Are you prepared, in case of an accident involving your pet? Do you know what to do if they have been injured or attacked? One good way to be prepared is to have a Pet First Aid Kit set up. You may already have a lot of these items around the house, or in your family’s First Aid Kit.
You should keep a list of phone numbers with your first aid kit, in case you need to call for help. You may want to include the following important phone numbers:
- Your vet
- Your vet’s emergency backup
- The nearest 24-hour animal care facility
- Local poison control center
- National poison control center
Pick a large plastic storage box, or even a toolbox for your Pet First Aid Kit. You may need to be able to carry it to the site of an accident in order to help your pets. Here are some things to keep in your Pet First Aid Kit:
- Adhesive tape
- Roll gauze and gauze pads
- Scissors
- Rectal thermometer
- Iodine or peroxide for cleaning wounds
- Ice pack
- Tweezers
- Bulb syringe
- Saline in a squirt bottle for eyewash
- Honey or karo syrup to rub on pets’ gums in case of shock
- Elizabethan collar (aka lampshade) to prevent licking/chewing of injuries
- Plastic food wrap to cover large open wounds
- A blanket to retain body heat and help keep animals calm
- A flat board for transport
- Newspaper makes a good temporary splint in case of fracture
An injured pet MAY snap or bite out of fear. You can make a simple muzzle from narrow roll gauze or even a pair of pantyhose! Wrap the material GENTLY around the bony part of the muzzle, and then tie the material off behind the ears. This is not recommended for use on dogs with short snouts or animals that are vomiting or appear to have trouble breathing.