Pet First Aid Kits
A good first aid kit is a must to be prepared for emergencies. There
should be a first aid kit in your car, at your job site, and in your
home. The more complete your first aid kits are the better you can deal
with emergencies as they come up. The best time to assemble those kits
is now. If you wait until an emergency happens, you will be too late.
If you have animals, then supplies for them should be included in both
your car and your home first aid kits.
The primary objectives of first aid are to relieve suffering, to save a
life and to prevent further physical or psychological injuries until you
can reach or be reached by qualified health care personnel. These goals
will help you assemble your first aid kits. Consider all of the possible
emergencies which can happen.
If you do not want to prepare your own kits, there are very good
prepackaged kits on the market. Peruse their contents carefully so that
you know whether or not the kit is appropriate as there are also kits
which are nothing more than "band aids". You will need to know if the
kit you are purchasing has perishables such as aspirin in it so that they
can be replaced when they expire.
If you decide to prepare your own kits, you will find that many supplies
will come packaged in larger quantities than you find in a single
prepared kit. Divide the packages into the different kits you are
making. Many supplies are appropriate for all kits.
First aid kits should be kept in containers that are labeled as such.
Small containers which can be used for first aid kits can be found as
cosmetic boxes, sewing boxes, tackle boxes, tool boxes, etc. If you
purchase your supplies first, you will have a better idea what size box
you will need to find to store them.
Keep the box in a single location in your house, car and work place.
Everyone should know where it is. If you are the injured party and
unconscious or if you are not present at the time of injury, the best
first aid kit in the world will not help when no one can find it. It
should be stored out of the reach of very young children and pets.
Here are some basic items that all first aid kits should contain.
- Rectal Thermometer - this can be the glass kind or the newer
electronic kind. The electronic ones beep when they are finished
registering a temperature. They are slightly smaller than the glass
kind. They do not break as easily. They can be covered with thin
sleeves to halt the spread of germs. They can also be used as oral
thermometers. They do have a battery which will need replacing and they
are more expensive then the glass ones. [normal canine temperature -
100.5 to 102.5F]
- Lubricating jelly to lubricate thermometer
- Instant hot and cold compresses
- Adhesive tape to secure bandages - both non-stick tape (ie. Dermicel or
another brand of paper tape) and water proof tape
- Blunt tipped scissors (a must for animal first aid - used for cutting
hair away from wounds)
- Bandage scissors
- Splints
- Alcohol swabs to sterilize instruments or small areas of skin
- Antibiotic ointment for wounds (not for eyes) (ie. Betadine ointment,
Bacitracin, Neosporin (for non puncture type wounds))
- Contact lens solution for rinsing eyes, to clean wounds (water can be
substituted)
- Cotton swabs (ie. Qtips)
- Green soap - a mild antibacterial soap for cleaning skin, wounds
- Sterile cotton or cotton balls
- Sterile Gauze Pads (the larger 4" size is better since it can easily
be cut smaller if necessary)
- Rolls of gauze or cling gauze bandage(1-2")
- Hydrogen Peroxide - 10 ml every 15 minutes to induce vomiting in animals that
have ingested a non-caustic poison (syrup of ipecac is not always
effective for animals but should be included for humans)
- Razor blade for snake bites
- Stockingette to protect bandage on leg or foot
- Rubber bulb ear syringe - used for flushing eyes, ears, wounds
- Forceps and/or tweezers
- Self-adhesive bandage (ie. Vetrap)
- Numbers for the Animal Poison Hotline & Poison Control for Pets
(800/548-2423 or 900/680-0000 both numbers charge a fee). The National
Poison Control Hotlines for humans should also be included.
Before you give anyone or any animal any medication, please consult your
doctor or veterinarian about dosage and side effects. The medications and
their dosages in the following list are only guidelines. Remember I am NOT a veterinarian. You should call
your veterinarian for your animals dosages today. That way you
can place a list in your first aid kit with specifics for your pets before
an emergency happens. The dosages are for dogs only unless otherwise
stated.
- Buffered (enteric coated) Aspirin - 5 mg. per pound every 12
hours for pain relief; antiflammatory. [Maximum dosage - one 325 mg tablet/33 lbs (max 2) every 12
hours - for small dogs you might want to use "Half Prin" which is an
enteric coated aspirin with only 81mg.]
[Note - acetomenophin is poisonous to most animals]
- Pepto Bismol - 1 tsp. per 5 pounds every 6 hours for relief of
vomiting, stomach gas or diarrhea
- Di Gel Liquid - up to 4 tbs. every 8 hours for antacid and anti-gas
(feline dosage - up to 2 tbs. every 8 hours)
- Kaopectate - 1 ml per pound every 2 hours for diarrhea (feline dosage
- same as canine)
- Mineral Oil - up to 4 tbs. daily to eliminate constipation (feline dosage
- up to 2 tsps. daily)
- Imodium AD 2mg - 1 caplet per 30 lbs every 8 hours to relive diarrhea
- Benadryl - up to mg per pound every 8 hours to treat allergies,
itching, etc. Can also be used as a tranquilizer when the dosage is
reduced. (feline dosage - same as canine dosage)
- Dramamine - up to 50 mg every 8 hours to reduce motion sickness
(feline dosage - up to 10 mg every 8 hours)
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