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In this video I’m going to walk you through some of the things that you're going to need to put together a pet first aid kit at home so that you can be prepared in the event of an emergency. Now maybe not surprisingly this is going to look really similar to what a human first aid kit will look like with a few important additions. Some of those additions are going to be ways to muzzle your pet in the event of an emergency. There are a few different types of muzzles that you can get for your dog. A basket muzzle like this one that can be used for some dogs. Most of the time we're going to use a nylon mesh muzzle; something that's appropriately sized for your dog. They do make muzzles for cats that will cover the nose, mouth and eyes. Covering the eyes can sometimes help calm the cat a little bit in an emergency. You also want to have a way to transport your pet to a veterinarian in the case of an emergency. For smaller dogs and cats, a carrier that’s appropriately sized and ideally something that can be taken apart, that has a top and bottom half that's easier to put your pet in and take your pet out. Larger dogs you may need to have a sling, sometimes a large board or sometimes just some help for transport. Towels and things can be good for using as a makeshift sling and can also be used to help keep a pet warm during transport if they're cold or just to support them during the transport period. You're going to want to have some disposable gloves. Non latex is preferred because people commonly have latex allergies even if they're not aware of them. When you're choosing gloves you want to make sure you choose a glove that is an appropriate size for your hand. It should be snug; if it's too loose you'll have a really hard time using the gloves. Some other important items: having nail clippers for your pet that are appropriate, so larger clippers for dogs, smaller ones for cats. Some other items: styptic powder is something that you're going to want to have on hand for nail bleeding. If you clip your dog's nails at home or your cat’s nails at home that may be helpful. You're also going to want to have a type of leash and because our pets aren’t always wearing their collars when they get into trouble, having a slip lead type leash is helpful. You have a looped end that you can adjust the size of, slip it over your dog or sometimes maybe your cat’s neck, tighten it so that it fits snugly and you can have a way to restrain them. It's also good to be able to take your pet's vitals. One of those important vitals is being able to take the temperature; having a quick read thermometer, and by ‘quick read’ I mean six to eight seconds because nobody wants to be taking a pet’s temperature for longer than about well, probably three or four seconds, but we’ll settle for eight. It's a really important thing to have; you can pick them up at any local pharmacy. The other important things that you want to have available are going to be things to take care of a wound. If there is any type of injury to your pet having the materials needed to clean and cover, protect a wound are also very important. Having clippers to clip the fur and otherwise trim around a wound or potentially allow you to explore to see if there is a wound is useful. Having items like hydrogen peroxide and isopropyl alcohol can also be helpful for cleaning wounds and other uses in a first aid kit, keeping in mind that these items do have expiration dates and so we want to be mindful that we’re checking the first aid kit on a regular basis and anything that's expired is thrown out and replaced. Other bandaging materials would be things like gauze squares and rolled gauze. They can be used for various applications, bandages and such. Having a tube of a triple antibiotic ointment like Neosporin is often handy. Another thing you might not think about would be sterile water based lubrication jelly. They can come in these little packets or they sometimes come in a tube. I tend to prefer the packets because it's easier to keep them clean; if you have a tube it can get contaminated so having the individual packets is nice but a tube is also acceptable. You’re also going to want different types of tape so adhesive and non-adhesive tapes. Adhesive tapes obviously so it can stick to things but you also want to have what's called cohesive wrap which is non-adherent and won't stick to your pet's fur or skin. That's a handy thing to have as well. You don’t want to forget some scissors so a handy pair of scissors, but you want them to be bandage scissors. Bandage scissors will have a blunt end on either end so if you weren't trying to remove a bandage you won't inadvertently cut your pet's skin. It’s really important for that. Some sterile eyewash in case of ocular emergencies from an injury or foreign material in the eye; you can flush your pet's eye out with sterile eye wash. Now finally the most important part of your pet first aid kit is going to be having emergency contact information. On hand you want to have updated information for your pet’s regular veterinarian, the local emergency veterinary practice contact information. It's also good to have animal Poison Control’s pet poison hotline information at hand. You don't have to go scrambling looking for this information in the event of an emergency. That's also going to be really important in the case of a disaster where, in addition to information about where your pet gets its veterinary care, you also want to know where you can keep your pet in an emergency if you're in a situation where you cannot keep your pet with you. Having information about local animal shelters or pet friendly hotels, friends and family that you can stay with. Remembering to not just look in your area; you need to look outside of your area and also sometimes outside of your state. Having that information is going to make dealing with a disaster that much easier and allow you to take your pets with you or know that they're getting cared for properly. Other items for the disaster kit: you want to make sure you have a supply of food for several days at least as well as any medications they may have. Any medications need to be in a list or if possible items that you can keep in your first aid kit, again ensuring that they're not expired. For the food you also need to be able to put food in a container so having food bowls are easy things to forget about in a disaster but it's going to be really crucial to have that available. Bedding for your pets, toys, treats, other things that will help keep them more comfortable in an emergency as well. If you can plan ahead have a first aid kit and a disaster preparedness kit put together, ready, you know where it is, it's conveniently located. This is going to save time and reduce stress in an already stressful situation. Hopefully this has been helpful and you can understand the things you need to do to put together a pet first aid kit at home.
In this lesson, we'll be walking you through all the items that you will need to put together for your pet first aid kit, so you can be prepared in the event of an emergency or some type of natural disaster.
