At Essential First Aid Plus, we believe that knowing how to respond in an emergency can make all the difference. That’s why we offer a variety of equine, canine, and feline first aid courses, from children’s programs to advanced training, designed to give pet owners the confidence and skills they need when every second counts.
Sheila McNaughton is a certified Equi-Health Canada, Canine Health Canada, and Feline Health Canada first aid instructor dedicated to helping both animals and the people who care for them.
With an extensive background in the equine industry, Sheila is a graduate of Seneca College’s Harness Horse Industry Operations program. She has worked with Standardbred racehorses, managed show barns and boarding stables, and operated her own boarding stable. Her passion is empowering horse owners with the knowledge and confidence to respond effectively during equine emergencies.
As a lifelong dog owner and animal lover, Sheila believes every dog owner should know basic first aid. Through hands-on instruction, she teaches practical, life-saving skills that can help owners respond quickly and confidently when their dog needs them most.
Cats are naturally curious and can quickly find themselves in unexpected situations. Having owned several cats herself, Sheila understands the importance of being prepared and provides practical feline first aid training to help owners care for their cats during an emergency.
If you own a horse, dog, or cat, it’s not if you’ll face an emergency—it’s when. Be prepared. Gain the knowledge, confidence, and practical skills that could make all the difference when your animal needs you most.
The most comprehensive course available! We teach prevention - like knowing which house plants are toxic to your dog and what people medicines they can NEVER have. We cover basic nutrition, exercise and dental care needs. We teach you about digestive emergencies and how to deal with them.
You get to practice making your own Elizabethan collar and emergency muzzle (even the most docile dogs can act aggressively when they're injured or scared)
Plus we teach you how to handle the scary stuff, like your dog's heart stops, they have something lodged in their throat, can't breathe, gotten into poison, or have a terrible accident and needs to be stabilized for safe transport to the vet.
You will learn and practice a number of different hands on scenarios so when an emergency happens muscle memory kicks in and you'll be able to help your dog in their moment of need.
This course is a close version of our canine health and emergency first aid program, with added components focused on the working service and therapy dog.
From CPR and mouth to nose resuscitation, to poisons and toxins exposure, splinting fractures, dealing with a choking dog (3 methods), digestive emergencies, environmental hazards, and tons more.
You will learn and practice a number of different hands-on scenarios - so when an emergency happens muscle memory kicks in and you will be able to help your dog in their moment of need.
You earn your paper certificate as well as your wallet CPR card -so you can help not only your service or therapy dog, but any dog in distress!.
Sometimes you're hiking or camping with your dog, or maybe you live hours from veterinary care. This advanced class will give you the tools to be your canine's first responder. From avulsion to broken bones, blue-green algae and other environmental hazards, coonhound paralysis and single-handler canine extraction, we cover the most extreme situations where your dog requires your immediate intervention for survival.
We want to reach all dog owners and know some of you cannot attend an in-person class due to remote locations, international students, and students who are under gathering restrictions. We also know some people are very busy and may not have the time to take the full day program.
With the half-day fundamentals program, you will learn in person or via live-stream interactive video.
Your instructor will take you through all the essentials - from health and prevention, to bandaging and stabilizing, to poisons, household dangers and more.
You can learn from the comfort of you own home and know that you have the skills to help you dog in and emergency.
Includes certificate of completion.
Do you have a dog-crazy kiddo who would love to learn how to better care for their furry friend?
Our hands on dog safety and first aid for kids is a 3-hour class where kids learn safety around dogs, dog body language, basic food, water, exercise and grooming needs, how to recognize when the dog isn't feeling well, how to bandage a paw, head and leg, and what to have in their first aid kit.
This course is for working K9s -police, military, search and rescue, fire, airport security, cadaver dogs and protection dogs.
In this course you will learn CPR & resuscitation. In addition you will learn hands on skills in cases of blunt force trauma, stabbing/gunshot, hyper/hypothermia, blistering agents, narcotics, tear gas, choking - abdominal thrust, single handler K9 extraction, stabilizing for transport, fractures & breaks, on the job hazards, administering meds and more!!
In addition we cover some topics such as feeding and watering for long transport and related digestive issues.
WHY TAKE THE COURSE?
We believe all cat owners should have their first aid certification, in order to be fully prepared to identify any problem, and to assist their cat in their time of need, while waiting to see a veterinarian. Less than 2% of all cat owners know feline CPR, and even less feel confident to identify toxic items in their homes, cat safe medications or early signs and symptoms of disease.
Cats are unique and wonderful creatures, with unique and often complex medical needs. Our feline friends are masters at hiding pain and discomfort. Often we find our cats in advanced stages of disease or health conditions before we realize something is wrong!
We want you to be the best prepared for your best feline family friend.
OUR COURSE INCLUDES
Cat body language and behaviours, pain source identification, safe kitty handling and restraint, vital signs, CPR, frostbite, UTI, broken tail and limbs, feline diabetes, essential oils, medications, toxic plants and poisoning, high rise syndrome, abscesses, dental issues, lacerations, back injuries and much more.
We will help you to learn to be their first responder.
Taking the most important life-saving components from our Canine and Feline specific courses, we have created a very full PET first aid hybrid course.
The hands on course includes the critical life saving techniques for RECOVER *CPR and mouth to nose resuscitation, broken bones, stabilizing for transport, drowning, poison, as well as traff
Taking the most important life-saving components from our Canine and Feline specific courses, we have created a very full PET first aid hybrid course.
The hands on course includes the critical life saving techniques for RECOVER *CPR and mouth to nose resuscitation, broken bones, stabilizing for transport, drowning, poison, as well as traffic response, eye injuries, back injuries, high rise syndrome, frostbite digestive emergencies, household toxins, and tons more.
Includes certificate of completion.
Your dog’s health matters too. Join our half day workshop and discover fun, drug free ways to ease anxiety: sniff work, enrichment games, calming touch and more. Learn how to read your dog's body language and help them feel safe and relaxed!
We are committed to animal health and welfare and that includes their mental health,
This is not
Your dog’s health matters too. Join our half day workshop and discover fun, drug free ways to ease anxiety: sniff work, enrichment games, calming touch and more. Learn how to read your dog's body language and help them feel safe and relaxed!
We are committed to animal health and welfare and that includes their mental health,
This is not a dog training course, rather a half day program for owners with a focus on signs and symptoms of mental distress and anxiety in dogs, its relation to their physical well being, and things a dog lover can do to help their pets be stress free without medication.
This 2 hour course covers what you need to know in event of natural disaster from forest fires to severe storms. We cover understanding evacuation orders & laws, planning to shelter in place, pre-planning your evacuation, training for evacuation, safe handling & transport, health records, and shock & first aid emergencies.
This 2 hour course is designed for pet owners in natural disaster situations. You will learn topics such as understanding evacuation orders & laws, planning to shelter in place, pre-planning your evacuation, pet "go bags", training for evacuation, safe handling & transport, pet health records, and shock & first aid emergencies.
