First Aid Kit?

[JAJ2010]

What should my canine first aid kit have? I was thinking some nolvasan scrub, waterproof butterfly type bandages for ears and such, vet wrap, gauze, etc. I just came back from Petsmart, they are completely useless. I spend 30 minutes looking at all the bottles in the dog section, finally asked someone and the only thing they had was a 1/3 of a roll of vetwrap priced at $3.99. I can get a whole roll for $1.99 at a tack shop. I guess I'll be ordering products from online and paying shipping. I just want to make sure I have everything to cover minor injuries that don't require vet care.

[Guest JarBear]

I'm trying to think what all mine has.

Nolvasan, peroxide and syringe (for if you need to get them to vomit), bandage scissors, tick remover (ticked off), tweezers, Neosporin, vet wrap, gauze, telfa pads, cast padding, athletic tape (not as sticky as regular bandaging tape), saline solution, cotton balls, q-tips, a couple of sanitary pads, gloves, flashlight (tiny), digital thermometer, hand sanitizer (for me). I'm sure there are a few more things but I can't think of them right now. Everything fits great in a cheap tackle box. I have one for home and one for the van and they have saved me numerous trips to the vet. Oh...I have a card taped in the lid with numbers for the vet, e-vet, and poison control.

[Guest EmbersDad]

stiptic (sp) powder to stop bleeding. useful if you get the quick when trimming nails.

[ahicks51]

Nonstick pads (that may be the same as Telfa pads, as per JarBear) are important. I also like Kerlix; when we had a dogfight and the foster lost, I was able to throw down a nonstick pad (may have been an Adaptic dressing, come to think of it), bind it in place with a gentleman's dressing and a full roll of 4" Kerlix.

 

I also keep on hand a 12-pack of kid's socks. They're good for covering the entire paw, or if the toe is cut out of the sock it can be used as a "sleeve" for leg injuries.

 

Also on hand: Betadine and a squirt bottle. Coco once ripped open his foot, in this area right between the toes. I irrigated it with dilute Betadine every day, and changed the dressing every 8 hours, padding between the knuckles with nonstick padding and 1/4" waterproof tape. It healed well enough on its own that after 3-4 days I didn't need to cover it with a sock anymore.

 

Honestly, someone on here should just buy a huge case of 3M Vetrap and dole it out by mail- it'd be cheaper than buying it at the store! I don't have a business license to get the REALLY good pricing, unfortunately.

[Guest Greyt_dog_lover]

Towels, extra water, small bag of treats, just a few things on top of everything listed above.

[RobinM]

Ours contains... a rectal thermometer, extra lead, surgical gloves, poop bags, handwipes for ME, iodine pads, iodine ointment, emergency survival blanket (which is in a package smaller than a deck of cards) hydrogen peroxide, stetch bandage, gauze, scissors, tweezers, collapsable water dish, instant cold pack, pet flex ace bandage, emt.

 

This is all in a little bag 9 x 7 inches!

 

I bought it from GEM and we keep it with us at all times.

Edited September 27, 2008 by RobinM

[JAJ2010]

This is all in a little bag 9 x 7 inches!

 

I bought it from GEM and we keep it with us at all times.

 

 

what is GEM? I just bought a bunch of stuff last night on a online medical supply site. I think the rest of my kit can be gotten at the $ store. peroxide, water, etc. I plan to get 2 little tool boxes at Big Lots, one for the car and one for the house.

[RobinM]

sorry- Greyhounds of Eastern Michigan sold a first aid kit and it had all of the above in it (Except for the EMT)

 

I don't remember what I paid but it was more than I would have had I bought it seperately. It was for a good cause!

[rschultz]

lots of 3m wrap!!!! metrojel too

[ElizabethGPAPS]

Your "to go" emergency kit should also have a muzzle in it. Injured dogs don't always make the most cooperative patients!

[Guest Cris_M]

Benadryl. You don't want an allergic reaction to cut off his air supply. Just put the recommended amount in a plastic bag so you don't have to figure out how much to give if the time comes. Then, put some extras in another bag if you are so far out that you can't get to a vet in a timely manner.

[lothianjavert]

Our doggy first aid kit (well, it's all rolled into one w/ the human first aid kit, any meds that are used for both have dosages per human and canine written on the baggie) contains (at least for the dogs):

 

benedryl

pepto bismol tablets (not the chewables)

immodium

buffered aspirin

tramadol

rimadyl

cephalexin

amoxicillin

vet wrap

non-stick gauze pads

medical tape

scissors

hemostats

tweezers

betadine

hydrogen peroxide

syringe

styptic powder

instant hot/cool packs

 

... I'm sure I'm forgetting something that's in there, but that's the basics. It all goes in a small (ish) bright red dry-bag.

