Many people take their pets camping with them. You may be one of those people but do you have a first aid kit for your pet? Well if you take your pet camping, here are some things you will need to be sure you have with you.
- Scissors are useful if your pet has long hair and he gets tangled somewhere or his fir gets all matted.
- Tweezers come in handy if you need to get splinter or other things out of a wound that your pet may have sustained.
- You will need a digital thermometer but you need the fever kind. This is because the temperature scale #’s on a regular one do not go high enough to accurately take the animals temperature. You also can only take your pets’ temperature rectally.
- Gauze is needed to wrap any wounds your pet may sustain.
- You will need a paper that is kept in the kit with your vet’s phone number along with the phone number for the local emergency vet clinic. Also important is the phone number for the animal poison control. Their phone number is 1-888-426-4435.
- Pack extra towels in case you pet is bleeding. You can use the towels to control the bleeding. You can also use towels to protect wounds on your pet.
- Hydrogen peroxide is used to induce vomiting. It is very important that you contact your vet or the animal poison control center BEFORE you attempt to induce vomiting. This is used when your pet may have swallowed something poisonous.
- Toenail trimmers for pets can be used when your pet may have a torn toenail.
- Antiseptic wipes need to be the non stinging kind such as betadine. This needs to be used on open wounds to protect infection. Do not use rubbing alcohol on your pets open wounds.
- OTC antibiotic ointment can be handy to be used for minor skin wounds. Do not use on or near the eye area. It is important to read the direction carefully.
- Talk with your vet about getting prescription pain relief medication for your pet to keep in the first aid kit and to be given on an as needed basis. Do not ever give your pet human OTC pain meds such as Tylenol. Some of these meds can be fatal to your pet.
- Latex gloves are used for your protection if you are handling a lot of blood or an open wound on your pet.
- Ice and cold packs can be used to cool your pet’s skin if they are burned. They can also be used to keep your pet warm if they are hypothermic. Do not use either of these directly on the skin but instead place a cloth in between the pack and the pet’s skin.
- A plastic or metal box that is sturdy will be needed to keep all of your pet’s first aid supplies.
What else would you add to your list?
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