Just as you have a medicine cabinet in case you feel sick, it’s good to have basic first aid supplies for your pet as well. Especially since we live in a country where not all areas have emergency vet clinics or even regular vet clinics, it is best to stay prepared.
You can usually find premade first aid kits for your pets at vet clinics or dog shops, however you can also easily make your own customized to your pet’s needs. Items in your pet’s first aid kit will largely depend on their breed, size, age and medical needs (diabetic, etc.) so don’t hesitate to ask your vet for advice on what items to add.
1-Tweezers
Tweezers are great for removing splinters, glass, foreign objects in wounds or even ticks. If you live in an area with many ticks I suggest you buy a tick removal tool, it’s made my life so much easier!
2-Gauze & Medical Tape
Essential for most wounds, you can use gauze as a bandage to wrap an injury and help stop the bleeding. Use the tape to hold it together and apply more pressure to the wounds.
3- Blood Clotting Powder (Styptic Powder)
Styptic Powder has come to my rescue many times, from torn toenails to gashes while playing around. All I had to do was apply some powder to the wound and the blood would stop like magic! A great tool to have in case of life-threatening blood loss.
4- Scissors
Scissors are useful for many things like cutting bandages, a net your pet got stuck in or even if something is caught in their fur. An easy tool to get and useful for so many things.
5- Hydrogen Peroxide
A very important item to have on hand in case of poisoning or obstruction. Get your vet’s permission before you use hydrogen peroxide to induce vomiting (it can be harmful if not used correctly). You can also use hydrogen peroxide as an antiseptic but you should dilute it.
6- Antiseptic
Antiseptic solutions help clean wounds and prevent infections. The most common one is Betadine but make sure your dog doesn’t lick it off since ingesting it can be harmful.
7-Thermometer
A fever can be dangerous if it’s too high so it’s important to know when your pet has one. It’s also an underlying symptom of many illnesses so knowing that your pet is feverish is important for diagnosing them. Make sure to label your pets thermometer so that you don’t accidentally use it for a human!
8-Syringes
Syringes make giving medicine a lot easier and they are also useful to flush out wounds. Moreover, you can use them to help your pet drink water in case they are feeling too sick to get up.
Be Prepared
Having these items ready is great but they can be useless if you don’t know how to use them. Be sure to familiarize yourself with pet first aid using books or online classes. In addition to the items above, you should also have your pet’s medical documents along with the nearest vet details.