Emergency Supplies Blog

Veterinarian Judy again.  I cannot resist, it must be my training.  Here are a few tips with respect to pet first aid and triage.  If your pet is injured, first make sure you are in a safe place to attend to your pet.  Keep in mind the basics of emergency health care.  Observe if your pet is breathing?  Does your pet have a pulse?  Does your pet’s gum color indicate shock?  Does your pet response to your voice?   Once you have made thes observations then call your veterinarian and describe the injury or illness, and ask if there is something you can do to help your pet and/or tell your veterinarian that you are on your way with your injured pet.  When it comes to emergency first aid, you want to deal with the most life threatening problems first.  For example, a mouth burn from chewing an electrical cord in not as serious as the fact that your dog has stopped breathing from the jolt.  Internal injures and whole body injuries (like shock) are generally more serious than cuts, scrapes, and breaks.

Below are the top ten triage priorities in order that you should try to deal with them.

 1.  Not breathing or No Pulse.

2.  Not Breathing.

3.  Unconsciousness.

4.  Shock.

5.  Difficulty Breathing.

6.  Chest wound or Chest Puncture.

7.  Severe Bleeding.

8.  Stomach Wound or Stomach Puncture.

9.  Extreme body temperature above 105 degrees or below 95 degrees.

10.  Poisoning or Snake bite.

Nevertheless, most pet emergencies can indeed be solved with a good pet first aid kit.

I suggest you take your pet with you and I would buy a pet emergency kit and supplement the kit with items particular to your pet.

Make sure your pet’s vacinations are current and you have a copy of their records.  You will need them especially if you do decide to use a boarding facility. 

Also, make sure that your pet’s collar has your cell phone number listed on it.  This will prove especially important in rescuing your pet quickly should you become seperated during your emergency evacuation trip. 

With respect to emergeny evacuations for pets you will need to have a place to stay that will welcome you and your pet too.  Your relatives or friends may be able to help you.  I would suggest that you check out dogfriendly.com as they recommend places that have pet friendly accomodations and bring your prepacked pet emergency kit.

I have a pet carrier all supplied with all of my pet’s emergency food and water including portable bowls, first aid supplies,  and all of our pet survival gear.  We keep an empty duffly bag in the carrier along with all of our pet gear.  Basically, we then just remove all of the items from the carrier, put them in an empty duffle bag, and insert our pet and we are ready to go.  

 Buying complete, convienent, and ready to go emergency pet survival food is the best way to always be prepared for emergencies for you and your pet. 

   We use the emergency cat and/or dog food meals as we travel as well.  We bring along our pet travel bowel and some extra water, a few other pet supplies, and we are off.

If you plan to get a pet, there are some things you have to consider before totally deciding you are ready to be a pet owner. Any pet needs tender loving care. This means you are available to their needs almost 24/7. It is no joke to care for a pet. There is responsibility involved.

Pets depend on you for their board and lodging. Like humans, you have to feed them, bathe them, and play with them. You also have to make regular visits to the vet as well as make sure they are healthy.  A pet owner must also have a pet first aid kit at all times in case of emergency. 

Pet emergency kits are an essential part of the survival of pets during emergencies.  The importance of preparing for calamities, not only for yourself and family, but also for your pets has been underscored after a lot of dead pets were found in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, which hit several areas in the southern parts of the United States.  A lot of dogs, cats and even other exotic animals were left in the streets on their own as humans evacuated because of the said hurricane.  It was a sad story but truly, you and your animal will have a better chance of surviving big disasters and emergencies only if you plan ahead. 

Assembling a pet emergency kit is one of the first things you should do to help ensure the survival and happiness of your pet during emergency situations.  Remember that pets are more sensitive than humans when it comes to feeling catastrophes or natural disasters, so there is a big possibility that they will react violently or restlessly before, during and even after the calamity.  Because of this, you need to include pet safety products such as lighted collars, motion activated dog tags and even pet carriers.  Of course, you also need to provide emergency survival pet food and water for your precious pooches, cats, or birds.  It is important that you check the food and water supply of your pets regularly to ensure that they are good when disaster strikes. 

Apart from food and water, your pet emergency kit should also contain pet first aid products, blankets, chew sticks, and even playthings to help them cope during emergency situations.  If you will be staying in evacuation centers, it is a good idea to bring along poop bags to maintain the sanitation of the place.  In case your evacuation place does not allow animals inside for sanitary reasons, you need to make a back-up plan about where your animal can stay. An alternative shelter for your pet is essential for its survival, so do not forget about it.  For your canine friend, there are especially made emergency dog tents available online and in pet stores. Indeed, pet emergency kits are really important if you treat your pet as a member of your family.  When making emergency plans, you have to make sure that you include pet safety products on your list.  Don’t do things the hard way consider your pets needs and get the materials you need for your pets safety.