Create a First Aid Kit for your Pets Before an Emergency Strikes
No one ever knows when an emergency will happen. The best thing is to always be prepared. Therefore, putting together a water-proof first-aid kit for your pets prior to an emergency is one of the best things that you can do as a pet owner. Many situations require fast action and prevention of further injury, infection or death. So assemble a first aid kit now, so that you'll be ready when your pet needs immediate help. Below is a listing of some items that you should include in your kit:
* An index card with emergency numbers such as: * Animal Poison Control contact information * Your pets regular veterinarian and local Veterinary Emergency Animal Hospital information * Your own phone number * Photos of your pets (to help identify them) * Pet's health records * Pet CPR instructions * Your pets microchip number * Flashlight & rubber gloves * Scissors & tweezers (flat slant tip) * Sterile needle (to remove splinters and tick heads) * Turkey baster (for flushing wounds or force feeding) * Eyedropper * Tongue depressor to examine mouth * Disposable safety razor (to shave fur around a wound) * Towels (at least 2) * Blanket (to keep an injured pet from going into shock) * 3x3 sterile gauze pads & rolled gauze (for bandaging, stabilizing joints, making a muzzle) * Anti-bacterial wipes or pads & Q-tips * Ice pack * Cotton balls and vet wrap bandages * Hydrogen peroxide 3% USP (to use on infected wounds) * Activated charcoal tablets (can absorb many toxics) * Antibiotic ointment (such a Neosporin) * Sterile saline eye solution (to flush out eyes and wounds) * Milk of magnesia (for stomach upset and some types of poison ingestion) * Pepto Bismol (for stomach upset and some types of poison ingestion; do not give to cats) * Plain Benadryl (for bug bites and stings and other allergic reactions) * Can of soft pet food (can reduce the effect of poisoning) * Mild grease-cutting dishwashing liquid such as Dawn (to clean contaminated skin or sticky substances) * Plastic baggies * Muzzle and a nylon leash * Bottled water & water bowl or container * Adhesive first aid tape (in narrow and wide widths) There are many more items that you can include. Please consult your vet for some additional ideas. Immediate and proper first-aid is only the first step in the treatment of your pet. Please contact your veterinarian immediately and follow their instructions to ensure that your pet is well-cared for when a trauma has taken place. (Please consult your vet immediately before administering first aid.) |