First Aid Kit

[Renee750il]

LC212 reminded me of something in a post at one of Ali's photos. The vet clued me in on something very important to have on hand for your dog, particularly in the spring and summer months: Benadryl. Dogs are notorious for snapping at bees, wasps, hornets and any number of stinging insects that can cause a potentially life threatening reaction. My Bear got hold of a hornet and his nose and mouth started swelling. The vet told me to give him Benadryl. This is the important part: ONE MILLIGRAM PER POUND OF BODY WEIGHT. I started with half that dose, as I generally try not to overmedicate, and it worked quite well. He weighed just over 100 pounds, so I gave him (2) 25 mg capsules. The swelling went down quickly and the pain seemed to be alleviated as well.

DO NOT, I REPEAT, DO NOT GIVE BENADRYL TO YOUR CAT. It is only safe for dogs. Check with your vet the next time you talk to him or her as well and get the okay to give it to your dog if you should ever need to.

[Danielle]

What are some other essential items that you should have on-hand in an emergency kit for your dog?? It's always good to be prepared so I'm hoping someone could give me a useful list?!

[Debi]

I'd also appreciate a list. My vet is an hour away, so it would be good to have things on hand to treat as best you can prior to getting to the vet.

Benadryl is such a good thing to have on hand. THANKS!!!! :D

I suppose the usual things such as bandages, etc., but would you wash out a cut (exception would be a puncture wound) the same way you would for humans? Would you ever use anything such as peroxide?? or should you just not touch anything and get to the vet a.s.a.p.?

[Renee750il]

I'm sure that with all the experience and smarts on this forum we can compile the essential Canine First Aid Kit.

Benadryl - 1/2 to 1 mg per pound of body weight
Betadine
Neosporin Ointment
Hydrogen Peroxide (yup, Debi, wash out those cuts)
Sterile solution eyewash
Bandages
Bandage tape
appropriately sized splint (to immobilize a limb on the way to the vet)
Aloe Vera gel (burns)
Sterile gauze pads (to clean wounds, etc.)
Ice packs (in the freezer, lol)
Ascriptin or other enteric coated aspirin

There's a start. I should know what to use to induce vomiting, but I'm really not sure. We'll have to do some research on possible poisoning first aid . . .

[Renee750il]

Here, Gus! I knew there was a thread like this in here ;)

[Gustav]

Thank you muchly!! :D

[Ash47]

Renee,
Recently my boss told me that you should never use Peroxide to wash out the cuts on anythings' skin. Be it human, dog, cat, monkey... The Peroxide has an adverse effect, and cleans out the wound so much, that it works against the white blood cells and kills them. We use a "miracle worker" at work called Nolvasan. I am not quite sure where you get it. Maybe you could google it. But you dilute it in water and put it in a squirt bottle. It thoroughly cleanses the wound and doesn't burn.
But, Peroxide is what you do use to induce vomiting. Had to use it on Roxy when she ate a Flinstones Vitamin. You give a 1/4 teaspoon or 1/2 or whole teaspoon every 15 minutes until the vomiting occurs. The only restriction is do not do this when the dog has swallowed a poison such as Anti-freeze. That would be an instance to go to Emergency Clinic for them to pump the stomach.

Hope this all helps!! :-)

[bubbatd]

Renee.... your list is equal to mine....I also have pepto bismol tablets on hand , but have only had to use it on one dog. There was a hotspot lotion I always had, but since using flea stuff haven;t had on hand, It's so much safer to be ready !!!

[Renee750il]

The reason you use peroxide, especially on deep cuts or punctures, is because the "bubbling" of the peroxide helps to remove debris and even some bacteria that have been driven into the wound. If there's debris in the wound and it's not cleaned out you can end up with an infected wound that has to be lanced open, drained and cleaned out again - an expensive, painful proposition. A healthy body makes more white blood cells and sends them to the area where they're needed to fight infection, so eliminating some that have made their way to the wound opening just isn't that critical. Better to get a thorough cleansing first. If someone really doesn't want to use peroxide, you can get a syringe full of clean water and irrigate the area thoroughly, but you'll have to check carefully to make sure you've gotten any debris removed - which can be difficult with a squirming dog ;)

[Renee750il]

Oh! I should add Phazyme (simethicone) capsules to that list - for gas.

[Gustav]

I alway have Peroxide!! It's is as Renee said very good for killing Anaerobic bacteria! (Bacteria that thrives on having no oxygen!) It flushes the wound with oxygen thus killing off all the nasties!! I always have it in stock for the horses feet!!

