Preparing for a medical emergency involving your pet is always best accomplished before the event takes place. This series is designed to help guide you through the important decisions about first aid, as well as how and when to transport your pet quickly and safely to your pet veterinarian. A working knowledge of this information will help you eliminate some potentially dangerous circumstances and help you prepare for emergency situations with your pets. It includes information on what to do and what not to do in specific emergency situations. We encourage careful reading and occasional rereading. We have tried to make it easy to understand, avoiding medical terms as often as possible, but defining them in context when they are necessary.