Your First Aid Kit Essentials
Some handy supplies to keep in your kit include:
- Alcohol prep pads (about six) for ear cleaning
- Bandage sissors, one pair, for bandaging
- 2-inch cast padding, one roll, for bandaging
- 3-inch cast padding, one roll, for bandaging
- Chlorihexidene solutions, 4 ounces, for cleaning wounds
- Cotton balls, 10 to 20, for wound care
- Cotton-tipped applicators 12, for cleaning outer part of ears
- Exam gloves, two pair, to protect your hands
- 2-inch by 3-inch gauze squares, 20, for wound care
- 5-inch hemostat (a clamp for blood vessels), one, to stop bleeding
- Iodine swab pads, four to six, for wound care
- 1-inch medical tape, one roll, for bandaging
- 3-inch by 4-inch non-adhesive bandage squares, four, for bandaging
- Nylon leash, one, for restraining your dog
- Pen light, one, for checking pupils
- Saline solutions, 4 ounces, for cleaning wounds and rinsing eyes
- 2-inch stretch gauze, one roll, for bandaging
- 3-inch stretch gauze, one roll for bandaging
- Stypic powder, one film canister full, to stop bleeding
- 1-milliliter syringe, two, for forcefeeding
- 3-milliliter syringe, two, for forcefeeding
- 12-milliliter syringe, two, for forcefeeding and wound care
- 20-milliliter syringe, one, for forcefeeding and wound care
- Canine rectal thermometer (one specifically for dogs. *DO NOT use until you ask your vet for a lesson on how to!)
- Small bottle of 3% hydrogen peroxide (for cleaning wounds, and to induce vomiting)
- Specific medications YOUR dog may need (for allergies, seizures, etc.)
- Pens and Paper (to take notes, directions, etc.)
- A card with your name, address, phone#, (if you are traveling, include the phone# and address you are staying at.) Name & phone# of someone to contact, in an emergency, who will take care of your dog if you are not available, your dog's name and any information about any medications they take, any allergies or significant medical conditions they have, name & phone# of your your regular vet, and a nearby 24 hour emergency veterinary clinic, and an animal poison control center
- Tounge depressors, six, for examining mouth
- Tweezers, one, for removal of splinter or piece of glass
- Vetwrap, one roll, for bandaging
- Water-based lubricant, 1 small tube, for protecting a wound and lubricating a thermometer.
Final Notes:
*Confirm ALL doses of medications with YOUR veterinarian while your building your kit.
*Update Information on the "Emergency card" as often as you need to. Make sure all info is up to date. If you have a cell phone, include that number too.
*Check all medications in the kit to make sure they are not expired.
*Also it's good to have a basic emergency care first aid guide book and talk to your vet about emergency procedures.
*REMEMBER: In an emergency
-Always remain calm, your dog is scared and they need YOU to be brave and calm them down.
-NEVER think you can 100% handle an emergency situation, if any emergency happens minor or major it is ALWAYS best to take your dog to the vet asap!
-NEVER put your hands near an injured dog's mouth, even the sweetest dog can snap in such pain.
-If a dog is suffering shock, try to move them as LITTLE as possible, and get to the vet right away, ask the vet employees to help you get them from the vehicle.
-If your dog is choking: Open their mouth and check if anything is lodged, if there is a foreign object in the throat, try to pull it out, Don't push it further down though, if you cannot reach it, get them to the vet right away. If there is nothing lodged and they are still choking, try the doggie hymlec: put your dog all fours on the floor, stand above them,. wrap your arms around them with your hands on their belly, and thrust your hands up just under their rib cage, lifting the back side slightly, if nothing comes out or they are still choking after you've done this 3 times, quit trying and RUSH THEM TO THE VET!!!
NEVER give ibuprofen: Tylenol or Motrin, Nuprin, Advil, etc.; it IS TOXIC to your dog.
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Other Great Items to have in your car
A gallon of water
At least a two day supply of your dog's regular food
A dog bowl
Old sheet to use as a doggie stretcher
Extra leash and collar (that fits your dog)
Spare i.d. tag