[Ash47]

Yes, that's the same thing I always thought too. But my boss is a veterinarian. I work at a vet. And he said never to use Peroxide because it kills the white blood cells. The safest thing to use is Nolvasan.

[Renee750il]

Mine uses hydrogen peroxide . . . as does our large animal vet. Guess they have different opinions on the science :D

[Renee750il]

I'd forgotten I had this link. Lots and lots and lots of first aid info! http://www.lowchensaustralia.com/health/firstaid.htm

[Ash47]

Yea you are right Renee. They can just agree to disagree! LOL

[Rutlish]

I just published a new site called Dog First Aid 101 (http://dog-first-aid-101.com). Much of the information is about preventing injuries, poisonings and illness, and preparing for the ones that do happen. I have an extensive list of first aid supplies at http://www.dog-first-aid-101.com/first-aid-supplies.html .

I hope you find the list, and the site, useful. While the Prevention and Preparation sections are fairly complete, the Symptoms and First Aid sections are works in progress, as I continue to add pages about specific injuries, illnesses and poisonings.

Jeff

Save your dog's life with dog first aid.

[1sweetnopichick]

On humans you can use a salene solution to clean out wounds - it's pain free and numbs to an extent...do you think that would that be safe on animals to use for cleaning? When I got my tounge and belly button pierced and when I had "spots" cut out that the dermatoligist thought was cancer all those were celaned by salene solution (can be homeade with sea salt (NOT TABLE SALT!!) and water or you can use a salene contact lens cleaner or you can get it from your dermatoligist). My piercer and dr both recommended not using peroxide or alcohol because they said it would just irritate the areas and cause more problems than good. I don't use alcohol other than to clean with and steralize jewelry but I do still use peroxide, just not on sensitive things like that. I think I would keep a bottle of salene solution too just incase.

[dogdaypets]

It's been reported not to use peroxide on a "bleeding" wound as it will prevent clotting to the area, which means your dog could actually lose more blood than he would if you didn’t use the peroxide at all.
In fact, the best way to treat a deep, severely bleeding wound is to apply a clean cloth and hold it in place for five minutes, then tape the cloth to the wound.
That original cloth should never be removed – that also slows clotting – and should instead be layered with more clean cloths if blood soaks through.

I have a free report available for my fellow Chazhounders (Is that a word?) on Doggie - ER at http://www.dogdaypets.com/doger.html

[Solodog]

It's also important to note that Benadryl is a brand name that produces other allergy products that contain nasal decongestants (Pseudoephedrine HCI) and the pain reliever Acetaminophen (tylenol) which can be lethal to dogs. Make sure you ONLY use Benadryl Allergy (Diphenhydramine) -in the pink box. And unless you are good at reading labels, stick to the Benadryl name -avoid generic products which might confuse some people.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v344/SugarPapa/200.jpg

[MyDogsLoveMe]

Good job Renee your list is also pretty close to mine, but I have to laugh because the list you gave for animals is what I have in my regular first aid kit. :)

[reddogdesigns]

We sell a canine first aid kit at our online store (www.exodusbreeders.com), but I can see that it might be a good idea to add a few more items to it. Thanks for some insight.

[lpollockandrsn]

One other thing that is very helpful in the case of small breed dogs or diabetic dogs is to keep karo syrup on hand or glucose in a tube. In the case of severely low blood sugar, rubbing a bit of this on the dogs gums can save their life until you can get it to the vet to be stablized.
Very young small breed dogs can become hypoglycemic very easily if they don't eat well or go to long between meals. Diabetic dogs may be overdosed on insulin if they haven't eaten well and their blood sugar is not checked regularly. Either of these conditions can result in a life threatening coma and requires immediate help. Karo syrup or glucose is a must for any first aid kit.

[Doggie Meister]

Actually your boss was right, sort of...

Peroxide aids in reducing blod clots of the wound and therefore
should be used sparingly, especially on large wounds.

It should however be used to wash around the wound as it does
remove blood better than plain water, and alcohol burns your pup.

Ear wounds are very serious, especially penetration wounds, as the
ear has a significant number of blood vessels and bleeds easily. Simply
apply pressure to these wounds until the flow stops. Peroxide is
definately not an item you should use for ear wounds OR on cuts that
are more than 1/2 inch or deep.

I recently wrote an article on my blog that includes "dog emergency pack"
and some other dog emergency info.

My dogs are almost human and I treat them as such, I'm sure you do too.

By the way, this also goes for people, except we're only a little smarter
than dogs so we can pay more attention to our wounds.

[iamnotbri]

Anyone Here Right Now? Come Respond To My Post Plz About A Leg Injury!

