A veterinary centre has helped fire fighters with advice on how to give life saving rescue treatment to animals.
Nurses Narissa Merry and Sam Denton, of Amical in March High Street, went to the town’s Fire and Rescue Station to teach them how to administer CPR to small animals.
They said: “We hope that this will help save the lives of animals in the future.”
Their training was an additional boost after all fire stations across the county received animal friendly oxygen equipment to help those caught in house fires and other dangerous situations.
The kits, donated by charity Smokey Paws, can be used for animals ranging from hamsters, snakes, dogs, cats and larger animals like sheep and horses and mean that animals caught up in a blaze or traumatic rescue stand a better chance of survival.
Training in the masks was thanks to firefighter Neil Hoskin who extended his retirement date to complete it.
Neil said: “The benefit of having these masks is that it works better for the animals and helps to protect the firefighters too.
“If the animal comes round quicker than you expect then they act a bit like a muzzle, even though they are not designed to be used as a muzzle.
“They are not just for fires and smoke inhalation. They can be used to help revive an animal after blood loss, trauma, drowning, even heat exhaustion.
“All the reasons you would give oxygen to a human for, you would do the same for an animal.”?
The masks were provided by charity Smokey Paws.
Lynn Carberry, founder of the charity, said: “Where a human oxygen mask will give a pet around 10 per cent oxygen, these pet masks will give the pet 90 per cent oxygen.
“We were helped in our mission by great dedicated volunteers, like Neil, and members of the public to help us raise funds to donate the masks to Cambridgeshire Fire and Rescue Service.
• Smokey Paws provides the four-legged friendly first aid equipment to services across the UK and relies on donations and fund raising from individuals and organisations. Visit www.smokeypaws.co.uk.
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