Pet emergencies can occur anytime, anywhere — whether your pet is at home, with you running errands at the mall, or when you’re out hiking. When they strike, it’s essential to be prepared with your pet’s first aid kit. Most pet emergencies require immediate attention, and failing to do so can have life-threatening effects on your fur baby.
This article will help you assemble everything you’ll need in your pet’s first aid kit. This first aid kit will come in handy when canine health issues or medical emergencies arise.
Consider these tips before you head out with your pet on your first or next hiking adventure:
Pet First Aid Manual
The supplies in your pet’s first aid kit will be useless if you don’t know how and when to use them. Fortunately, there are practical reference guides that provide information on pet first aid and illness and injury assessments. This resource also contains a toxic food list.
Invest in these guides as soon as possible. The information you’ll learn from these guides will help you anticipate trouble with emergency planning advice, so you can keep your dog safe wherever you are.
Gauze, Scissors, Tape, and Rubber Gloves
Seems like a lot, right? Gauze, scissors, tape, and rubber gloves are actually a package deal. You need to have them all to ensure your dog’s safety.
During emergency situations, gauze can control the bleeding, function as a temporary brace for any suspected fractures, and be used as a makeshift muzzle. Gauze is also highly flexible, so you can wrap it in any part of your pet’s body.
The tape will hold the gauze and other first-aid items in place, while scissors can cut strips from old shirts to create a solid bandage for bigger wounds or if you run out of gauze.
Rubber gloves are a must in any medical emergency. Always wear a new pair when treating your pet to prevent any bacterial infections or making wounds worse.
Hydrogen Peroxide
Aside from cleaning minor wounds, do you know you can use hydrogen peroxide to induce vomiting in dogs when they ingest something toxic? The suggested dosage is one teaspoon per five pounds of your pet’s body weight, with a maximum dose of three tablespoons for dogs who weigh more than 45 pounds.
It’s best to ask a professional how to use hydrogen peroxide on your pet. Never use emergencies or crises as an opportunity to learn this kind of thing.
Antibiotic Ointment For Dogs and Cats
Does your dog love to hike, trek, and camp with you? For outdoorsy types of pets, an over the counter antibiotic ointment for dog or cats should be a staple in their first aid kits.
Pet antibiotic ointments prevent infection, relieve pain, and act as a barrier from germs and bacteria when your pet gets a small scratch or cut. Even minor scrapes and cuts can lead to bigger health problems once they’re infected.
Many over-the-counter antibiotic ointments for pets are safe to use, but ensure that they don’t touch them off. Pet antibiotics such as Neosporin, Bactine, Mupirocin, and Polysporin are among the most popular.
Medications
Reach out to your vet and ask about keeping a backup supply of your pet’s prescribed or useful medication. Having stocks in your first-aid kit will guarantee convenience, especially when you’re about to travel with your pet or if they require specific medications that are hard to find.
It’s never a bad idea to store over-the-counter, vet-approved medicines in your pet’s first-aid kit, too. This usually includes drugs for stomach issues, flea and tick meds, and any pet-friendly sedatives for traveling.
A Comfort Item
Being injured or wounded is a stressful situation for your pet. Stress can often cause them to move too much to the point where their injuries or wounds get worse.
One of the best ways to keep your pet calm and relaxed is to bring a comfort item inside their first-aid kit. This can be their favorite pet chew toy, a squeaky ball, or just any time that they love playing with. The smell and sight of that item will help them settle down.
Flashlight
A flashlight is always a necessity when assembling your pet’s first aid kit. It’s not only useful for treating wounds and injuries at night; you’ll also need it if you need more light to pull out a splinter from your pet’s paw or find a pill your dog refused to take.
Flashlights can also scare off wildlife, like coyotes, if they’re starting to threaten or endanger your dog. Simply shine a light on them and make noises to get them to retreat.
Don’t forget to bring extra batteries, too. The longer your journey is outdoors, the more extra batteries you should bring.
Prepare Your Pet’s First Aid Kit ASAP
Noticing that your pet is injured or sick is one of the worst nightmares every pet owner has. This is especially true when your pet starts to show signs when you’re traveling. Fortunately, when you’re prepared with a little first aid knowledge and equipped with the right first aid items, you can treat your pet right away. Knowing you have access to these will help you focus and stay calm as you handle pet emergencies.
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