Book: First Aid for the Active Dog

If you've ever had to pull porcupine quills out of a dog's face or wondered why your pal won't stop panting and laying in the shade during a trail run, then you need local veterinarian Sid Gustafson's new book First Aid for the Active Dog (Alpine Blue Ribbon Books, $18). While this first aid guide won't eliminate your need for an occasional visit to the vet, it will help you solve minor problems yourself and prepare you to deal with emergencies.  

Gustafson covers everything from basic care to mouth-to-nose breathing and CPR to specific acute and nuisance situations. Each chapter covers a different injury or illness and lists causes, signs, prevention, and treatment. Inside the front cover is a list of materials that should be in your dog first aid kit, many of which can be found in your regular first aid kit. Dog first-aiders can record their pet’s vital signs on the record page and compare them to normal resting vital signs listed on the inside back cover.

If you can get your dog to let you work on him as easily as the very compliant Australian Shepard pictured in the book, you’ll be ahead of the game. But even if your pup doesn’t sit quietly while porcupine barbs are being yanked from his nose, this book is the definitive resource for taking care of Bridger when he gets hurt or sick. Available at alpinepub.com.