First Aid for your Pet
First Aid Kit for Dogs
Dog owners can treat minor injuries for their pets if they have the appropriate remedies, tools, and equipment available.
- Gauze sponges - 50 four-by-four inch sponges, two per envelope
- Triple antibiotic ointment
- Rubbing alcohol
- Ear syringe- two ounce capacity
- Ace self-adhering athletic bandage - three-inch width
- White petroleum jelly (Vaseline or similar)
- Eye wash
- Sterile, non-adherent pads
- Pepto Bismol tablets
- Generic Benadryl capsules - 25mg, for allergies
- Hydrocortisone acetate - one percent cream
- Sterile stretch gauze bandage - three inches by four yards
- Buffered aspirin
- Dermicil hypoallergenic cloth tape one inch by 10 yards
- Hydrogen peroxide
- Kaopectate tablets maximum strength
- Bandage scissors
- Custom splints
- Vet Rap bandage
Other suggested items are:
- Blanket
- Tweezers
- Muzzle
- Hemostats
- Rectal thermometer
- Ziplock bags
- Paperwork, including the dog's health record, medications, local and national poison control numbers, regular veterinary clinic hours and telephone numbers, and emergency clinic hours and telephone number.
First Aid Kit for Cats
Every home with a feline should have one of these!!! Make sure each family member knows where the Feline First Aid Kit is located, and has full instructions how to call your veterinarian 24 hours a day, in case of emergency.
- Absorbent cotton. It is best to have a roll of cotton and some cotton balls handy.
- Gauze rolls and/or pads. These need to have some thickness to them.
- Gauze tape, for bandaging.
- Hydrogen peroxide.
- Hydrocortisone ointment.
- Scissors, small size, with rounded tips if possible.
- Sterile eyewash solution that is safe for cats and kittens.
- A pair of tweezers.
- A clean, white cotton sock. This is very useful to slip over an injured paw which will help keep the wound and your floors clean until you and your vet can get the bleeding stopped.
- Rectal thermometer
- Syringe
- Unflavored, liquid Pedialyte liquid.
- Several jars of Gerber's baby food, lamb flavor.
- Anti-diarrheal medicine for cats, prescribed by your vet
- A bulb syringe for suctioning out mucous in the nose and mouth
- Flashlight, for examining your cat
It is important to have the telephone number of your vet, and any emergency numbers to call for after-hours or weekend emergencies.
It is a good idea to also have several copies of a release form signed by you, the cat's owner, authorizing anyone in your family (and/or a trusted neighbor or friend) to make decisions regarding your cat's health care jointly with your veterinarian in case you cannot be reached in a timely manner.
