There are several instances where an animal may get sprayed with pepper spray. One might be a jogger fearing for his safety; another is that of a police officer feeling threatened and attempting to subdue an animal. Dogs are the animals most commonly hit with pepper spray. Although the treatment is brief, it is by no means easy, and the level of difficulty can vary greatly from breed to breed.
Things You'll Need
- Water
- At least two people
- Towels
- Elizabethan collar or cone collar, depending on breed
- Leash
Instructions
Treatment
Observe the animal, looking for signs such as squinting, crying, pawing at eyes and/or face, drooling, excessive licking and inflammation.
Get hold of the dog, using the leash if necessary. Try to prevent it from pawing at its eyes and face because the dew claws may cause it to injure itself.
Have someone who is familiar with the animal restrain it, and use either a garden hose at a very low pressure or several pitchers of water to try to flush as much of the remaining pepper spray away from the animal's eyes and face.
Dry the animal's face, moving with the grain of the fur to avoid wiping any residual pepper spray into the eyes.
Put an Elizabethan collar (if you have one) on the dog and keep it on for about an hour.
(This step is needed only for animals that continue to paw at their eyes or face.)