The RECOVER Initiative has released the 2026 RECOVER First Aid Guidelines, an evidence- and consensus-based guideline for dogs and cats, developed through a systematic evaluation process. The recommendations are intended to help veterinary professionals provide practical guidance to pet owners, professional dog handlers, and other animal caregivers during the prehospital period—the time between recognizing an emergency and reaching veterinary care. They are not intended to replace veterinary diagnosis or treatment, but to help caregivers recognize emergencies, provide appropriate immediate support, and seek veterinary care. Bigstock The guidelines address urgent conditions including heatstroke, choking, burns, noncaustic toxin ingestion, hypoglycemia, and severe extremity bleeding. The guidelines also include First Aid Recognize and Act Algorithms and instructional figures that veterinary teams can use when teaching first aid to pet owners, first responders, shelters, groomers, boarding facilities, trainers and other caregivers. “Animal emergencies often begin before a patient reaches a veterinary hospital,” says Jamie Burkitt, DVM, DACVECC, Guidelines co-chair of The RECOVER Initiative and Professor of Clinical Small Animal Emergency and Critical Care at the Weill School of Veterinary Medicine, University of California, Davis. “These guidelines give veterinary teams a rigorous, practical framework to help people recognize urgent problems, provide appropriate first aid, and get dogs and cats to veterinary care with the best chances for a good outcome.” The guidelines were reportedly developed using systematic literature searches, evidence synthesis, assessment of evidence quality, expert consensus, and an international commenting period. The process addressed 16 PICO questions and resulted in 50 treatment recommendations. “RECOVER exists to empower people to provide lifesaving care to animals through education, science, and community,” saysDaniel J. Fletcher, PhD, DVM, DACVECC, president of The RECOVER Initiative. “The First Aid Guidelines extend that mission beyond the hospital by giving veterinary teams and animal caregivers evidence-informed guidance they can use when minutes matter, while keeping animals moving toward the veterinary care they need.” The guidelines are available through the Wiley Online Library.
