A Dog is Man's Best Friend

Like humans, pets can become sick or injured at any time. Broken bones, cuts, poisoning and bite wounds are only some of the possible emergencies that your pet might encounter.   According to pet doctors in urbane scrubs, first aid can greatly improve a pet's condition and prognosis.  For example, broken bones can sever ligaments and arteries of they are not properly splintered; the pet's body can absorb deadly toxins if you don't induce vomiting immediately; and seizures and shocks can occur if you don't stop the bleeding on time.  A lot of things can happen from the time of an accident or injury and the time that you bring your pet to a pet emergency clinic. Aside from keeping a first aid kit for your pet handy, it is imperative to take a pet first aid class to learn the basics of pet CPR, basic first aid skills, and the Heimlich maneuver for pets.  Some pet stores and many animal rescue organizations offer pet first aid courses.


Basic first aid kit for pets


A basic first aid kit for pets should include the following supplies: cotton swabs, gauze pads, four rolls of gauze, two rolls of bandages, hydrogen peroxide (3%), Betadine, two bottles of wound wash saline, three instant cold packs, one large blanket, one small blanket, tweezers, forceps, stethoscope, muzzles, medicine droppers, antibiotic ointment, scissors, medical tape, duct tape, three wire coat hangers for splinting, six washcloths, two hand towels, and one gallon of water.  Medications to be included in a basic first aid kit include buffered Aspirin, Pepto Bismol, Mylanta Gas, Benadryl, Activated Charcoal, Milk of Magnesia, Glycerin Suppositories, and Mineral Oil.  In addition to supplies and medicines, you should always have emergency numbers included and easily accessible or visible in the first aid kit.  Numbers you should include are your veterinarian's phone number, 24-hour emergency vet clinic hotline, and pet poison control phone number.  In the event of a pet emergency, pet owners should always call a veterinarian and keep the first-aid supplies on hand. In a lot of emergency cases, there is no time to run to the pet store to save your pet.           


Special cases

For pets who require medication to survive or who have chronic illness, pet owners should always keep two day's worth of medication on-hand inside the home kit and in the car.  Chronic illnesses and critical conditions in need of medication may include heart conditions, epilepsy, diabetes, and others.

Required skills


It is almost useless to keep first aid supplies and medications without knowing how to administer first-aid.  To save a pet's life, you should know basic first aid skills such as stopping a bleeding by applying pressure on the wound, flushing and disinfecting a wound, administering pet CPR, examining a pet's vital signs and knowing what values are normal, making a splinter for an injured tail or limb, learning the Heimlich maneuver for pets and knowing how to handle a choking emergency, understanding how to use and make a muzzle from scratch, and knowing how to induce vomiting in the event of food poisoning.         

About the Author:

Brent McNutt enjoys talking about urbane scrubs and landau scrubs and networking with healthcare professionals online.