I scrambled around my friend’s house, searching for the
proper means of covering her open wound which by this time was only
spotting. After flipping out for a short
time because I thought I knew where everything was, I regretted not bringing my
animal first aid kit.
Yes, that’s right, my animal first aid kit. Our pets can get into just as much trouble as
humans and children. Thankfully, I have
never needed it previously but as the story above shows, you’ll never know when
you’ll need one (and to think that I’ve been pet sitting since I was 8, I’m 27
now, and have never had an emergency until that day). So of course, this brings up the next few
questions:
Should a pet owner buy an animal first aid kit? Should they make it? What should be put into it?
To answer the first question, buying a premade first aid kit
is all well and good; however, even those do not have everything that your pet
could need. This is part of the reason I
prefer to make my own. However, buying
the premade kits sometimes can be cheaper if you hit the right sale at the
right time and are on a budget but be prepared to add to your kit a few
additional essentials.
Here is what you should be prepared to put into a first aid
kit:
Pepcid –
Relieves an upset stomach. Use the
following dosage: ¼ tablet for less than
20 lbs, ½ tablet for 20 – 60 lbs, 1 tablet for more than 60 lbs. Cats may have ¼ of a tablet. It is perfectly acceptable to switch this out
for Pepto Bismol, however, please note that Pepto Bismol is toxic to cats. I prefer to keep something cat & dog
friendly as I do have both.
Benadryl –
Like humans, pets can have an allergic reaction. Give your dog one milligram for every pound
twice daily. Please note that this is
not effective for cats.
Neosporin
Gauze –
You can use rolls or squares, I prefer to have both on hand.
Vet Wrap/Vetrap
– This miracle wrap is super handy and not super expensive either. It sticks to itself and not your pet’s fur or
skin.
Sceptic Powder
– This will help stop your pet from bleeding if your pet breaks a nail or if
you cut a nail too short. It will form a
blood clot to stop the bleeding. I tend
to use a Quickstop, however, you can use corn starch if you find that you don’t
have any.
Rubber Gloves
– it’s never a good idea to touch blood with your bare hands.
Waterproof or
First Aid Tape
Thermometer
– I go for the digital thermometers, stay away from the glass ones. You never know when your dog will freak out
and move, breaking the thermometer. It
would not be fun to be bringing your dog to the vet’s office to explain why
there is glass in your dog’s rectum.
Petroleum Jelly
– To aid the thermometer.
A muzzle –
Your dog may not have a mean bone in its body but you’d be amazed at how mean a
hurt dog can be. Don’t take the chance
of having your dog bite you when it’s hurt.
Although I cannot say from experience, I can assure you fairly well that
it will hurt. If you have taken an
animal first aid course and they taught you with stockings or a roll of gauze,
that’s fine but if you don’t know the method, use a muzzle.
Tweezers –
a common item around the house however, it’s a pain in the rear end to not be
able to find them when you need them most.
These are great for removing ticks, stingers, and other bugs that you do
not want to remove with your fingers.
Scissors
Aspirin or Baby
Aspirin – Which one you get will depend upon the size of your dog (not
cat). Please note that Aspirin
is highly toxic to cats so do not give your cat Aspirin. I honestly prefer to only give a dog aspirin
under the direction of a veterinarian but I like to have Aspirin on hand just
in case. Please note that Tylenol and Advil are toxic to dogs regardless of the
amount.
Syringe without
needle – This is a life saver when it comes to giving your pet a liquid
medicine (if you don’t believe me, try giving your dog liquid Pepto on a spoon and watch how fast the room looks
like it went through a paint ball match).
Bee Sting Ointment
– This is a must have but if you’re like me, I do a combination of baking soda
and water, stir until it is a paste, and then put it onto the bee sting.
Ice Pack –
This can help keep swelling down.
Laminated card – This card should have
primary contact information, secondary contact information, veterinarian
contact information, emergency veterinarian contact information (If your vet
doesn’t have an afterhours doctor on duty), and some general information
regarding your pet such as weight, height, allergies, medications &
dosages, etc.
A Blanket or Towel
– This sounds like the strangest thing to have but if you’re traveling and your
120lb dog can’t walk, then you can put the dog on the blanket and carry the dog
with help that way. If you have a cat or
small dog such as a Chihuahua, you can swaddle your pet so that it cannot bite
or scratch you and you can make it easier to bring to your car. I would recommend picking which one to use by
the size of your pet.
Condensed and
Up-To-Date Copy of Your Pet’s Vet Records – I know this sounds a bit
strange, however, if you travel, the vet you may bring your pet to may not be
able to gain access to your pet’s records.
As a result, they end up asking you and in an emergency; you may blank
out on the answer. I’d also recommend
putting this into a plastic bag to keep it dry.
Photo Copies of
Your Pet’s AKC/CKC Registration Papers –Again, please keep these with
the condensed copies of your pet’s vet records.
If you have questions about dosages, a great website which I
was referred to is http://www.walkervalleyvet.com/otc-meds.htm
or ask your vet about the dosage which is right for your pet (I’d suggest this
method more than looking up dosages up online as the average person is not a
doctor). There are also some REALLY
great references to pet first aid. I’d
recommend signing up for animal first aid from your local humane society or
read up on it from the AKA and CKC websites.
Most of these items should be available in just about any
pet or drug store.
Good luck!Kim
