Disclaimer: I received this Pro Pet Hero Training course free of charge in exchange for my true and honest review. The thoughts and opinions in this post are my own and are based on my actual experience.
Are you prepared to be your pet’s first responder?
Let’s talk about Pet First Aid & CPR. If your dog gets hurt on a hike and starts bleeding everywhere, do you know what to do? How do you stop the bleeding? Do you use a tourniquet? Where do you put it if you do? How tight does it have to be?
What about if your cat starts having trouble breathing? Or your dog suddenly collapses? In moments like these, you need to be able to step up as your pet’s first responder.
With proper Pet First Aid/CPR training, you can greatly increase your dog or cat’s chance of survival in an emergency situation.
Screenshot from ProPetHero Training Course
Confidence to ACT!
I’ve been talking about taking a Pet First Aid & CPR class for oh, I don’t know.. forever? It’s easy to say you don’t have the time or to let everyday obligations get in the way, but I urge you to remember what’s at stake. Hopefully nothing terrible will ever happen to your pet, but if it ever does, you don’t want to be standing there with no idea what to do, kicking yourself for not finding the time sooner.
From personal experience, I will tell you that even a little bit of knowledge can give you the confidence you need to ACT in an emergency situation.
Let me tell you a story…
I had just sent an email to the people at ProPetHero with some questions about this course, maybe 2-3 days earlier. I was sitting on my computer in my living room, answering some work emails. It was a regular morning. We weren’t on a grand adventure or doing anything with even a remote chance for injury. All of a sudden, Ringo started making these horrible sounds and gasping for air. He was freaking out and looking at me, pleading for help. He was choking on something!
The other dogs started surrounding him, trying to figure out what was going on. I ran to the door and let the other 3 out back to give us some space and focused my attention on Ringo. I had randomly watched a video a few weeks earlier on how to do the Heimlich on a dog. I didn’t remember all the exact details, but I remembered the gist of it. So, instead of standing there panicking, I checked his throat for a blockage, and when there was nothing that I could reach, I knew what to do next. After what seemed like an eternity (even if it was less than a minute), he coughed up a chunk of bone on the floor and started breathing normally again.
I let out the biggest sigh of relief as he climbed up in my lap and gave me a million kisses.
If I needed more evidence that it was time to take a pet first aid class, that was it.
All I could think about was what could have happened if I didn’t act. What if I hesitated? What if I didn’t know what to do? The emergency vet is 15 minutes away. He never would have made it in time.
Moments like this are EXACTLY what a pet first aid class is for.
Why Choose ProPetHero?
There are a lot of options for pet owners looking to take a pet first aid/CPR course. You can take an in-person class, there are courses online. I chose ProPetHero for my Pet First Aid & CPR training for a lot of reasons.
Time – As important as this training is, you still need to be able to fit it into your busy schedule. ProPetHero training is online and only 1 hour and 39 minutes of video, broken into small bite-sized chunks, so it’s easy to fit into any busy schedule. It also allows you to pause or go back if you missed something, which you can’t do in a live class.
Expertise – ProPetHero First Aid & CPR for Pets is taught by a board-certified veterinarian who specializes in veterinary emergency and critical care. Bobbi Conner, DVM, DACVECC, is also a professor of Veterinary Medicine and Critical Care at the University of Florida. As a professor, Dr. Conner knows how to present this important life-saving information in a way that is easy to understand.
Nationally Recognized – Upon completion of the course and passing the exam, you receive a 2-year nationally accepted certificate in Pet First Aid & CPR. You will get both a wallet card and a wall mount certificate that you can print on demand.
Unlimited Refreshers – Training classes are great, but they also present a lot of information at once, making it easy to forget some of the details. With the purchase of this course, you also get access to all of the video content for an additional 2 years! This allows you to freshen up on your knowledge and skills at any time.
What you’ll learn:
ProPetHero First Aid & CPR for Pets covers the most common illnesses and injuries that occur in small and large dogs and cats. It teaches you how to monitor your pet’s health and detect early warning signs of potentially life threatening injuries and illnesses, how to safely stabilize and move an injured pet, and techniques that could very well save your pet’s life in an emergency situation when rushing to the vet is just not fast enough.
Screenshot from ProPetHero Training Course
Course Outline:
- How to Make a Pet First Aid Kit
- Knowing Your Pet – Learn what your pet’s normal heart rate, breathing rate, and temperature should be and how to take them. Learn how to spot normal and abnormal behaviors and early warning signs of illness or injury.
- Illnesses – Vomiting, diarrhea, bloat, urination issues, loss of appetite, lethargy, weakness and collapse, seizures, hypothermia, hyperthermia, fever, itchiness
- Cardiovascular Emergencies – Learn to recognize the signs of cardiopulmonary arrest and how to perform CPR on a dog or cat
- Injuries – Shock, bleeding, wound treatment, lameness, burn care, fractures and spinal injuries, safe moving of injured pets
- Poisoning – What to do if you suspect you dog ingested poison, making a pet vomit, eye washing, snake and spider bites, allergies, anaphylaxis
- Respiratory Emergencies – Choking, near drowning, breathing problems/respiratory distress, rescue breathing
Screenshot from ProPetHero Training Course
Does First Aid Training Replace Vet Care?
