Even though there are lots of pet first aid kits available for sale online these days, you might be interested in making your own or adding several items to the kit you’ve already purchased.
But what should you keep in a pet first aid kit? We’re answering this question and more in today’s article, so keep on reading.
What Should a Pet First Aid Kit Contain?
If you tend to go hiking with your canine companion or you regularly travel together in a car, you should always make sure to have a kit available for emergency situations.
Here is a list of products that such a kit should contain. Once you go through them, you can replace them individually – there’s no need for you to get a new and full kit when you’ve only used several pieces.
Paperwork
If you are worried about losing your pet’s info and documents, you might be wary about taking the originals with you when you go on an adventure. Some pet parents might not want to keep them in their car.
This is understandable. You can leave your pet’s vaccination and medical records at home, but you should always keep copies with you.
Something else you will need are emergency phone numbers for your dog’s veterinarian.
The records and this phone number always have to be provided to the pet sitter when you go out of town, or they have to be left at the kennel where your pet will spend some time while you’re away.
Antibiotic ointment
If you regularly go hiking with your canine friend, one of the most useful things to keep on you would be an antibiotic ointment. You can also opt for a small antibiotic spray, in which case the advantage would be that the area dries up quickly, and your dog doesn’t have the opportunity to lick it.
An antibiotic product can come in handy under a variety of circumstances, but especially if your pet sustains a minor injury such as a scratch or a cut. Even scrapes can become infected if they aren’t treated preventatively.
Tape, gauze, scissors
While gauze can stop a bleeding, the tape can hold it together, but it can be used to hold other things, too. The scissors are useful for cutting the tape.
It definitely wouldn’t hurt if you also added a pair of protective gloves to the kit, especially since dogs that are in shock after undergoing trauma might be aggressive out of fear or anxiety.
Wet wipes
While wet wipes might not be the first things that might have crossed your mind while thinking of a first aid kit, they definitely come in handy for situations where you have to clean a specific area on your pet’s body to see what’s happening there.
They can remove dirt and blood, and they can also be used to remove gunk from your dog’s eyes. Just make sure to get pet-safe wet wipes or special grooming wipes so that the chemicals in them do not do more harm than good.
A blanket
A blanket or a towel can be one of the most soothing items for an animal that has gone through an accident, especially if it’s something that they already know from home.
Many dogs have a favorite blanket, one that they like to sleep on when they feel most at ease. If you’re going on a road trip, do not hesitate to take this item with you. In times of need, it can also help you transport your pet.
Medications
If your dog is undergoing treatment for a chronic condition and you’re supposed to give them pills every day, it’s pretty obvious that you need to take the medication with you when you go away from home.
But your veterinarian can also give you some medications that can be used in emergency situations, such as anti-inflammatory drugs, antacids, digestive distress medication, and sedatives for travel.
Make sure to ask your vet about what you should include in a pet first aid kit in this sense.
Milk of Magnesia
This product, along with activated charcoal, can be used to counteract the effect of or to absorb poisons from your dog’s stomach.
While they might be useless in some cases, such as when your dog ate chocolate, they can be excellent for other types of poisons.
Tweezers
There are lots of things that can get stuck into your dog’s paws and even in their eyes, and tweezers can be used to remove such objects. Plus, they definitely prove their worth when it comes to removing ticks.
Soft muzzle
As previously mentioned, animals that are in shock due to having sustained trauma can sometimes fail to make the difference between someone who might or might not want to do their harm. This includes their owners, who they should be able to recognize easily, but who they might not if they’re in shock.
Do not use the muzzle on animals that need to vomit as it can make them choke.
Travel food and water bowl
One of the best inventions in terms of pet equipment in the past decades was the development of a collapsible bowl made out of plastic or silicone. When pressed, it resembles a plastic disc – it’s very easy to carry and add to any backpack.
When it is collapsed, the bowl can hold water or food, which can both be essential for long hikes — especially the water.
Digital thermometer
It’s quite a rare occurrence for pet parents to rectally measure the body temperature of their pets in an emergency situation, but finding it out can sometimes be useful.
For example, if your dog spent the night outdoors on account of having escaped from your yard and the outside temperatures were freezing, you can use a thermometer to find out whether your pooch is not hypothermic when you discover them.
Needless to say, a thermometer can also help with revealing whether your pet has a fever or not.
3% hydrogen peroxide
Not only is hydrogen peroxide a wonderful disinfectant for fresh wounds, but it can also induce vomiting, which you might have to do if your dog ate something they weren’t supposed to.
Other Things That Might Be Useful in a Pet First Aid Kit
Several examples of items that might prove their worth in some emergencies are the following:
- Magnifying glass
- Flashlight
- Syringe
- Saline solution for flushing out wounds (or saline eye wash)
- Cotton balls
- Eye dropper for administering medication
- Elizabethan collar