[iamnotbri]

Plz Someone Respond To My Post If Anyone Is In Here My Dog Is Hurting!!!!!!!!!!!

[wilford]

I think this is the best for our own pet dogs and cats..

Accidents may happen unexpectedly any time of the day..So its better to be prepared at all times..

http://www.first-aid-product.com/consumer/consumer-product-images/pf-432fr.jpg

[wilford]

"The normal body temperature range for adult dogs is 37.5-39.2 °C (99.5-102.5 F°), taken in normal room temperatures for a resting dog."

"There are many different types of thermometers; each model has an optimum time needed to complete the job."

"The most common inexpensive thermometer choice is a rectal "mercury" thermometer. These days, manufacturers have replaced the mercury inside with a non-toxic red liquid. This non-mercury type is the safe model to use. For most accurate use, slide it into the rectum so that almost all of it is inside. Keep a hold of it, or use one with a string or tape attached to prevent loss of the instrument! If it feels like it has entered some stool (high resistance), remove it and replace it. Accurate readings require the thermometer to be along the rectum wall. Make sure that the dog is restrained so that sudden movement cannot occur. Thermometer breakage can occur if an active dog moves vigorously. Apply a thin layer of lubricant before inserting. Vaseline® or water-soluble jelly will do. Make sure the thermometer is properly cleaned between uses by a soapy wash, then a wipe with alcohol. Many people prefer to wear disposable gloves while taking a rectal temperature. This is a good way to prevent soiling of hands. If gloves are not worn, it is important to remember to wash hands carefully with soap and water afterwards. This type of thermometer usually requires between one and three minutes to stabilize. If the temperature is not going up within a 15 second interval, you can generally assume it has reached the correct temperature reading. Remember to shake down the thermometer before each use. Not doing this is a common source of error. It should be shaken down adjacent to the lower end of the scale, not just back into the normal temperature range if the last registry was in a fever range. Many find reading a traditional thermometer a bit of a challenge since it often needs to be rotated to view the liquid core, and interpreting temperature readings between the marks can lead to inaccuracy."

"If there is soiling on the outside of the thermometer, remove this material before taking the reading to ensure an unobstructed view of the core."

[adoptacanine]

What are some other essential items that you should have on-hand in an emergency kit for your dog?? It's always good to be prepared so I'm hoping someone could give me a useful list?!

Hi all.
Here's a full list of what to have in a first aid kit for dogs:
http://www.dogs-4life.com/first-aid-tips-that-may-save-your-dog-s-life.html

Hope it helps

[EbonyDal]

I would like to add to the first-aid list, Vetrap [or equivalent], its a roll of self-adhesive bandage that will go on and stick to itself as you wrap it. Very useful in a hurry.

[squirtsmom]

Excellent thread.

[bubbatd]

^^^ I agree !! The only thing I would add is a tranquilizer or a shot of brandy for the owner !

[tomncp]

Thank you...Renee... for your suggestion on First aid Kit..

Dog Health (http://basicsdogtraining.com/)

[vckloong]

Hi guys,

I am new here and learning about dogs and dog training. I am also blogging about my journey in learning about dogs in http://www.dogtrainster.com

I want to know how we detect whether our beloved dog is ill?

Is it also okay if we administer human medicine to dogs?

Thanks in advance.:)

[Zoom]

You'll be able to notice a difference in how they're acting, maybe they're not eating like normal, their pooping/peeing schedual is different and what comes out is different looking/smelling than normal. Changes in panting, drinking, playing, how much attention they want....these can all signal a change.

You can give human meds to dogs, but it really depends on WHAT you're wanting to give and why. It's always best to check with your vet before administering any medication.

[jennakat111786]

"There's a start. I should know what to use to induce vomiting, but I'm really not sure. We'll have to do some research on possible poisoning first aid . . "



my grandad used to tell us to give your dog a raw egg... it wont hurt them and it induces vomiting should they ever swallow something hazardous like poison... he has used this on his dogs for years anytime theres a stomach problem... he gives his cats raw eggs to make their coat shiny... cats will lap it up bc it doesnt effect them the way it effects dogs... cats do not throw up by eating raw eggs(at least mine never have and my grandads cats never have) but dogs will not drink them on their own you have to pour into their mouth like you would a liquid medicine.

[PoodleMommy]

raw eggs should not cause your dog to throw up.

Lots of people feed their dogs raw eggs as part of their diet.

[goosey]

That's a good idea. I would have never thought of that for my dog.

Mac's crazy on any flying insect.

[mrandrei]

Nice suggestions on what should comprise a Canine First Aid Kit. I think I should buy or make one for my dog.