Should I have a Dog First Aid Kit?

Becoming a pet parent comes with its own set of new and exciting challenges including keeping them healthy and happy. But do you know what to do if your pet has an accident? Do you have the supplies needed to provide your pet with the best care during an emergency?

April is pet First Aid Awareness month and I wanted to look at why having a first aid kit is so important and what you should include.

 

Accidents do happen

Unfortunately accidents do happen and you may need to give your pet first aid or preventative care whilst they wait to see a vet. If your dogs are anything like mine they can get into all sorts of mischief in and out of the house. Mine have eaten things they shouldn't have, caught a claw and made it bleed and even somehow cut her head which lead to us thinking she had caught a mouse rather than coming from the top of her head.

Having a first aid kit can be extremely useful to help deal with:

• Scrapes and cuts when they’ve been out on an adventure (even in the garden), or due to injuries caused by other animals.
• Dealing with heat stroke by cooling them down when they are overheating.
• After a serious accident until you can get them to a vet.
• Along with many other situations!

What should be in my Dog First Aid Kit?

Think about your dog, their breed (bandages for a Golden retriever will need to be bigger than those of a Chihuahua!), their medical history (skin conditions, food allergies, seizures etc.) and the activity you are doing as you may need to add additional items.

The main things to include are:

• Bandages appropriate for your dog
• Blunt-ended scissors such as tough cuts
• Wound/eye wash
• Cotton wool
• Tweezers
• Tick tweezers/ tic twister
• Non-Adhesive Wound dressings in various sizes
• Self-adhesive tape
  
• Vinyl gloves
• Foil blanket
• Pet Friendly Antiseptic wipes
• A blanket or towel to use as a stretcher or to cool your pet down
• A water bottle
• An inflatable neck collar
• Nail Clippers
• A cage muzzle because if your dog is In pain they may bite
• A torch
• Details about your vets and your dogs vaccination history if you need to go to an emergency vet
• Contact for the Animal Poison Line 01202 50 9000 https://www.animalpoisonline.co.uk
• Pet friendly sun screen
• A thermometer (I have vivid flashbacks of using my expensive thermometer to try and get Sydney's temperature during COVID!).

 

Other things to include

I would recommend having a good dog first aid book written by a vet in your kit. Whilst there is a lot of information on the internet you may not have access if you are out and about so having this could save your pet's life. I would recommend looking at a few books and choose one that matches your learning style. 

 

Dog First Aid Courses

Just like for humans there are pet first aid courses that you can attend to give you the confidence to be able to deal with emergency situations involving your dog covering things such as choking, CPR and wound care. I have booked onto a Dog First Aid Course with Woodland Pet Services in April so watch this space!

 

Want to learn more about dog first aid? Check out this blog by Derek from Finchley Dog Walker.