Pet First Aid

I recently attended a lecture (or seminar, or class, or whatever you wan to call it) given by the American Red Cross on First Aid for Dogs and Cats. Most of the first aid you'd need to give a cat is the same as it is for dogs with slightly different handling techniques. Mainly, don't get your face slashed off, but that's a pretty good rule of thumb in ANY scenario.

Because I care deeply about the accuracy of the information I absorb, I had a lot of questions during this particular presentation. I've been patching up dogs from minor accidents for as long as I can remember and have always used basics from my medicine cabinet. Since they were selling “Pet First Aid Kits” after the presentation, my first question was “Is there a difference between a Pet first aid kit and a People first aid kit?” The answer I got was “Yes,” but with no elaboration. I can only assume this was in order to sell me a new kit. The "teacher" was also there to show us how to accurately perform CPR and how to find a pulse on an animal, even though she admittedly couldn't find a pulse on her own dog. I'll do my best to refrain for any additional smarmy comments, but you may rest assured I won't be recommending anyone spend their hard-earned money on this course. Bear in mind, this is NOT a slam on the American Red Cross in general - just this one particular person who was visibly irritated by the presence of anyone who might question her lack of knowledge on the curriculum she was chosen to teach. Rant over. Moving on.

Because I'm prone to accidents myself, I've got a medicine cabinet overflowing with random items I've accumulated for the past 20 years. Gauze, ointments, pills, ace-bandages, knee braces... you name it, it's probably in there. If something in there doesn't fix what's wrong, it's probably time for a trip to the emergency room. To answer my own question – and one you've probably asked yourself by now – there really isn't much difference between a pet first aid kit and one you may have for yourself.

BUT! Even though people normally have things around the house, most people rarely have a sufficient stock for their vehicles. Accidents are just as likely to happen elsewhere, especially during spring and summer when you may be traveling with your pets to somewhere as simple as the park for a stroll.

I went ahead and bought a “Pet First Aid Kit” for my truck (mainly just so I wouldn't have to waste the time it took to purchase the individual items). I opted for the “fanny pack” version as opposed to the “in a box with a handle” version so that I could strap it to the head rests and not worry about it sliding around in the back where the dogs usually ride. One misstep by my beloved Beau would have smashed a plastic box into a thousand pieces. If you have a place in your car to safely store a box and that's easier for you, go for it. Here's mine:

Now, to see what's IN it:

In this bag, there are three zippered compartments. Everything came in the middle, so I just put things where they seemed most logical to me.

In the front pocket, I have two sets of rubber gloves, and that thing that looks like a pen is actually a tiny flashlight. People who work with dogs for a living are used to being covered in things like vomit, fecal matter, blood, and any other assortment of bodily fluids all day. Eventually it tends to not bother you... but there might be that one accident by the side of the road that's just a little TOO gruesome for bare hands that you've decided to stop and help with. Gloves are almost never a bad idea to have around. And even if you carry a regular flashlight in your car for general safety purposes, having a smaller one on hand might help in case your dog gets something in his ear or down his throat. If your dog is choking on something, you may need to be able to see it in order to safely remove it.

In the back pocket, I've placed the bulkier items that were blocking my view of the smaller items I finally decided to place in the middle pocket. Here we have two different sizes of sterile gauze packets and three q-tips. Just use your imagination on the q-tips; I'm positive there are hundreds of uses for them. As for the gauze pads, it's best to keep several handy if you can. If your dog ever gets a laceration (or cut) that's bad enough he bleeds through one, DON'T REMOVE IT to replace it with another one. If the wound has started to coagulate, you're just going to open it up again by moving any gauze that's on it. Just put a new gauze pad on top of it and keep applying pressure while you're on your way to the vet because at this point, it would seem as though Fido needs some stitches.

Now we've come to the middle pocket where there are all sorts of nifty little gems.

