The morning news and local papers always have tips and advice on how to protect your family and prepare for catastrophic events but you rarely hear about how to do the same for your pet. They抣l mention first aid kits for children, but what about a first aid kit for dogs? Your pet抯 life and health is just as important and valuable as that of the rest of the members in your house hold. In fact if one of the people in your family need first aid assistance they are more likely to be fine than a dog or a cat. The reason simply being that a person can retrieve a bandage or an alcohol swab while an animal cant; therefore it抯 up to you to be ready and able to assist your pet in the event of a disaster. We can improvise your animal cant.
There are many types of accidents to consider that may unfortunately consider. The most common and likely nightmare a dog owner is prone to experience is their pet being hit by a car. This type of thing happens all the time and even to the most highly trained and intelligent dogs. Even if you always keep your pet on a leash accidents happen. You may drop the leash, your dog抯 collar may become loose, or he or she may simply escape from the back yard or through the front door. All it takes for a dog to dart into traffic is an enticing squirrel or a sudden spook.
If your dog is hit by a car an ambulance will not come to your rescue, but what most people don抰 know is that the fire department will. You should always have the direct phone number to your local firehouse saved in your cell phone and land line. While a pet抯 injury is an emergency, calling 911 won抰 get you the quick response you抣l need to save your dogs life. The second thing to do is grab your dog first aid kit. In there will be an 揈mergency First Aid Kit for Dogs Handbook? This will index the types of emergencies you may be facing and explain what to look for and how to respond.
Another common type of accident that plagues pet owners is a deep wound. Since most dogs don抰 wear shoes when they go for walks it抯 not unlikely that they抣l step on a piece of glass or other sharp object. For a child you can simply clean the wound and put a band-aid on it, but that won抰 work for your furry friend. In your dog first aid kit you抣l find Styptic Powder; this will stop the bleeding almost immediately. This powder can also be used if you clip your pet抯 claws too short. A dog first aid kit also contains sterile gauze pads and waterproof self adhesive wrap that will sustain you until you can reach a vets office.
Natural disasters are also something you should prepare for. Food and water are items you should always add to your first aid kit for dogs, and remember to replace these items as they expire. If there抯 a catastrophic disaster such as Katrina it may take time for your pet to get assistance, so you抣l want to make sure you have food for them. Purchasing a life preserver for your pet may also be a good idea in the event of a flood, or if you take your pet boating with you as many people often do.
A dog first aid kit contains the main essentials which you may need when faced with an accident, but don抰 hesitate to add items to this kit as you feel necessary. Some suggestions might be a list of emergency contacts such as your primary vet, and animal hospital as well as the phone number to an animal loving neighbor or relative who may be able to help out if you抮e in a panic. Other items you might want to consider are snap heating pads, an extra collar and leash and while this may sound silly, a familiar toy can sometimes calm a pet when they are in pain. Never keep your first aid kit short on love, and take good care of your precious pal.
