We want to make sure that you are ready when your pet needs you! Emergencies can strike at any time, whether you’re at home, running errands around town, or traveling. When they do occur, you should always be prepared with a dog first-aid kit, in addition to your human supplies.
This list will help you assemble everything you’ll need in a first-aid kit for a canine medical emergency or health issue. Be sure to remember to include important paperwork, including a copy of medical records, vaccination records, and emergency phone numbers. Keeping these items in a tool kit or case and easily accessible is essential:
- Latex gloves
- Hand sanitizer or wipes
- Blanket, muzzle, carrier or leash to secure your pet
- Penlight or flashlight
- Cotton swabs or cotton balls
- Rectal thermometer
- Lubricating jelly
- Instant hot and cold packs
- Blunt-tipped scissors or razor for cutting hair and bandages
- Splints and tongue depressors
- Bandaging materials: i.e. sterile pads, stretch bandages, and bandaging tape
- Nonstick and waterproof adhesive tape to secure bandages
- Tweezers (for bee stingers and splinters)
- Magnifying glass
- Grease-cutting dish soap
- Hydrocortisone cream 3%
- Alcohol and iodine swabs
- Hydrogen peroxide
- Benadryl
- Gentamicin/Betamethasone
- Styptic powder to stop minor bleeding
- Antibiotic ointment
- Antiseptic lotion, powder or antimicrobial wound spray
- Water in case of dehydration and collapsible water bowl
- Turkey baster, rubber bulb syringe or dosing
- Copy of medical records
- Copy of rabies vaccination
- Emergency numbers for your veterinarian and poison control
Basic first aid procedures
Remember, a first aid kit is not a substitute for veterinary care.
- To be safe, muzzle your pet. Even the most docile pets may bite when in pain, and it is best to be careful. Ask your veterinarian how to tie a muzzle using gauze.
- Press a clean, thick gauze pad over any wounds, and keep pressure over the wound with your hand until the blood starts clotting. Hold pressure for a minimum of three minutes before checking the clotting.
- Keep the pet as warm and as quiet as possible.
- If you fear there are broken bones, find a flat surface (like a board or stretcher) that you can use to transport the pet from place to place. It’s also a good idea to secure the pet to the surface with a blanket or towel.
- Always remember that any first aid administered to your pet should be followed by immediate veterinary care. First aid care is not a substitute for veterinary care, but it may save your pet’s life until it can receive veterinary treatment.
- Some veterinary emergency hospitals have ambulances. Call your vet for advice on how to transport an injured animal based on your specific situation.
CPR for dogs
CPR for dogs is similar to CPR for humans. These directions assume the animal is unconscious and the risk of being bitten by the animal is not present.
- Remove any obstruction. Open the animal’s mouth and make sure the air passage is clear. If not, remove the object obstructing the air passage.
- Extend the head and give several artificial respirations.
- For large dogs, close the dog’s jaw tightly and breathe into the nose. The dog’s chest should rise. Give 2 breaths.
- For small dogs and cats, you may be able to cover the nose and mouth with your mouth as you breathe. The animal’s chest should rise. Give 2 breaths.
- Perform chest compression.
- For large dogs, you may be able to position the dog on its back and compress the chest just like for humans.
- For small dogs and cats as well as large dogs with funnel chests, you may need to lay the animal on its side and compress the side of the rib cage. Alternatively, you can position the animal on its back and press on both sides of the rib cage.
- The rate of chest compressions varies with the size of the animal:
- Dogs over 60 pounds: 60 compressions per minute
- Animals 11 to 60 pounds: 80-100 compressions per minute
- Animals 10 pounds or less: 120 compressions per minute
- Alternate breaths with compressions. The ratio of compressions to breaths should be approximately the same as for humans – 30:2. Continue doing this until the animal responds or begins to breathe on its own.
*These directions come from Learn CPR, a free public service supported by the University of Washington School of Medicine.
For additional reading on pet first aid, please visit the American Veterinary Medical Association: Emergency Pet Preparedness
Source(s): https://www.akc.org/expert-advice/health/dog-first-aid-kit-essentials/
and https://trupanion.com/pet-care/pet-first-aid
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