Yes, that's a person on the thermal wrap. As I've previously implied, ALL these materials can be used for people too, because DUH. But whatever. If you live in a region where your dog may have fallen into an icy river, or perhaps gotten himself stuck in a snowbank, this could come in handy. It's quite similar to a huge sheet of aluminum foil; it's VERY fragile so if your dog freaks out and decides he's going to claw his way through it, he will. If your dog is freezing and you need his temperature up, you may want to put a towel (or a blanket if you have one, maybe an extra hoodie or jacket) on him first, then apply this to reflect back any heat. The fabric will keep him from tearing as many holes in the thermal wrap, as well as absorbing any excess moisture.

Next, we have more gauze. This is the long, wrap-around kind that you may need to dress a leg wound, or to secure the bigger gauze patch from earlier if there's a chest or rib area laceration. Most injured animals are going to want to bite, so if you absolutely have to, the longer gauze can also be used for a make-shift muzzle. Make a secure loop around the mouth (avoiding the nose), go back under the jaw, and make another loop behind the neck. This won't really work for a relatively non-snouted dog such as a French Bulldog or a Pug.

I'm forever finding reasons that I need scissors when I don't have some. (Please don't judge my manicure or lack thereof. I work in dog poop. I don't care.) Your dog may get tangled in something. You may need to shorten a rope to tie something somewhere. (Rope wasn't included in the first aid kit and I'm not trying to imply that it should have been. But rope is one of those things that I hate not having when I need it, so that's in a different pocket of my truck.) If you're in an area where there might be people fishing, your dog could wind up with a fish hook through his paw pad. Use the scissors (if they're strong enough) to cut off the end with the hook in order to safely remove it. Also, you're probably going to need these around to cut the extra gauze length from the previous picture.

Tweezers are another thing you always need when you don't have them. I'm not too sure what I think about these plastic ones yet, but I'd rather have a set of crappy tweezers than none at all. Use them to pull out stickers or broken glass, etc.

Of course, you'll need some ointment. If you can't find little packets like these, just get a regular tube. If your dog has long hair, make sure to sweep the fur aside before applying ointment to a wound. The ointment can actually help you “goop” the fur out of the way if you need to get some gauze on top of it.

If you suspect your dog has ingested something poisonous, don't call 911. They're going to yell at you that 911 is for people and hang up. You should call the ASPCA's Animal Poison Control Center for specific directions. Here's the number: 888-426-4435 (Enter it into your cell. Right now.) If you need to get your dog to vomit and can somehow get some Hydrogen Peroxide down his throat, don't forget to make sure the bottle is NEW. If it's been previously opened, it won't have the bubbles in it to make it work. This one is only 4 ounces and doesn't take up much room.

This might help you get the Peroxide where it needs to go:

Next is an ice pack... for when you need an ice pack.

Also, here are some eye drops... for when you need eye drops.

I'll save the picture of the tongue depressor because everyone knows what those look like (not to imply that most of you didn't know what scissors and tweezers are - I'm just tired of loading pictures). “But why would I need that!?” Well, mainly if your dog is choking on something and you're not really sure what it is. As soon as you try to look in your dog's throat, his tongue is going to back up and block your view. In addition to using it for its actual purpose, you can also use one to help build a splint if you have a smaller dog with a leg injury.

Lastly, we have a styptic pencil. The main ingredient in most of these is aluminum sulfate and it's used on cuts. Most groomers use a styptic powder for when they cut nails into the quick to stop the bleeding. (Before safety razors were invented, it was a standard part of shaving kits and was used to heal shaving cuts.) When applied directly to the wound, it constricts the surrounding tissue sealing the injured blood vessels. But be warned: it's gonna burn.

And there you have it! I'm sure there are other things you could find helpful in an emergency but this is a pretty thorough list. Keep in mind, if your dog has a severe injury, PLEASE use these items and methods on your way to your vet or an emergency care clinic.

Thanks!

(I knew I'd think of something later...)

This won't come in any emergency kit but I ALWAYS have some around the house. It's called Vetericyn and can be used to treat almost any wound. Hot spots, rain rot, rashes, post-surgical sites, burns, cinch fungus, ringworm, skin infections, scratches, eye infections, skin ulcers, thrush, and insect bites. The thing I love most about this is that I use it on ME all the time too!