I had my first experience with first aid and CPR learning at Fidos Pawhouse last week, and it was quite informative especially for first-time pawrents! While my course was sponsored (and compulsory) under FFL.sg when new pet owners purchase a dog with them, I urge every pet owner to learn the course as you might be able to save your dog’s life in that matter of seconds.
The pet first aid course is a 1-day course from 10am to 5pm, and held within a small group. Ralph, our instructor was very friendly and emphasised that we can make ourselves comfortable in the class. So if you’re those who require coffee or sweet drinks to keep you awake, feel free to bring along some light refreshments.
At the beginning of the course, we were provided with theory lessons to prep ourselves with some basic knowledge. You’ll probably expect the content to be a little ‘dry’, but Ralph shared some stories along the way to keep the topics interesting. It was a rather interactive session where participants like us get to share our experiences and thoughts too. Apart from “textbook knowledge”, we also received suggestions/ recommendations for certain stuff, such as emergency vet clinics with trusted reviews. And we had some fun sharing about animal communicators too! It was not strictly related to pet-saving, but quite educational.
The fun part comes in when we had more hands-on learning – doing CPF on a soft toy dog/ cat. Each of us had to pick a dog and “perform CPF” based on different scenarios like choking, fainting, bleeding. We also had role-playing as a group to train ourselves with the detailed steps.
Although the steps seemed simple and easy to manage, it really isn’t that easy to recall during role-play. Can you imagine if it really happens in real life? I hope that day doesn’t come at all, but it’s really not easy to follow through all the steps calmly!
We also learnt how to bandage a wound correctly and understood the basics of first-aid items to be kept at home during emergencies. I think the bandaging part of the course was more interesting in my opinion, but of course, every aspect is essential.
Overall, it was a fun learning experience and it’s nice to meet new friends who are also dog lovers. I think the dog community can be really nice as there are many passionate and helpful people out there to guide you along the way!
Location:
Canine Body Work Studio
308 Telok Kurau Road #01-13
Vibes @ East Coast