[FountainLady]

I also have one of the wonderful first aid kits from GEM .... It has pretty much anything and everything you could need.

 

Unfortunately - I just went on their web site and couldn't find it any longer - they must be out-of-stock on them.

 

I'm glad I bought mine this spring at the Greyhound Event of Michigan.

 

 

[JAJ2010]

Benadryl. You don't want an allergic reaction to cut off his air supply. Just put the recommended amount in a plastic bag so you don't have to figure out how much to give if the time comes. Then, put some extras in another bag if you are so far out that you can't get to a vet in a timely manner.

 

 

didn't even think of that! What's a safe dosage?

[Guest lilwolfe]

Mine for Louie is the same as your standard people first aid kit, with some added stuff:

-sport bandage wrap (purchased at UFA so much cheaper)

-a razor

-eye wash

-benadryl and presidone for his allergy to egg

-syringe for administering fluids if needed

 

There might be a couple more things that are different than your standard human first aid kit. Just can't think of them all off the top of my head.

 

Pretty much I packed louie's for almost anything. Mostly because his middle name is trouble, and he can get himself into a lot of it.

[ahicks51]

What if we came up with a GreyTalk First Aid Kit?

 

If we could condense the individual products into one standard kit, it might be possible to economically purchase the individual components and make a nice, compact collection of... stuff.

[Guest lilwolfe]

that is an awesome Idea I think. It would at the very least give everyone a base to start from.

[seeh2o]

What if we came up with a GreyTalk First Aid Kit?

 

If we could condense the individual products into one standard kit, it might be possible to economically purchase the individual components and make a nice, compact collection of... stuff.

 

Great idea! I have to admit, I'd buy that sooner than a t shirt (I have a million t shirts).

[lothianjavert]

What if we came up with a GreyTalk First Aid Kit?

 

If we could condense the individual products into one standard kit, it might be possible to economically purchase the individual components and make a nice, compact collection of... stuff.

 

True. If the individual items were purchased in bulk, the price would be much less. I ended up doing this w/ vetwrap. It was just much cheaper (though now I have 3 dz rolls of forest green but it gets used for humans and hounds alike, and my guys are famously clutzy, as am I)

 

And a couple things I forgot that are also in my kit:

 

antibiotic ointment

bag balm

bottle of sterile saline

[JAJ2010]

okay so here is a list that I made per everyone's suggestions

 

Thermometer

Vet wrap *bought at http://www.countrysupply.com for 99 cents a roll

Kerlix gauze roll

Adaptic non adhering dressing

Benadine scrub

Syringe

Gauze pads

** All above I found cheap at http://www.allegromedical.com/index.html

Peroxide

Squirt bottle

Cotton Balls

Q-tips

Sanitary pads

Gloves

Tiny Flashlight

Hand sanitizer

Kid socks for paw injuries

Water bottle

Small bag of pup treats

Extra lead

Strip of cloth for emergency muzzle

Poop bags

Triple antibiotic

Emergency survival blanket

Ace bandage

Scissors

Instant cold pack

Benadryl

Medical tape

Eye wash

 

phew! Now just to cram all of this into a teeny tiny tool box. One for the house and one for the car. Thanks for all the help!

 

[Guest lilwolfe]

make sure for the benadryl that you find the correct dosage for you dog. I went to my vet and she instructed me on how much to give my dog louie (a 13lb chihuahua). You don't want to overdose them. When I get home, if I remember I'll post what instructions my vet gave me. I'll also post the instructions for the presidone (an antiinflammatory) that the vet also gave me just in case of a severe allergic reaction. This is an awesome idea everyone.

 

I would also suggest some triangle banadages (like the ones you can find in human first aid kits) because they can be used for so many things.

 

I also keep a couple zip locs in my kit, and one of those ice packs you activate by breaking the packet on the inside.

 

a small blanket (like one of those emergency blankets) would also be good.

 

And as far as storing it all, a tool box, or fishing tackle box would work well. Something where you can keep it all semi organized.

[lothianjavert]

OTC diphenhydramine comes in 25 mg capsules or caplets. I've never seen it in a smaller dose (or any other dose), except for children, but then it's combined in a cough/cold/allergy type preparation. For medium-large dogs, 25 mg is fine, and for a dog the size of a big male grey, more can be given.

[JAJ2010]

Thanks! I'll add the dosage question to the list of thing to ask the vet when we have our first appointment