Being a pet owner is a lot like being a parent of a small child. Both dogs and children love to run and play and be adventurous. All the fun and adventure can lead to injuries. The best thing to do as a pet owner is to make sure that you have a pet first aid kit prepared and stocked so that you can care for your pet in case of emergency.

To make your dog first aid kit you need is a small plastic tackle box or tool box to hold all of the needed supplies. Make sure that you periodically check your first aid kit, to make sure that the supplies are well stocked and to make sure that you do not have any expired medications.

Take a sharpie marker or create a label to place on the outside of the box. Make sure that you clearly write your name, address and phone number on the kit in case it gets lost. It is probably a good idea that you also include your vet’s name and phone number on the box, as well as the number of the local emergency pet facility.

You are also going to want to include other emergency information in your pet first aid kit, such as your pet’s vaccination record, surgical and medical history, whether or not they have any allergies. Put a recent picture of your dog in the first aid kit as well and include their birth date, breed type and sex.

Once you have all the emergency information in your pet first aid kit, you are ready to get the needed supplies. Here is a list of what should be in your first aid dog kit:

• Roll Cotton
• Some Cotton Balls
  
• Gauze Pads
  
• Gauze Tape
  
• Hydrogen Peroxide (check the expiration date)
  
• Hydrocortisone Ointment
  
• Scissors
  
• Eyewash
  
• Silver Nitrate
  
• Tweezers
  
• Oral Syringes
  
• Balanced Electrolyte Fluid Such as Pedialyte
  
• Baby Food – Meat Flavors Work Best
  
• Large Towel
  
• Exam Gloves
  
• 1 inch White Tape (in addition to gauze tape)
  
• Rolls of Elastic Wrap
  
• Emergency Ice Pack
  
• Thermometer (both oral and rectal thermometers can be used rectally)

It is important to mention that anytime you have someone else caring for your pet that you talk to them about emergency pet care for you dog. Make sure that they have a clear understanding of what you consider an emergency. They will also need to have a way to get a hold of you, a phone number and a name of another person they can contact if they are unable to get a hold of you and where they are to take your pet if there is an emergency.

It is also advisable that you leave a credit card number in the first aid kit to cover the unplanned emergency expenses.

For more information on pet first aid kits visit The Pooch Place. You’ll also find videos for Joe The Vet on how to take care of your puppy, including how to make your own dog first aid kit .

Tags: commercial dog food, holistic dog food, dog nutrition, dog food, pets, homemade dog food, dog health, pet

Tags: dog first aid kit, dog first aid kits, Pet First Aid Kit, Pet First Aid Kits

This entry was posted on Sunday, June 15th, 2008 at 9:45 am and is filed under Dog Health, Dog Info. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.