Being Prepared: First Aid for Pets

Many of us have encountered stories about pets that have saved lives. But what about humans helping to save the life of a pet in case of an emergency? It is important to keep a first aid kit for your pet easily accessible both at home and in your car.

If you gather up all the necessary items ahead of time, and pack them in a convenient emergency kit or plastic bag, it could help save your pet's life. Look for a durable water-resistant container that is large enough to hold all the emergency care items mentioned below, including a blanket, bandage materials like gauze pads, cotton, and adhesive tape. Keep a bottle of hydrogen peroxide and anti-bacterial ointment or cream in the kit as well. Your kit should include: muzzles, hydrogen peroxides, cotton swabs, masking or adhesive tape, antibacterial ointment, eyebrow tweezers, gauze pads and wrap, medicine or eye droppers to clean wounds or dispense medicines, a pair of scissors, forceps Kaeopectate diarrhea medication, and Ipecac to induce vomiting in case of poisoned. You might also keep some activated charcoal at any for poisoning or intestinal upset, and blankets to keep your pet warm in extreme conditions. And do not forget your veterinarian's name or number and the telephone number of an emergency veterinary hospital nearby.

If you are planning on a vacation with your pet, it is a good idea to research the town of your destination to see if there are any dangers including poisonous plants, snakes, and also check the weather to make sure there won't be extreme conditions like heat or cold.

Even though prevention is the goal, should the unthinkable happen and your beloved pet is in an accident and hit by a car and killed, you and your family should be prepared for what you must think about next. Even though it is very difficult, if the worst should happen, you and your family need to have a plan for burial and how family members prefer to remember their pet.

Memorializing pets has grown in popularity worldwide, so people now have many more creative ways to preserve the memories of their pets after they are gone. Each state's laws differ, but one popular option is pet cremation services, usually offered through veterinary clinics. This typically costs between $75 and $350 depending on the pet's size.

Should your family choose to receive the pet ashes back from the crematorium, they must decide on private burial of the ashes outdoors, preservation of all or some of the ashes for an indoor urn, or the popular option of using a portion of the ashes to spread outdoors.

Designed to fit almost any budget, you may decide to choose a custom pet keepsake memorial box that is crafted to sit on a table, be kept in a special place on a shelf or mantle or to hang on a wall. There are also unique and artistic pet cremation urns, or engraved stone pet memorials and pet grave markers.

A number of websites are especially for grieving support, such as Peternity.com, who hosts a spot to create virtual pet memorials online to share with family and friends, including written tributes and photographs that honor their pet's memory in the. The important thing is to remember your friend with grace and elegance.

Kristin Gabriel is a professional writer based in Los Angeles, CA who works with Peternity.com, a place where people honor their pets for eternity. Peternity provides custom products including pet memorial
stones and grave markers, pet urns, garden statue pet memorials, pet memorial headstones, pet keepsake memorials, pet portraits, burial boxes, custom engraved glasswork, and other pet memorials. Call 877-PET-PEACE or go to http://www.peternity.com