Well, spring teased us for a few days so far but today it’s a chilly 22 degrees out. Nevertheless, there are plenty of people ready to enjoy the great outdoors with their canine companions. One of the things we did during class and which fell into the category of “Well, I never would’ve thought of that!” was put together a first aid kit for our companions, containing:
- Heat Patch
- Empty plastic bags
- Cold Patch
- Baggie containing sanitary napkins for pressure bandage, sitting on top of towel
- Disposable gloves
- Cotton balls and q-tips
- Leash and pick up bags
- Baggie with eyedroppers and medicine syringe
- Wound wash, antibiotic, and hydrogen peroxide
- Safety pins
- Baggie with thermometer, safety scissors, tweezers, styptic pencil, and nail cutters
- Petroleum jelly and alcohol
- A variety of sterile pads
- Wound wrap
- Bandage tape
- Hand sanitizer
If you take trips or enjoy the great outdoors together, you may want to keep a subset of these items in your car’s first-aid kit (towel, wound wash, wraps, and large sterile pads, along with the location of the nearest emergency veterinary hospital).
And on a similar note, the MSPCA has recommendations for a disaster preparedness kit for your companions. Remember, the Quabbin Reservoir could rupture again or another hurricane could strike, and you’d be mighty glad to have this.
