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Preparing a First Aid Kit for Your Dog or Cat
Date: 9/22/2010
Dogs and cats– especially young ones -- are notorious for bounding about and getting into things they shouldn’t. To prepare yourself for times when your pet boldly goes where no one should – consider assembling a First Aid Kit.
Find a large water-proof tote or a plastic, sealable container to keep the following items in:
- Digital thermometer (normal temperature is around 100.5 – 102.5 degrees; a couple degrees above that is a likely sign of infection (fever) and a few degrees below can signal shock.
- KY jelly (to lubricate thermometer before your insert into the pet’s rectum)
- Kaopectate (to stop diarrhea – be careful to only give amount appropriate for the pet’s weight)
- Syringes without needles or an eye dropper (to administer liquids into pet’s mouth)
- Bandages – gauze pads, non-stick Tefla pads, cotton gauze (to cover wounds; gauze can also be used as a make-shift muzzle but NOT in cases of vomiting)
- Anti-bacterial ointment (to speed healing and prevent infection)
- Cotton swabs (to clean wounds)
- Small split (to stabilize a broken limb)
- Medical tape (to keep bandages or splints in place)
- Scissors (to trim hair from wound site and shape bandages as needed)
- Tweezers (to remove dirt, pieces of glass from wounds)
- Locking haemostatic forceps (to clap off a blood vessel or to help remove porcupine quills)
- Deticker tool (good for removing all kinds of ticks)
- Hydrogen peroxide – (to induce vomiting; use ONLY with veterinary instruction as some poisons can cause more damage if they travel back up the esophagus)
- Activated charcoal (absorbs poisons – again, use ONLY with veterinary instruction)
- Rubbing Alcohol (to clean and disinfect wound)
- Dawn dish washing soap – to wash off toxins or skin irritants that they may have rolled in)
- Saline solution (to flush out eyes)
- Instant cold pack (to lower body temperature of hypothermic patients)
- Muzzle (for dogs to protect you from bites if your pet is in severe pain and cannot quietly tolerate your care)
- Rescue Remedy (to calm distressed animals)
- Blanket (to calm as well as keep the pet warm)
- Hot water bottle (to keep the pet warm if you suspect hypothermia or shock)
- Honey & a bottle of water (to ward off hypoglycemia)
- Your veterinarian’s business card – telephone and address (write directions on the back in case a pet sitter needs them)
- Telephone number and address (with directions) to Pender Emergency Centre
- Numbers for Animal Poison Hotline and Poison Control for Pets – 800-548-2423 or 900.680.0000 or the ASPCA Poison Control Center 888-4ANI-HELP (888-426-4435).
Next, put a big label on it “Pet First Aid Kit,” and keep it in a convenience spot at home.
Note: If you have a large dog, also consider what you might need to use as a stretcher to move her if she is heavy and unable to walk on her own. In addition to regular stretchers, you can use an ironing board, a plank, a large blanket or floor rug.
