Canine Care: Recommendations for Building Your Emergency Aid Kit

Authored by: NYS Canine Expo Collective

If you travel with your dog or even live quite a distance from veterinary or emergency veterinary care, it may be a particularly good idea to have a well-supplied emergency medical kit within reach.

What you put in your kit may be very specific to the needs or medical condition of your dog(s) OR  if you are in the company of many dogs given your profession or an active canine competition routine or wilderness hiking your kit may be tailored to the environment and/or the company you keep.  This is your kit and your decision what is kept in it.  For instance, if your dog is on regular medication or special food or is already dealing with an injury, it might be wise to keep specific items in your kit just in case you need to provide care if you cannot get home right away.

General Items to have on hand:

  • Tweezers
  • Dry cloth and towel
  • Tick Remover
  • Small Plastic Bag (to collect tick or any other odd insect or item you extract)
  • Sterile Saline Wash (to clean a wound or wash an eye)
  • Wet Wipes
  • Gloves (Latex or Plastic etc.)
  • Small Scissors (or EMT scissors) and Gauze
  • Compression Bandage
  • Benadryl
  • Antibiotic ointment
  • Styptic powder (Celox) or pencil to stop wound bleeding.
  • Hydrogen Peroxide & Needleless Syringe
  • Cold Pack/Hot Pack
  • Jug of Water

If you are considering a kit that addresses wounds or other more serious conditions, you may want to think about adding these to your kit:

  • Super Glue
  • Liquid Skin (for dogs)
  • Skin Stapler
  • Rescue Remedy (stress/anxiety/calming tincture)
  • Activated Charcoal (for poisoning ingestion)
  • Intubation tube & KY Jelly (for bloat)
  • Thermometer (rectal)

Other items that you may find useful in an emergency and/or if you occasionally see dogs running loose or are in areas where they are commonly abandoned:

  • Extra collar and/or leash or slip lead.
  • blanket or towel.
  • Extra dog bowl or portable bowl
  • Muzzle
  • Duct Tape – well, why not!

Whether you are on the road or at home, it is important to have the following information easily accessible for others that may be trying to provide assistance:

  1. Name, Age, Breed, Weight & Other Normal Vitals of your dogs.
  2. Veterinarian Name, Contact Information
  3. Emergency Vet Clinic in your area, Contact Information
  4. Current Rabies Certificates
  5. Family and/or Friend Contact Information in case YOU are injured as well.

The bottom line is that we never WANT TO use any of these supplies, but it is always better to be prepared when or if we HAVE TO.  Who knows, you may be the person who ends up helping someone who has an injured dog or a lost or abandoned dog in distress.   ♥