Go To Guide on Pet First Aid
Along with having a standard first aid kit in your house, it is important for pet owners to also have a pet first aid kit. Now you might be wondering what should go in this kit. Well, we curated a list of what you should have and other items we recommended along with the reasoning behind the items.
Essential Items
- Pet papers
- Medical records
- Emergency numbers
- Vaccination records
- Medications
- Gauze
- Gauze can be used for injuries for you and your pet.
- Non-stick/self-adhering bandages
- Self-adhering bandages are used for wrapping injuries or rewrapping if there was a prior vet appointment.
- Self adhering bandages are great for pets because they won’t stick to their fur
- Self-adherent tape
- Self-adherent tape has the same philosophy as self-adhering bandages. The tape is thinner and can be used for securing gauze or smaller jobs
- Cotton balls/cotton rounds
- Used for applying medicine or cleaning wounds
- 3% hydrogen peroxide
- Help clean wounds and prevent infections
- Make a solution to cause dogs to throw up (More information farther down)
- Antibiotic spray/ointment
- To treat cuts, rashes, sores, dry skin and allergies
- The antibiotic ointment should be dog safe as a human ointment isn’t suitable for dogs
- Kwik Stop
- Used to stop bleeding if kwik gets nicked
- Digital thermometer
- Scissors
- Tweezers
Recommended Items
- Syringes
- Use for flushing wounds or administering medications
- Flashlight
- In case of emergencies
- Towels
What does Hydrogen Peroxide Do?
I’m sure our dogs have eaten something they’re not supposed to, in the situation, it can be stressful but there are steps to take to ensure that your pup will be safe. Not only does it disinfect cuts, it can also be a lifesaver. It is important to have 3% hydrogen peroxide (nothing higher) on hand. The steps you’re going to want to take are;
- Calling your vet
- Call your vet to explain the situation to ensure it is
- If your dog hasn’t eaten in the last 2 hours, make a small meal and feed it to them, they will more likely vomit after.
- Make a 3% hydrogen peroxide solution
- Solution: 1 teaspoon per 5 pounds of your dog’s body weight, maximum dose of 3 tablespoons for dogs who weigh more than 45 pounds, But ask your veterinarian about the best dosage for your dog and only induce vomiting if your dog ate the substance within 2 hours.
- Administer the dose with a syringe or turkey baster if you have no syringe on hand
- Squirting between the back teeth or from the front to the back of your dog’s mouth
- If your dog doesn’t vomit within 15 minutes you can administer a second dosage.
- Make sure to stay with your dog and collect the vomit for the vet to analyze, make sure they don’ re-ingest it.
- Keep an eye out for any other reactions such as vomiting for more than 45 minutes or other sick-like symptoms
- Follow up with your vet asap
Most of this information was sourced from American Kennel Association. We would like to express that we are not experts, we believe that this information is important and should be shared among pet owners. If you have any questions or concerns or anything you want to add to the list, feel free to message us or stop by the store!