When a dog or cat suffers a traumatic injury, quick medical response can mean the difference between life and death. There is, however, little information on what kinds of treatment dogs and cats should receive prior to hospitalization.

In human medicine, there are standardized prehospital trauma guidelines, but none have existed in veterinary medicine. Now, clinicians are laying the groundwork for prehospital care best practice guidelines on topics including fluid resuscitation and appropriate field analgesia.

“These guidelines and the research that will follow will help non-emergency veterinary professionals take action before the dog or cat arrives at the hospital,” said Dr. Sheilah Robertson, co-author and clinician in the MSU Veterinary Medical Center’s Anesthesia and Pain Management service. “We expect to identify more targeted and efficient standards of prehospital care.”

Collaborators from 10 universities and organizations participated in the project, which was led by Dr. Rita Hanel, DACVIM, DACVECC, from the North Carolina State University College of Veterinary Medicine. The group included human trauma experts and military working dog experts. These included K9 MEDIC, the Penn Vet Working Dog Center, and the K9 Tactical Emergency Casualty Care Initiative, a group working towards developing best practice prehospital care guidelines for Operational K9s injured in the line of duty. “K9 Down,” a specialized course held once a year at North Carolina State University College of Veterinary Medicine designed for professional working dog handlers and emergency rescue personnel, has already shown the benefits of pre-hospital care training.

Recommendations in the paper were based on a review of pertinent human and available veterinary literature, as well as a consensus of the authors' professional opinions.

The best practice guidelines stand as an initial platform for further research.