth@bhu.ac.in
Introduction
First aid refers to the initial or urgent care provided to an ill animal prior to receiving specialized treatment from a certified veterinarian. This chapter encompasses procedures such as addressing wounds, inflammation, abscesses, yoke gall, fractures, as well as administering first aid for common ailments such as indigestion, constipation, impaction, bloat, diarrhea, dysentery, cough, and mastitis.
First aid of inflammation, abscess and wounds
Inflammation occurs when living tissues are irritated, injured, or infected by microorganisms, prompting reactions to eliminate the irritation or infection and repair damaged tissues. It typically manifests as swelling, heat, and pain. In cases where microorganisms are involved, the swelling may contain pus, resulting in an abscess.
Recent or sudden inflammation can be treated with cold water irrigation or astringent lotions like white lotion. Chronic swelling may require liniments such as turpentine liniment, camphor liniment, or Ung Iodine. For soft and extensive swelling, mag sulph glycerin or acetic acid chalk paste may be applied.
Treatment of abscesses involves removing the pus, which may require the application of Iodine ointment to ripen it for spontaneous rupture or manual intervention. After pus removal, the abscess is cleaned with antiseptic lotion, and gauze dipped in Mag. Sulph glycerin or Tr. Iodine can be inserted, with daily cleaning and dressing.
Wounds are breaks in soft tissues such as skin, muscles, tongue, eyes, and ears, typically caused by sharp or blunt objects. They result in bleeding due to injury to blood vessels and can cause pain in animals.
Wounds are categorized into two broad types:
open wounds, which have a discontinuity in the skin surface and may include abrasions (superficial), incised wounds, lacerated wounds (irregular edges), punctured or penetrating wounds, and avulsions (removal of tissues from larger area); and closed wounds, or contusions, which occur when tissues beneath the skin are injured without breaking the skin surface, often resulting in hematoma formation due to blood accumulation.
Fresh wounds that are not infected and have closely apposed edges can heal through primary intention healing, where capillaries grow from either edge and connect, while fibroblasts and surface epithelial cells proliferate to completely join the wound edges. Wounds with wide gaps between edges require more time to heal and undergo second intention healing, characterized by the growth of numerous capillaries and fibroblasts from the bottom and sides of the wound, forming granulation tissue. As granulation tissue grows to the surface, it is covered by surface epithelium, ultimately resulting in wound closure, though a scar may form. Infections by microorganisms can lead to the formation of pus, and wounds may also become infested with fly larvae, known as maggot wounds. Healing of infected wounds and maggot wounds relies on the destruction of infectious agents or removal of maggots.
The standard approach to treating wounds involves several steps:
- Controlling bleeding: This can be achieved by using a tourniquet, crushing small bleeding vessels with artery forceps, packing hollow wounds with medicated gauze or cotton, or applying styptics like adrenaline solution or Tr. Benzoin.
- Cleaning: Surrounding hair is clipped and the area is washed with soap and water, then cleaned with non-irritant antiseptic solutions such as potassium permanganate, Acriflavin, Dettol, sodium chloride solution, or per chloride of mercury solution.
- Dressing: Fresh wounds are cleaned and dressed with antiseptic dressings like Boric acid, Sulphanilamide, Zinc Oxide powder, or B.I.P.P. ointment. Old, infected wounds may require thorough cleaning and dressings with sulpha drugs or antibiotic ointments. Bandages are applied over lint placed on the wound and are changed daily.
- Managing granulation tissue: Excess granulation tissue can be suppressed by applying caustics like copper sulphate crystals or silver nitrate.
- Treating maggot wounds: Maggots are removed using cotton soaked in turpentine or eucalyptus, followed by dressing with B.I.P.P. or Gamma BHC cream.
- Foot wounds: Foot wounds are treated with antiseptic footbaths using formalin or copper sulphate solution, and dressed with ‘triple sulph’ (copper sulphate, ferrous sulphate, zinc sulphate) mixed with neem oil, with optional bandaging.
- Avulsion of horn: Hairs at the base of the horn are clipped, the area is cleaned with sodium chloride solution or alum lotion, a cotton pad soaked in Tr. Benzoin is placed, and the horn is bandaged. The bandage is removed on the fourth day and dressed with B.I.P.P.
- Surgical intervention: Deep or large wounds may require surgical treatment such as ligaturing blood vessels or suturing.
