Pet Poison Helpline: 1 (800) 213-6680 or www.petpoisonhelpline.com.
(This first article is by Lindsay Stordahl, and can be found on The How-To Dog Blog)
April is Pet First Aid Awareness Month. If you don’t have a first-aid kit for your dog at home, now is the perfect time to put one together. You can either buy a first-aid kit for dogs or put one together yourself.
For the most part, you can just use a first-aid kit designed for people, and then add a few extra items
Some of the basic items for pets or people would include:
Gauze wrap
Sterile bandages
Medical tape
Antibiotic cream
Hydrogen peroxide for wound cleaning
Cotton balls or swabs
Items unique to dogs
Obviously, there are some first-aid items that should be added to your dog’s kit that you wouldn’t find in your own first-aid kit.
For example, keep a note card in the kit with phone numbers to your dog’s regular veterinarian as well as the phone number and address and maybe even directions to the nearest emergency clinic. (Who knows if your phone and GPS will be working in an emergency situation.)
Some extra items to include in your dog’s kit are:
a muzzle to prevent your dog from biting, especially if your dog is in pain
a thermometer specifically for pets (the average body temperature is around 101 for dogs)
some styptic powder for a torn toe nails (you can also use flour or corn starch if you don’t have styptic powder)
nylon slip leash (works even if you don’t have a collar)
Keep an extra slip leash on hand because they can work well for tying and wrapping and can even be used as a temporary muzzle in a pinch.
Extra things to consider if you take your dog camping or hiking
If you go hiking or camping with your dog, it’s a good idea to add a couple extra items to your dog’s first-aid kit.
An antihistamine if you’ll be in woody environments. Benadryl is a common over-the-counter medication often recommended by vets to give dogs for minor allergy symptoms. Check with your dog’s vet for the proper dose, because dogs process the medication differently than we do.
Another item to include in your dog’s kit is a pair of tweezers in case you need to pull a thorn out of your dog’s paw.
Also, consider whether or not you would be able to carry or transport your dog back to your car due to an injury and what you might need to make that easier.
Just being prepared puts you ahead of most.
Taking an animal first-aid class is a great idea; however, just having a first-aid kit on hand means you’re more prepared than most.
It’s a good idea to keep a kit in each of your family’s vehicles and another in the house so you’re not running out to the car to get it in an emergency.
Beyond that, another tip is to buy a home vet book for dogs and cats to keep on your shelf.
(Lindsay Stordahl is a blogger for dogIDs.com. She has a black Lab mix named Ace and two naughty cats named Beamer and Scout. Lindsay owns a pet sitting business called Run That Mutt and also maintains the blog ThatMutt.com.)
Here is some additional information from the American Red Cross
Pet First Aid Tips
Do you know what to do during a pet emergency? Here are some common emergency tips:
To determine if your cat or dog is dehydrated, pull up on the skin between the shoulder blades. It should spring right back; if it stays tented this is a sign of dehydration.
Signs of pet poisoning include bleeding externally or internally, dilated pupils, drooling or foaming at the mouth, seizures or other abnormal mental state or behavior.
If your pet has a seizure, make sure it is in a safe place, but do not restrain the animal. Keep your hands away from its mouth as your pet may not know who you are during a seizure and could bite you.
Signs of heat stroke or heat exhaustion include collapse; body temperature of 104 degrees F or above; bloody diarrhea or vomiting; wobbliness; excessive panting or difficulty breathing; increase heart rate; mucous membranes very red; and increased salivation.
Pets bitten by other animals need vet attention to prevent the wound (even if minor) from becoming infected and to check for internal wounds. Never break up a dogfight yourself because you could be bitten.
If your pet is bleeding, apply direct pressure using gauze over the bleeding site. If blood soaks through, apply more gauze (do not removed soaked gauze) until you can reach a veterinary hospital.
And here are a few more helpful ideas from WGRZ TV
An emergency situation can be handled much faster and more appropriately if an owner has resources like a first aid kit and list of important phone numbers (veterinarian, emergency animal hospital and poison control) easily accessible.
Just like people, most pet accidents happen in or nearby the home. Examples of the most common pet accidents include: toxic ingestion, dog bites, high rise syndrome, ripped toenails, foreign body ingestions with gastrointestinal problems, eye emergencies, broken bones, trouble giving birth and being hit by a car. One way to be prepared is to have a pet first aid kit on hand.
An article in the March/April 2014 issue of Pet Sitter’s WORLD magazine offers these suggestions for your Pet First Aid Kit, provided by Pet Poison Helpline®.
Pet First Aid Kit contents:
Hydrogen peroxide 3% (within the expiration date)
An oral dosing syringe or turkey baster (for administering hydrogen peroxide)
Teaspoon/tablespoon set (to calculate the appropriate amount of hydrogen peroxide to give)
Liquid hand dish washing detergent (i.e., Dawn, Palmolive)
Rubber gloves Triple antibiotic ointment with NO other combination ingredients—(NOT for use in CATS!)
Vitamin E oil
Diphenhydramine (Benadryl) tablets 25 mg (with NO other combination ingredients)
Ophthalmic saline solution or artificial tears
Can of tuna packed in water or tasty canned pet food
Sweet electrolyte-containing beverage
Corn syrup
Vegetable oil (coconut oil is also an excellent ointment)
Remember, before you attempt anything with your new pet first aid kit, it is always important to speak with a poison control specialist before you try any therapies at home. You will never want to administer the hydrogen peroxide to a pet without checking with a veterinary professional first. In some situations, it is not appropriate to induce vomiting at home. You should also never administer over-the-counter human medications to pets without first speaking to a toxicologist or veterinary professional. One helpful resource is the Pet Poison Helpline: 1 (800) 213-6680 or www.petpoisonhelpline.com.
According to the American Animal Hospital Association (AAHA), 25 percent more pets would survive if just one pet first aid technique were applied prior to getting emergency veterinary care.
After you’ve administered first aid, it is still extremely important to seek veterinary care as soon as possible. Many emergencies cannot be managed—even in the initial period—with simple pet first aid procedures. Call your veterinarian (or, if pet sitting, the client’s veterinarian), an emergency veterinary center or poison control immediately—and remember, above all, to STAY CALM.