Pet first aid is a lot like first aid for humans. If we need immediate help, we call 911 and the EMTs or Paramedics show up within minutes. Their job is not to help us avoid going to the hospital. It’s to stabilize us, control bleeding, check our vitals, gather info about our injury to pass along to the ER docs if necessary.
Likewise, pet first aid is not about avoiding going to the vet. It’s about being able to assess your pet, know when vet care is needed, and provide your vet with important information to aid in treatment. It’s about being able to respond quickly in an emergency and provide the aid your pet needs to stabilize them until they get there.
Who Should Take a Pet First Aid & CPR Class?
In my opinion, all dog or cat owners should take a class like ProPetHero First Aid and CPR for Pets. Even more so if you are a dog walker, groomer, pet sitter, dog trainer, or work with animals in any capacity. I think a few hours of your time and energy is well worth the possible benefits in an emergency.
I know, at least for me, that I want to be able to do everything in my power to give my dogs and cats their best chance of survival. I want to be able to say at the end of the day that no matter what happened, I know I did my absolute best. Now that I completed this class, I feel confident that I can do just that. Thanks ProPetHero, truly!
Proud to say that I am now…
You can be too! For more info on ProPetHero First Aid and CPR for Pets, check out their website.
The course fee of $49.95 just may save your dog or cat’s life.
Thanks for reading,
Debbie & The Mutts
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32 Comments
I learned how to do CPR on a dog from an online mini course I took on pet first aid. Luckily I haven’t had to use it yet and hope I won’t ever have to!
That’s the hope right? It’s one of those things you want to know just in case, but never want to have to use. Happy to hear you’re prepared just in case!
Oh, goodness, what an absolute scare that must have been! Thank goodness the bone was coughed up. Sometimes it is the ‘fortunate’ instances like these that make us realize how important CPR First Aid really are. Particuarly in our line of work, we care for others’ pets all day and so made it a priority to have our entire team CPR Pet First Aid trained. Thank you so much for spreading this important message! Leanne, The Long Leash
I was shaking for like 20 minutes afterwards! It was so scary. I have never been so thankful that I randomly decided to watch an online video before. Now that I took the ProPetHero class, I feel SO much more prepared in case another unexpected emergency comes our way. So glad that all of your staff is well trained in Pet First Aid and CPR. It’s always best to be prepared and ready, just in case! Thanks for reading 🙂
We were lucky enough to do a Pet First Aid course herein New Zealand and we agree 1,000,000% that being prepared, having an idea what is going on, can make it a LIFE situation, not a life or death one.
If people don’t have large amounts of time to commit to a full blown turn up on the day course I think this sounds like the best thing EVER. Go do it everyone NOW.
I like that.. a LIFE situation. That’s perfect! SO glad that you got to take a pet first aid class and you’re prepared just in case. I could never live with myself if one of my pets needed me and I lost them because I didn’t know what to do. I love that companies like ProPetHero are making training easier than ever to access for people everywhere, regardless of your schedule.
I have to say I got a little emotional when you described your dog choking, I could feel you panic and understand how scared you must have been. I too have been considering taking a fist aid course but as yet have not done so. I like the idea of being able to do this on line and now I have no excuse not too! Thanks for making me aware of ProPetHero first aid!
It was terrifying! But I will tell you that having just even a vague idea of what I needed to do made it so much easier to jump in and help, rather than stand there panicking. I mean, of course I was panicking, but at least I was also trying to help at the same time. I STRONGLY recommend you take a pet first aid course. It’s one of those “plan for the worst, hope for the best” kind of things. Hopefully you’ll never need to use the training, but if you ever do, you’ll be so thankful you took the time to learn what to do in an emergency. I can’t recommend ProPetHero enough if you do decide to take a class!
I have been thinking about taking a Pet First Aid & CPR class for the longest time, too! Thank you for the reminder. This is definitely not something to put off as you never know what might happen, or when!
Exactly! I put it off for way too long and I was SUPER lucky that the one thing I needed to know how to do in an emergency I had watched a video of online. I feel 100x more prepared now after taking this ProPetHero class, just in case an emergency every pops up again. I can’t recommend it strongly enough!
I took a Pet First Aid Class hosted by Pet Sitters International in the ’90’s. They are essential for anyone working with pets…and anyone living with pets. Thanks for your review of this course…I may take it to refresh my knowledge and skills 🙂
Refreshers are super important! I used to have to recertify in CPR and First Aid every year what I was a preschool teacher, and it’s incredible how many of the details you can forget over time. One of the things I like most about this course is that you keep access to the videos for two years, in case you want to brush up on your knowledge! Thanks so much for reading!
Oh, I need to take this! While first aid training will not replace vet care, it can make the difference between life and death! When I was growing up we had a dog jump through a plate glass window, if my dad wasn’t a doctor, she wouldn’t have survived long enough to make it to surgery. Luckily, she survived the surgery too!