- Bandaging: Bandages serve multiple purposes: protecting wounds from further injury, preventing entry of dust and dirt, maintaining dressing position, and supporting wound edges and healing tissues. Typically made of cotton or gauze, bandages come in various lengths and widths. There are two main types: roll bandages, which are strips wound into rolls and used for limbs, tails, and horns, including specialized types like Plaster of Paris bandages; and many-tailed bandages, square or rectangular pieces with multiple long narrow sections, used on areas like the head, neck, thorax, and abdomen. The application technique, called bandaging, should apply moderate pressure to the area, ensuring the bandage is secure but not overly tight to prevent displacement.
Primary care of fractures:
A fracture is a break in the continuity of bone, commonly occurring in bones like the humerus, femur, tibia, radius, ulna, metacarpus, and metatarsus due to pressure or violence. It’s classified as simple if there’s no skin wound and compound if there’s an accompanying wound exposing the bone.
Symptoms include pain, inability to bear weight, abnormal mobility, change in shape, and crepitating sounds when moving the fractured part.
Treatment involves first reducing the fracture by aligning fractured ends, followed by immobilization using wooden splints or plaster of Paris bandages (plaster cast) to maintain normal position until healing, typically over 3-4 weeks.
Assisting a veterinarian on surgical procedures
To prepare surgical instruments in hospitals, they must first be cleaned to remove dirt and macro-organisms, then sterilized to eliminate microorganisms. This sterilization can be achieved through boiling in water for 30 minutes or autoclaving at 120°C and 15 lbs. pressure for 15 minutes. Suture materials and cotton can also be sterilized by boiling. Instruments are then transferred to a clean tray using forceps.
Alternatively, if a hot air oven is available, instruments can be sterilized by keeping them at 150°C for 1-2 hours.
For preparation of the surgical site:
- Clip, shave the surgical site and clean it.
- Dry with a clean towel.
- Paint the area with 70% alcohol or Tr. Iodine.
Routine/emergency conditions and their first aid
Indigestion (Dyspepsia): Indigestion encompasses difficulties, pain, or discomfort during digestion, often caused by fore stomach agony. Symptoms include anorexia, lack of ruminal movements, and constipation. Common causes include dietary abnormalities, overfeeding with grain, indigestible roughage, insufficient drinking water, and sudden feed changes. Symptoms manifest as loss of appetite, reduced milk yield, depression, dullness, suspended rumination, and constipation or diarrhea. Treatment involves evacuating bowels with saline purgatives, improving stomach activity with stomachic and administering carminative mixtures.
Bloat (Ruminal Tympany): Bloat results from the overdistension of the rumen and reticulum with gases due to fermentation, often accompanying indigestion or impaction. Causes include excess consumption of succulent legumes, dietetic errors, and esophageal obstruction. Symptoms include distended abdomen, discomfort, difficulty breathing, and extended head. Treatment includes removing esophageal obstructions, antizymotics with carminatives, puncturing the rumen to release gas, and administering saline purgatives.
Diarrhea: Diarrhea is characterized by frequent watery bowel movements and is a symptom of various diseases. Causes include bacterial or viral infections, parasitic infestations, dietetic errors, or ingestion of irritants. Symptoms include foul-smelling, watery feces, loss of appetite, dehydration, and potentially other disease-specific symptoms. Treatment involves addressing underlying diseases, administering sulpha drugs, antibiotics, anthelmintics, or astringents, correcting dietetic errors, and counteracting water loss with parenteral fluids.
Dysentery: Dysentery involves the discharge of mucus and blood in feces, with or without diarrhea. Causes include bacterial or parasitic infections. Symptoms include bloody, mucous-laden feces with pain and straining during defecation. Treatment includes antibiotics, anthelminthics, or astringents, along with easily digestible foods and demulcents.
Cough: Coughing is a reflex expiratory act resulting from irritation or inflammation of the respiratory tract, often indicative of respiratory affections. Causes include irritant gases, inflammation by microorganisms, or diseases like tuberculosis. Symptoms include noisy respiration, nasal discharge, and potentially a rise in temperature. Treatment involves rest, antibiotics for infections, and counter-irritants on the chest or expectorants to alleviate symptoms.
Mastitis: Mastitis is udder inflammation characterized by changes in milk and glandular tissue, often caused by bacterial infections like Streptococcus or Staphylococcus. Symptoms include hot, painful, swollen udders, decreased milk yield, and changes in milk consistency. Treatment involves antibiotics, proper milking hygiene, and addressing underlying causes like injuries or unhygienic surroundings.
