If the dog passes out after a car crash or any other kind of trauma, it is good to run a quick exam and communicate the results to the veterinarian as soon as possibile. This way the doctor could get a general idea:
  - lift the lip and check the mucosas: are they pale or livid?
  - feel the pulse (you can feel it well at the basis of the elbow): is it fast or slow?
  - Touch the limbs of the dog: are they cold?
  - Make sure the dog is breathing: if breathing is not evident, put a mirror in front of the nose and see if it glazes.

---

  As soon as we notice the dog has recovered his vital signs, cover him with a blanket to keep him warm.

---

  If the dog is awake, not even his master could get close without a risk: instinctive response to pain is to bite, and the shock could inhibit the dog from recognizing a friendly person. It would be wise to cover his head with a blanket or a coat before trying to lift him up.

---

  After a trauma, especially after a car accident, you should move the dog as little as possible to avoid causing or provoking greater internal trauma, if any. The best method to move him would be to make him slide on a blanket (holding his legs, not making him turn upon himself): you will then use the blanket as a stretcher, that will help you put the dog in the car and drive him to the vet.

  Symptoms of heatstroke are: staggering, difficulty to breath, too warm and dry skin, considerable temperature increase.
  If possible, the dog should be dipped in cold (not freezing) water, to gradually lower his body temperature; as an alternative you could provide him with cold formentations of water and ice. You should lead the dog to a fresh spot at once and leave him to rest, waiting for the vet, who should be called for as soon as possible.

  One of the most frequent causes of death is poisoning: but it is not always a matter of criminal acts. On the contrary, it happens all the time the dog is intoxicated by substances he comes across at home or in the garden. To prevent accidental poisoning let's remember to:

---

  - Keep out of the dog's reach drugs, toxic substances and household chemical substances;

---

  - Never replace the container of a toxic substance: mistakes occur more often than you think;

---

  - Put away the dog's bowl if we irrigate the garden with antiparasitical substances, and keep the dog away from the garden at least three days from the antiparasitical treatment of the garden;

---

  - Never let the dog play (especially if he's a puppy) with medicine or chemical containers, even if we washed them;

---

  - Pay attention to the announcements displayed by the Municipality on house doors about the periodical disinfestation, and never leave the dog loose during that time;

---

  - Get rid of any dead animal you find in the garden: if it died of poisoning, the dog could be poisoned by eating or nibbling it;

---

  - Get your dog accustomed to eating only what he finds in his bowl, in particular if we often take him to exercise in the woods or in the fields.

  While you're waiting for the veterinarian, who should be called for at once, you'll do following for each poison:

  Induce vomit by making the dog swallow water and salt. If possibile always keep the box of the toxic substance the dog swallowed. If the ingestion occured more then two hours earlier, give the dog vegetal charcoal, and vaseline oil 30 minutes afterwards.

  Wash the dog with plenty of cold water. Cover his coat with flour.