Home First Aid Kit for Dogs – Essentials to Keep on Hand
When accidents happen or your dog falls ill, having a mini pharmacy and a first aid kit at home can be a relief. It facilitates emergency care and can be crucial in case of an accident.
Here is a list of items and medications that can be useful to have on hand at home, in the car, and at the summer cottage. Store them in a place you can quickly access and in a location you will easily remember.
Essential products for your dog's home pharmacy
- Disposable gloves and hand sanitizer for you
- Saline solution in a bottle for wound care
- Saline solution in a dropper for eye rinsing
- Chlorhexidine solution for weeping wounds/eczema
- Antibacterial shampoo (4% chlorhexidine)
- Blood coagulant (used for external bleeding)
- Paw balm
- Dog boots/paw protectors
- Honey ointment (for wound care, has healing and antiseptic effects)
- Sterile dressings
- Cotton
- Cotton swabs
- Gauze bandage
- Surgical tape
- Self-adhesive bandage
- Small scissors, tweezers, nail clippers, and tick remover
- Trimmer (to shave fur around wounds or wet eczema)
- Thermometer (take the temperature when the dog is healthy, know the normal temperature, around 38-39°C, 101.0 to 102.5°F)
- Ear cleaning solution (alcohol-free)
- Canned asparagus (given if the dog has ingested something sharp, the fibers in the asparagus encapsulates it)
- Neck collar (inflatable or rigid cone)
- Canikur, Pro-Kolin + or Diarsanyl (for diarrhea, vomiting)
-Oral rehydration solution, for example Oralade
- Canned easily digestible food
Training guide for care steps
In the Petli app's training archive, you will find Handlings 1-5, Counter Conditioning: Sounds, Cozy Coat Care, Brushing Teeth, Open Wide, Dry Paws, and How Does It Feel. Practice fear free handling, proactively train your dog to appreciate care. It really helps in moments critical care is needed.
Preparing the dog first aid kit
Prepare a first aid kit to have on hand in situations where accidents might occur. Purchase a ready-made kit or create your own. Pack the items in a small bag that can be kept in the glove compartment of your car, taken on a boat, placed in a bicycle basket, or carried in a backpack while hiking.
Contents of a first aid kit for dogs
- Saline solution
- Sterile dressings
- Gauze bandage (4 meters)
- Elastic bandage (4.5 meters)
- Surgical tape
- Scissors, nail clippers, tweezers
- Sterile wound wipes
- Disposable gloves
- Blood coagulant
- Absorbent gauze pads
- Pressure bandages (large and small)
- Towels (tape in place for extra pressure in cases of heavy bleeding)
- Antiseptic cleansing wipes
- Cooling bandages
- Heating pad
- Muzzle, rope to make a makeshift leash (a dog in pain can be difficult to help if they become defensive)
Important links and contact details
Read Dog's Digestive Distress: Constipation, Diarrhea and Vomiting. Add contact numbers for the nearest veterinarian, animal ambulance, and 24-hour emergency animal hospital to your mobile phone so you can quickly reach them in a stressful situation.
Written by: Caroline Alupo
Caroline Alupo is Petli's co-founder. She has a master's degree in ethology and is also a trained dog trainer and dog psychologist. She has 19 years of experience as a professional dog trainer. Read more about Caroline here.
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