A PET first-aid course has been launched by an Essex company to teach owners how to perform potentially lifesaving techniques on their animals.

Glenn Knight, of Kelvedon-based training company Training2Care, said: “Our course is designed to enable owners to recognise symptoms of illness and teach them what to do in a range of scenarios, everything from how to dress a wound to, if necessary, giving mouth-to-mouth resuscitation.”

The course will be available both face-to-face or via video e-learning.

“There is no ambulance service for pets so when your dog or cat develops a problem, the only option is to get them to the vet as quickly as possible,” said Mr Knight. “This isn’t always easy or practical.

“A lot of the content is about prevention being better than cure but if an emergency occurs, we want people to be able to minimise the chance of losing their pet. Treating a dog or cat promptly can literally be the difference between life and death in that time between the accident happening and arriving at the vet.”

A three-hour course at the company’s Kelvedon premises costs �45 per person, with discounts available for family groups. For further information call 01376 573999.