Perhaps not surprisingly, your pet first aid kit will look very similar to a human first aid kit, with a few important additions that obviously wouldn't apply to humans, beginning with …
Muzzles can help protect your pet in case there is an emergency. There are a few different types of muzzles, such as a basket muzzle, however, nylon mesh muzzles are more common and may be more comfortable. Just make sure that whatever muzzle you choose is appropriately sized.
Pro Tip #1: While we tend to think of muzzles only for dogs, a cat muzzle is also a good idea in certain situations. Cat muzzles typically cover the nose, mouth, and eyes. Covering the eyes is especially helpful as it sometimes can help your feline family member remain calm in an emergency.
It's important during an emergency for you to have a way to transport your pet safely to the veterinarian. For small dogs and cats, an appropriately sized carrier may be the best choice. It's also a good idea to choose a carrier that can be taken apart and has a top and bottom half, which will make it easier for you to put your pet in and take your pet out.
For large dogs, transportation can be a little trickier. You may have to use a sling or a large board or just simply some human help. And, as some of you know, transporting cats safely in a vehicle can be even trickier.
Pro Tip #2: For a makeshift sling, you can use a large towel. A towel can also be multi-functional as you can use it to support your dog or keep him or her warm during a crisis.
Latex gloves are another item that you'll want to have in your pet first aid kit. Non-latex gloves are preferred as people commonly have latex allergies even if they are not aware.
When choosing disposable gloves, make sure you choose a size that is appropriate for your hands. Your disposable gloves should fit snugly. If they are too loose, you're going to have a difficult time using them.
Make sure you have a set or two of nail clippers in your first aid kit, and make sure they are appropriately sized for your pet – large clippers for large dogs, and small clippers for small dogs and cats.
Styptic powder is a substance that causes bleeding to stop. One type is a styptic pencil. These are made from alum and sulfate salts of potassium aluminum, though some are made from ammonium salts.
It's important to have something on hand for nail bleeding, especially if you are clipping your pets nails at home.
It's a good idea to have a leash for your pet that does not require a collar, as sometimes emergencies occur while your pet is not wearing one. In those situations, it's important to have a slip lead type leash, even if it's just a backup.
Slip lead leashes have a looped end that can easily be adjusted for the size of your pet's head. Simply slip the loop over the head and tighten to a snug fit.
In an emergency, it could be important to get your pets vital signs and one of the most important vitals is temperature. Because taking your pets temperature can be difficult, it's best to use a quick read thermometer that will take your pet's temperature in just six to eight seconds. You should be able to find one at your local pharmacy.
Wound care items are particularly important for your pet first aid kit. If your pet suffers any type of injury, you'll want to have the materials on hand that are needed to clean, cover, and protect the wound.
Electric Clippers can be used to trim around a wound to provide easier and better exposure. It can be difficult to know how bad an injury is if you cannot see it through all your pet's fur.
Hydrogen peroxide and isopropyl alcohol are helpful when cleaning wounds and are also multifunctional. However, it's important to keep in mind that these items do expire.
Warning: Be mindful to check all expiration dates for everything in your pet first aid kit on a regular basis and throw away and replace all expired items.
There are two types of gauze bandages that you may want to consider – gauze squares and roll gauze. These can both be useful for covering various pet wounds and injuries.
A triple antibiotic ointment like Neosporin is a handy item to have in your pet first aid kit.
Lubrication Jelly is probably something you wouldn't think about for a pet first aid kit, but it's important, nonetheless. You can find sterile water-based lubrication jelly in single-use packets or tubes; however, packets are preferred as they are easier to keep clean while the tubes can become contaminated.
You will want to have different types of tape in your pet first aid kit. The two types you'll most want to have on hand are adhesive tape and non-adhesive tape. Non-adhesive tape, also known as a cohesive wrap, won't stick to your pet's skin, which could be useful in certain situations.
Scissors are another useful item for your kit, but make sure you buy bandage scissors specifically. This type of scissors has a blunt end on one of the blades, so when cutting bandages, you won't accidentally cut your pet's skin.
For ocular emergencies, it's a good idea to have some sterile eyewash in your first aid kit. There may be situations when your pet suffers an eye injury or gets foreign matter in an eye. A sterile eye wash will allow you to flush out your pet's eye.
Pro Tip #3: It may sound a bit strange but contact information may be the most important part of your pet first aid kit. You don't want to be scrambling around during an emergency, so keep updated contact information for your regular veterinarian, a local emergency vet contact, and the phone number for animal poison control hotline.
A disaster kit is also an important item in case of a natural disaster. In addition to information on your pet's veterinary care, you'll also want to have information on hand regarding where you can keep your pet in case of a disaster.
There may be times when you can keep your pet with you, in which case you'll want to have a list of pet-friendly hotels both in your immediate area and perhaps even statewide. Or there may be other times when you will need someone to care for your pet like friends and family members or a local animal shelter or pet boarding house.
Having this information unhand during a disaster will greatly reduce the time you'll spend preparing to evacuate, as well as your stress in the moment. Other items for your disaster kit include:
Pro Tip #4: Having your pet first aid kit and your disaster kit together and in a convenient location is also important. You'll save time and reduce stress knowing that these items are intact and ready for service. In other words, adopt the Boy Scout motto: Be prepared!