Emergencies
With all emergencies, it is best to seek veterinary assistance. You are not a professional and while your intentions are good, you can actually aggravate the situation. Any veterinarian should be able to help your rottie, so if you can take him to the closest veterinarian, you can at least get rudimentary care and triage.
In any emergency situation, you must remain calm so you can make good decisions. Your rottie is counting on you. Don't be afraid to ask for help. While a stranger might not be able to provide you with actual medical care, you may be able to have that person contact the veterinarian on a cell phone and describe the situation.
Animal Bites
Dog bites can cause severe puncture wounds. Many puncture wounds take a few minutes to appear, so check your rottweiler over several times if he was in a dog fight and appears uninjured. If the wounds are not serious, wash them out with a mild mixture of 10 percent betadine and 90 percent water. Your veterinarian will want to see your rottweiler and prescribe antibiotics to reduce the risk of abscesses. Check with the owner of the dog that bit your rottweiler to make sure his rabies vaccinations are current.
If the bite was made by a wild animal that your rottie has killed, do not dispose of the animal. Instead have the local health department check it for rabies. Rabies is still a dangerous disease. Avoid contact with any of the wild animal's fluids (such as blood or saliva). Use latex gloves when handling the dead animal. Your vet may wish to boost your rottie's current vaccinations.
Broken Bones
Fractures to the head, chest, or back may be life-threatening. Keep your rottweiler quiet. While trying to keep him stationary, move him onto a flat board where he can remain rigid. Transport him to a veterinarian immediately.
If your rottweiler has broken his leg, you can fashion a splint from a stick, a rolled-up piece of stiff cardboard, or even a rolled-up newspaper. Place the splint alongside the broken leg and wrap either tape or self-adhesive bandages (such as VetWrap) around it.
Choking
Signs of choking and breathing difficulty include gagging, coughing, wheezing, and gums and tongue turning pale or blue. Do not muzzle the dog, and seek immediate veterinary attention. Loosen your dog's collar and anything else that might restrict breathing. Check your rottweiler's throat for any object that may be caught and obstructing the flow of air. If you see something that you can remove with tweezers, do so. Do not use your fingers, as you can accidentally push the item farther down. If the item is lodged in the throat, try pushing on the dog's abdomen to expel the object. If dog is not breathing, give him mouth-to-mouth resuscitation.
A severe burn, where the skin is charred or where underlying tissue is exposed, requires immediate veterinary attention. You can treat minor burns over a small area with ice packs or cold water. Do not use water on extensive burns or you may risk shock. Aloe vera is a good burn treatment after the burn blisters.
Deep Cuts or Lacerations
Severe cuts and lacerations will most likely require suturing. Use pressure bandages to slow or stop the bleeding, except in severe crushing injuries. If injuries are severe, such as from a car accident, there may be internal bleeding. Use a stiff board to transport your dog and seek veterinary attention.
Electrocution
If your rottweiler is still touching the electricity source, do not touch him or you may be electrocuted also. Use a wooden broom handle or other nonconductive item to unplug the cord. Treat as you would for shock. Administer mouth-to-mouth resuscitation by closing the dog's mouth and breathing into his nose if he is not breathing. Seek immediate veterinary attention.
Fishhooks
If your dog has stepped on a fishhook or had one pierce his lip, take him to a vet. If no vet is available, you may have to muzzle your rottie and find the barb of the hook. Push the barb through the skin if necessary to expose it, and snip it off with a pair of wire cutters. Then remove the hook. Contact your vet, as he or she may wish to prescribe antibiotics. Only your veterinarian should remove swallowed fishhooks.
Heat Stroke
Signs of dehydration and heat stroke are elevated temperature, extreme thirst, watery diarrhea, vomiting, lethargy, high temperature (over 103°F), skin around muzzle or neck that does not snap back when pinched, difficulty breathing, weakness, and pale gums. Keep in mind that dehydration can occur during any season, not just in the summer.
Most people know not to leave their dog in a car during the summer, but other places can be just as dangerous. Tents and campers can become very hot. Even standing outdoors without cover can cause heat stroke since rotties are less tolerant of the heat because of their black coats. Heat stroke can occur anywhere there is not enough airflow and it is warm.
In case of heat stroke, do not muzzle your rottie. Move him into the shade or a cool and well-ventilated area. Give him cool water or an unflavored pediatric electrolyte to drink. Soak him in tepid or cool water. Do not use ice-cold water, as it will cause the capillaries to contract and not dissipate heat. Make certain he can breathe, and remove constricting collars or other items. Once this is done, obtain immediate veterinary attention.
You can prevent heat stroke by keeping your rottweiler in well-ventilated areas with shade in the summertime. Always provide fresh water, and do not exercise your rottie when it's hot outside. Never leave a dog in a car during warm weather, even with the windows down.
Hypothermia and Frostbite
Signs of hypothermia include lowered body temperature, shivering, and lethargy, followed by stupor, shock, unconsciousness, and finally death. Lack of food for energy and dehydration can greatly affect your dog's ability to keep warm. Dogs expend energy and heat while they are working and exercising, but if the heat loss is too great, your dog may experience hypothermia.
Treatment for hypothermia is mostly common sense. Warm your dog slowly by wrapping him in blankets or lying next to him in blankets to help warm him. If he is conscious, you should offer him warm broth to drink. And, of course, seek immediate veterinary attention.
Your rottie is more likely to suffer from heat exhaustion than hypothermia, but it can still happen. A fall in an icy creek or being left outside without shelter in the winter can bring on hypothermia.
Frostbite is skin damage due to cold. The skin will turn white if frostbitten. If severely frostbitten, the skin will turn black. Sometimes the affected skin will slough off, leaving a raw sore. If the skin is white and intact, warm it slowly in tepid water (not hot — you can damage the skin further). It will be painful to warm the skin. In a case of frostbite where there are sores, wrap with an antibiotic ointment and gauze. In all cases of frostbite, seek veterinary attention.
Insect Bites and Stings
You can treat most insect bites and stings with an over-the-counter antihistamine that your veterinarian can recommend. If your rottweiler shows any allergic reactions to bites or stings (such as severe swelling or difficulty breathing), seek immediate veterinary attention. This can be a life-threatening condition known as an anaphylactic reaction.
Spider bites can be very serious. The two most dangerous spiders are the black widow and the brown recluse. Both of these spider bites can be fatal if left untreated. If you suspect a spider has bitten your rottweiler, seek veterinary attention.
Poisoning
If you suspect your dog has ingested a poison, call your veterinarian and poison control center immediately for the correct course of action. Have the chemical or substance handy so you can properly describe it to the veterinarian or poison-control center worker. Do not induce vomiting unless told to do so. Some acids, alkalis, and other substances can harm your rottweiler more if aspirated.
Snakebite
Snakebites usually come from pit vipers in the United States: cottonmouths, copperheads, water moccasins, and rattlesnakes. In some warm areas, coral snakes can be a problem. In all cases, keep your rottie quiet to avoid spread of the poison and seek immediate veterinary assistance. Allow the wound to bleed for thirty seconds to draw the poison away. Then clean and disinfect the wound with betadine and apply an elastic tourniquet between the wound and the blood supply if on an extremity. (Do not tie the tourniquet tight; you don't want to cut off circulation.) Then, if you have a snake-bite kit, you will need to use the plunger to draw the venom out. Never suck the wound, or you may become sick on the venom.
