Dog First Aid Devon & Cornwall

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Dog First Aid Devon & Cornwall

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Dog First Aid offers the UK's only CPD accredited Emergency Canine Care™ (ECC) Course that has been d

20/10/2026

🎃 Top Tips for Feeding Pumpkin to Dogs🎃

• Introduce Slowly: Start with small amounts and gradually increase, monitoring your dog’s reaction

• Check Ingredients: Make sure any pumpkin products (especially canned pumpkin) are free from additives. Choose plain, unsweetened, and unseasoned pumpkin products, especially nutmeg, which is toxic to dogs

• Serve in Moderation: Adjust quantities based on your dog’s size and individual needs.

• Use as a Supplement: Pumpkin should complement your dog’s diet, used as a supplement and not as the main meal

• Consult Your Vet: Before using pumpkin to address a health issue, especially digestive problems, consult a vet qualified in nutrition and/or herbal medicine

• Use Roasted Seeds: To include pumpkin seeds in your dog’s diet, grind them to ensure they’re safe.

19/10/2026

Just some of the amazing Dog First Aid courses provided by our wonderful franchisees over the last couple of weeks! 🐶❤️‍🩹

Congratulations to all who have attended and are now certified for 3 years!

If you’d like to get Dog First Aid trained with us in 2026, take a look on our course finder tool at www.dog-first-aid.com/finder to find a course near you!

18/10/2026

‼️DESENSITISE YOUR DOG TO FIREWORKS‼️

First of all what is sound desensitisation for your pets?

Desensitisation (DS) for dogs, cats and rabbits is the gradual reduction in reaction to a source of anxiety over time. Counterconditioning (CC) is the changing of a negative/anxious emotional reaction to a positive response.

With fireworks, the process involves exposing your pet to audio recordings of fireworks over a period of time, very quietly at first and gradually increasing the volume. To get the best results, we recommended that you start at 3-6 months before fireworks season but the sooner you start the sooner you start helping your pet.

To help you, the Dogs Trust provides a scary sounds audio download to practise with, just head to their website

17/10/2026

🍂 WET LEAVES 🍂

A pile of damp, decomposing leaves might not look dangerous, but it can harbour all kinds of mould and bacteria that are harmful to dogs if ingested.

Dogs who love rummaging in leaf piles or nosing around compost heaps could be at risk of a condition called ‘tremorgenic mycotoxicosis’, which causes shaking, panting and seizures.

How to avoid: If your garden has a compost heap or your local park has thick piles of fallen leaves, it’s best to keep your dog away and on their lead, especially if they’re prone to foraging.

16/10/2026

Upcoming Dog First Aid Courses in October 2026 ❤️‍🩹🐾

Would you know what to do if your dog had an emergency? 🚨

Join us for a fun and interactive half day training workshop. Designed with input from vets to give dog owners and professionals the confidence to act in an emergency to ensure your dog has the best chance of recovery.

The course includes topics such as Legal Compliance, How to Check Vitals, CPR, Choking, Seizures, Canine Shock, GDV, Bandaging, Poisoning, Heat Stroke & much more

The course is CPD accredited and you will receive a certificate valid for 3 years as well as a Dog First Aid Handbook ✅

To book on to a course near you, visit:
www.dog-first-aid.com/finder

15/10/2026

🍁AUTUMN DOG ADVICE - CONKERS🍁

On crisp autumn walks your dog may come across conkers that have fallen from a horse chestnut tree, but these shiny seeds are poisonous to dogs!

🔸WHAT IS A CONKER?🔸
A conker is a shiny, round, red-brown seed from a horse chestnut tree (Aesculus hippocastanum). Conkers are often found on the ground in autumn after dropping from the tree encased in a green or brown spiky fruit.

🔸HOW MANY DOES A DOG HAVE TO EAT?🔸
The amount of toxin in each conker is different, so it’s impossible to know the amount of conkers that your dog would need to eat to make them unwell

Conkers actually taste quite bitter, so it’s unlikely that most dogs will eat enough to make them very ill. But if enough is eaten it can produce more serious effects, and in rare cases can be deadly.

How your dog is affected by this toxin will also depend on their size, when they last ate, how much they chew up the conker and if they have any other health issues.

🔸OTHER RISKS🔸
Poisoning is not the only risk from these seeds. Conkers are large and hard and could cause your dog to choke on them or could block their stomach or gut.

🔸HOW CAN I PREVENT THIS?🔸
If your dog is prone to eating conkers, then keep them on a lead when going for autumn walks (especially in areas where you know there are conker trees). When walking near ‘conker trees’, bring along a ball or a chew toy to help keep their mouths occupied.

🔸WHEN SHOULD I CALL THE VET?🔸
If your dog has eaten conkers, then you should contact your vet for advice. If you’re unsure whether your dog has eaten them, but they’re showing some of the common signs, then you should speak to your vet. Never try to make your dog sick as this can be dangerous and may cause other problems.

13/10/2026

HOW TO USE A TICK TWISTER ✅

Do NOT DELAY removing the tick. Prompt removal reduces the risk of contracting Lyme Disease and other tick borne diseases.

Remember to disinfect the bite area and wash your hands thoroughly after removal.

❗️ BEWARE OF MISINFORMATION ONLINE ❗️

DO NOT do any of the following:
• burn the tick
• smother the tick in Vaseline
• rub around it with a cotton bud
• squeeze the tick
• stick tape over it
• try to pull it out with ordinary eyebrow tweezers

If you do anything to it while it is attached and feeding other than removing it as described above you will be distressing the feeding tick which will make it more likely to regurgitate it’s blood meal back into the dog and therefore spread tick born diseases such as Lyme Disease and bacteria into the dogs body.

12/10/2026

ARE YOU DOG FIRST AID TRAINED? 🐶

Join the thousands of people who have become Dog First Aid Trained with us! It couldn’t be easier, just head to our online finder tool to find a course near you. Once booked you can then attend one of our fun interactive half day workshop to learn all the things you should know in order to help your dog in an emergency.

Be there for your dog when they need you most ❤️‍🩹

www.dog-first-aid.com/finder

11/10/2026

As the evenings become darker earlier, it’s a good idea to help make you and your dog more visible. Road traffic accidents are more common in darker months, so remember to walk your dog wearing reflective clothing, or give them bright reflective collars or light up leads. Also, check that your dog’s microchip details are up to date and that they’re wearing ID tags in case they get lost after dark.

Address

Plymouth
PL1

Telephone

+448009996632

Website

http://www.dog-first-aid.com/devon-cornwall

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