Every year, hundreds of dogs in the UK are involved in road accidents, suffer from heatstroke or swallow poisonous substances. Knowing what to do in an emergency could save your pet’s life. (Bluecross.org)
Personally and statistically not enough of us do. Or have the right equipment
I got a First Aid Kit for Chester in June 2019. After listening to Dr Sophie Bell at DogFest 2019. Just in case. Most of us tend to act "Just In Case" but you never know when you need it! Luckily to this day Chester's never needed it. Unfortunately in October we came across a dog who'd hurt his paw and we did have to use our Kit.
Walking down our favourite path, Autumn leaves in full bloom. Chester is doing brilliant loose lead walking. Me and Little Man are having a lovely walk. (Sorry just setting the scene 😂) Turning round a bend, I see a women and her lurcher (Milo). She was holding his leg, then I could see the blood pouring from his paw! I rush over to help her. We wrapped his leg up in a bandage and got him back to her car. I gave her my number and asked her to let me know how Milo was.
She contacted me a few days later to say how thankful she was, that Milo was fine but had a large cut on his paw from some glass, and was on 2 weeks rest. Seeing Milo hurt reminded me of how important it is to carry a first aid bag for your dog (or someone else's)
Since then I have taken my Kit on every walk.
Our First Aid Kit Contains: 1 x Medical Suit
2 x 20ml Pods of Saline - to wash away dirt and debris from your pet's eyes and other areas; 2 x Medium Dressing Bandages with Ties - to cover an injury; 1 x Foil Blanket - to retain body warmth and help combat shock; 5 x Gauze Swabs - for cleaning up fluid or after saline use; 1 x Microporous Tape - to help hold dressings in place; 1 x Conforming Bandage - for use with suspected sprained joints;
1 x Tub of Clean Eye Round Pad
1 x Bottle of Antibacterial Hand Gel for Me 2 x Pairs of Latex Gloves; 4 x Plastic Pouches - to cover foot injuries and help keep them clean; 4 x Alcohol Free Cleansing Wipes - to clean wounds; 1 x Scissors 1 x Tweezers.
I also want to add Leucillin Antiseptic Skincare First Aid Spray to my Kit. You could also Keep a Muzzle in your First Aid Bag in case your dog gets a serious wound and wont allow you to help him/her (I don't advocate Muzzle use, but sometimes it can be necessary ).
The Blue Cross have a fantastic page for guidance on emergency situations. See below for link: https://www.bluecross.org.uk/pet-advice/basic-first-aid-dogs
At DogFest I was given this Key Fob by Dr Sophie Bell. (@animallovevet) It has stayed on my Car Key's ever since. It is a fantastic resource to have and every dog/cat owner should have one! It has certainly helped us over the last few months.
And remember always have your Vets phone number and your Insurance policy number saved at the top of your contacts! You might never use it, but it's always handy to have.
Thanks for Reading
Sarah & Chester x