Dog owners can treat minor injuries for their pets if they have the appropriate remedies, tools, and equipment available. The following items were included in a first aid kit that the Cincinnati Veterinary Medical Association gave to police dog handlers at a recent workshop. A home first aid kit needs many of the same items.
- Gauze sponges -- 50 four-by-four inch sponges, two per envelope
- Triple antibiotic ointment
- Rubbing alcohol
- Ear syringe -- two ounce capacity
- Ace self-adhering athletic bandage -- three-inch width
- White petroleum jelly (Vaseline or similar)
- Eye wash
- Sterile, non-adherent pads
- Pepto Bismol tablets
- Generic Benadryl capsules -- 25mg, for allergies
- Hydrocortisone acetate -- one percent cream
- Sterile stretch gauze bandage -- three inches by four yards
- Buffered aspirin
- Dermicil hypoallergenic cloth tape one inch by 10 yards
- Hydrogen peroxide
- Kaopectate tablets maximum strength
- Bandage scissors
- Custom splints
- Vet Rap bandage
Other items:
- Blanket
- Tweezers
- Muzzle
- Hemostats
- Rectal thermometer
- Ziplock bags
- Paperwork, including the dog's health record, medications, local and national poison control numbers, regular veterinary clinic hours and telephone numbers, and emergency clinic hours and telephone number.
