Pet first aid kits a good idea
Assembling required supplies could be crucial

Assembling required supplies could be crucialThere are few things more stressful to a pet owner than having a medical emergency arise with a pet and not being able to deal with the situation.
This is especially true for the dog handlers of the Top of Texas K9 Search and Rescue Association. Because the team generally trains in remote, rugged areas of North Texas, they could be miles from professional veterinarian care if one of the search dogs should become injured or sick. To help these SAR dog handlers be prepared for canine medical emergencies, the Faith City Kennel Club, with the help of area businesses, has assembled impressive canine first aid kits that the handlers can carry during training exercises or actual searches. The businesses and groups that generously contributed to this project were: Faith City Kennel Club and members, United Supermarkets, Walgreen's Drug Stores, Petco, Ayres Welding, State National Bank of Holliday, Animal Hospital, Callfield Companion Animal Clinic, Colonial Park Animal Clinic, Brookshires Grocery Stores, Laurie Darman-Owen and Texoma Pet Sitting Professionals.
You do not have to be a search and rescue dog handler to need a pet first aid kit. Any pet could require medical attention at home. Assembling such a kit for your pet is fairly simple.
Before gathering the contents of a pet first aid kit, remember that these kits are not meant to replace proper veterinarian care. Consult your own veterinarian concerning the appropriate use and dose of any medication for animals and learn the side effects and adverse reactions that could occur. Remember, if your pet becomes sick or injured, always have your veterinarian's telephone number available and immediately seek professional medical care. The best that any pet owner can hope for is to stabilize the injured animal and make it as comfortable as possible until he can get to his vet.
Dr. Joe Wurster of Colonial Park Veterinarian Clinic says that the No. 1 item that all pet owners should have as a part of their pet first aid kit is their car keys. Wurster adds that as soon as you know that you have a medical emergency, get to your vet as quickly as possible. In many medical emergencies, time is critical.
The first thing you need for a first aid kit is a suitable container. A fishing tackle-type box or small plastic toopoundox can serve this purpose well. With a permanent marker, label the outside of the box "Pet First Aid." In an emergency, someone else might have to locate and use the kit. Tape a card inside the box lid with information about you and your pet, including your name, address, telephone number and any other vital personal information for emergency personnel. Also include the name and telephone number of an emergency contact person. This is someone who can be contacted to take care of your pet if you are incapacitated. Your pet's name and any information about any medications the animal might be taking and any allergies or significant medical conditions it has should also be written on this card. Do not forget to include the name and telephone number of your veterinarian.
On a second card, list the common medications in the kit, their general dosages and the specific dose for the weight of your own dog. Using my SAR dog, Ammo, a 75-pound Labrador retriever, as an example, I might need to use the following items in the kit:

• Muzzle: Even the best-trained dog could bite if it is in pain.
• Benadryl: 1-2 milligrams per pound, every 8 hours (75-pound dog, 2-4 25 milligram tablets every 8 hours)
• Aspirin: 5 milligrams per pound every 12 hours (1 325-milligram tablet per 75 pound dog per 12 hours)
• Hydrogen peroxide to induce vomiting: 1-3 teaspoons every 10 minutes until dog vomits
• Pepto-Bismol: 1 teaspoon per 5 pounds per 6 hours (3-4 tablespoon per 75 pounds per 6 hours)
• Kaopectate: 1 milliliter per 1 pound per 2 hours (3-4 tablespoons per 75 pound dog per 2 hours)
• Imodium: 1 milligram per 15 pounds 1-2 times daily
• Mineral oil (as a laxative): 5-30 milliliters per day

In addition to these medications in your kit, the following items should also be included:

• Cotton gauze bandage wrap: 1.5-inch width, 3-inch width
• Vet wrap: 2-inch width and 4-inch width (4-inch is sold for horses)
• Ace bandage
• First aid adhesive tape
• Cotton gauze pads
• Regular Band-Aids
• Cotton swabs or Q-tips
• New Skin liquid bandage (useful for patching abrasions on pads)
• Iodine tablets (if you hike and camp in areas where the stream water may not be safe for consumption without first treating with iodine or boiling)
• Oral syringes (for administering liquid oral medicines, getting ear-drying solution into ears, etc ... Very useful!)
• Needle & thread
• Safety pins in several sizes
• Razor blade (paper wrapped for protection)
• Matches
• Tweezers
• Hemostat (useful for pulling ticks, thorns, large splinters, etc)
• Small blunt-end scissors
• Canine rectal thermometer (get one made specifically for dogs)
• Antibiotic ointment (such as Bacitracin, Betadine, or others)
• Eye rinsing solution (simple mild eye wash)
• Small bottle of isopropyl alcohol (rubbing)
• Alcohol or antiseptic wipes (in small individual packets)
• Small jar of Vaseline
• Specific medications your dog may need (for allergies, seizures, etc.)
• Copies of your dog's vaccination records, including a copy of the rabies certificate from your veterinarian, should also be contained in your kit

Go through your kit at least once a year. Replace expired medications, replenish used supplies, and update information about your pet. A good time to do this could be on your pet's birthday or adoption date.
In addition to the first aid kit, the emergency contact and veterinarian information should be clearly posted on your refrigerator door at home. Emergency personal are trained to look in the refrigerator or on its door for emergency information. A pet owner never knows when or where he may become incapacitated and someone else may have to care for his pet.
While there are books that you can read about pet first aid, I suggest that every pet owner should attend the American Red Cross's Pet First Aid course. This course is inexpensive and is taught by trained instructors. The book used in the class is an excellent home reference for giving proper medical attention to your pet.
Just because your pet might not be exposed to the potential hazards of search and rescue does not mean it could not fall victim to medical emergencies. Although I can count on one hand the number of times I have had to use my pet first aid training, it is worth the peace of mind to know that my household is prepared for almost any pet medical emergency. By the way, giving a pet first aid kit to a pet owner would make a wonderful gift any time of the year.
A special thank you to Kinko's for supplying identification cards for the Top of Texas K9 SAR Association's dog handlers, their flankers and, most important, for the search and rescue dogs