Owning a pet brings an enormous amount of joy and companionship to our lives, but also comes with the responsibility of ensuring their safety and wellbeing at all times. Just like us humans, pets can get sick or injured unexpectedly. It is always recommended to have a basic first aid kit available for your pet in case of emergencies, until the vet arrives. We've put together a checklist to help you put together your own pet first aid kit.
- Copies of important information: your pet’s details, medical records, list of allergies, proof of vaccinations etc.
- Thermometer: to measure body temperature
- Protective gloves: help keep the wound clean and infection-free
- Bandage scissors: to cut dressing and bandages as required
- Tweezers: useful for removing splinters or ticks
- Emergency accident blanket: to keep your pet warm during emergency travel
- Saline solution: to clean and irrigate superficial wounds
- Antiseptic spray: for cuts, scrapes and superficial wounds
- Cotton wool: for cleaning and applying pressure to wounds
- Adhesive bandage: has great elasticity and adhesion, allowing skin to breathe
- Cohesive bandage: self-adherent bandage that sticks to itself, is breathable and water resistant
- Dressing: multipurpose, non-sterile poultice dressing that can be used for wounds, splints, abscesses etc.
- Gauze pads: absorbent pads to stop bleeding or use as bandages
- Medical tape: to secure gauze or bandages
- Syringes: to administer liquid medication or flush wounds
The basic items for a pet first aid kit are the same, but some items such as bandages will differ in size depending on the size of your pet. While this offers a great guide on how to build your very own pet first aid kit, we highly recommend speaking to your vet about what you should include in your first aid kit. This will make sure your first aid kit is specific to your pet. Don’t forget to keep your kit out of reach from children, and regularly check for low or expired supplies.
The most important thing to remember is that pet first aid kits should be used as a short term solution, before veterinary treatment can be administered. Always keep the phone number and address of your local veterinarian and emergency veterinarian on hand, and contact them immediately if your pet is sick or injured. Here at Woonona Petfoods, we have a range of First Aid supplies for dogs, cats, horses and small animals. We have everything from antiseptic sprays, to bandages, syringes, dressings and more.