Oh my goodness! I’m so relieved to hear that your dad was able to help your childhood dog. That must have been terrifying! And you’re so right, having just a little bit of knowledge can make such a huge difference in your pet’s chance of survival after an accident. I know even where we live, which is in a city, the closest emergency vet is still about a 10 minute drive, not counting time to load them up in the car, park, traffic, etc. Being able to give them some immediate care to hold them over until they get to the vet is so essential!
This is an exceptional idea and very thorough coverage. I think this would be something very important for all pet owners to have and I would especially be interested because I work with animals regularly. Thank you for sharing this information.
I couldn’t agree more! I think every pet owner should have at least basic knowledge of first aid and CPR, just in case. I have been looking for a class for a while now, and they can be so hard to find locally to take in person. I love that this class is so accessible to anyone and everyone with internet access, to take at their own pace on their schedule. Thanks for reading!
I have learned CPR, have a pet First Aid Kit in the house which actually has the most amazing booklet also with what to do and I carry a card in my wallet saying there is a dog in the house, there is one on my door plus on Layla’s tags and Microchip there is a second phone number of a friend for emergencies, I think I am covered
That’s so great to hear! Being prepared is so important. You just never know what may happen. I know I will be taking a refresher course every so often just to make sure I’m ready in case of an emergency. 🙂
This looks awesome. I had a dog choke one and I had no idea what to do. It was terrifying! I will look into this course.
I think seeing Ringo choking was one of the scariest moments I’ve experienced in a very long time. I hope your dog was okay! After taking this class, I feel so much more prepared if anything like that ever happens again. I’m sure you would too. I highly recommend it!
We don’t have a pet first aid kid at home and I have not taken any CPR courses, both of which are important since we have a little one at home.Thanks for the information, I will look into Pro pet Hero training course.
I’ve been where you are for sure. It’s easy to let life get in the way. There’s no time like the present to hone up on your skills and get ready just in case! You never know when you may need it.
Fantastic post, Debbie! I have never taken a CPR class other than free ones offered by the city, which aren’t about dogs and only cover a handful of situations. This is such a great idea and it sounds like it is well worth the investment. I love that you get to view the content after the class as refreshers are important for all of us! I’m so sorry about Ringo! That had to have been so scary! In a weird way it was a blessing in the end that now you are prepared for anything.
Thanks Stephanie! I was so relieved that Ringo was okay and it was definitely one more HUGE push to take this class. I too had only taken human first aid and CPR classes prior to this. The ProPetHero training was easy to fit into my schedule and I feel 100x more prepared now, just in case. Definitely recommend it if you want to be too!
Congratulations on completing the course Debbie! What a great skill to have in case of a pet emergency. Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to watch either of the videos, I just couldn’t get them to play. Probably because my PC is a few years old, a new one is on the horizon though! Thanks for sharing about this course.
Love & Biscuits,
Dogs Luv Us and We Luv Them
No, that was totally my bad!! lol. They were screenshot from the course, which I totally did not make clear. I just added captions saying as much. I would have probably assumed the same thing. And thank you! I feel so much better knowing that I have the knowledge I need to help my pups in the case of an emergency. Thanks so much for reading!!
I had to take CPR for humans years ago when I was training to be a teacher. This course sounds like something I should invest in!
Yes! That’s all that I had taken before this too. I used to run an after school program as well as teach preschool, so I took child and infant CPR/First Aid. It was definitely WAY past time for me to take a pet class. I learned so much and just wish I had found ProPetHero sooner. I highly recommend looking into it!
THIS IS AMAZING! I’ve always wanted to take a pet first aid/CPR class, but they aren’t ever offered in my area. This online course sounds like the perfect solution! Just today, I was playing with one of my cats, with a wand toy with a toy at the end. He grabbed a hold of the toy part, and wouldn’t let go, and when I finally got it from him, he had chewed the toy off and it was halfway down his throat. Thankfully I got it out, but he could have choked. GOING TO CHECK THIS OUT NOW! Thanks for sharing!
That’s exactly what I thought when I found it too! I had been looking for a while and these pet first aid classes are not as easy to find as you would think! I’m soooo glad that you managed to get the piece of toy before your cat choked on it. Ever since Ringo’s choking incident, I have been so much more mindful of every possible choking hazard and potential disater! lol Thankfully, now that I’ve taken this course, most of those fears have been put to rest and I know that I’m ready if I need to step in and help my dogs or cat.
Thanks for sharing such an important post. As I was reading your story about Ringo I breathed such a sigh of relief. I can’t imagine how traumatic that must have been for you. 🙁 But like you said the perfect reason to take this course! I’m going to share this post. All pet parents should be informed how to take steps to keep their furkids safe just in case.
Thank you! It was a very traumatic moment, but thankfully one with a happy ending. I truly believe that pet first aid and CPR is one of those things that everyone who has a pet should invest in. Thank you for sharing!! With a program like ProPetHero, it’s inexpensive and convenient for anyone to be prepared to help their pets!