Recent NewsAccidents and injuries happen to pets as often as they happen to their human owners. The Columbus Ohio kennel specialists here at Noah’s Too have been trained on how to handle just about any pet health emergency. But like you, we are not veterinarians and we turn to them for help when we need it.
Here are some of the items we have on hand for emergencies, and we suggest you have the same supplies at home.
First, make sure you have the phone number to your pet’s primary veterinarian in an easily accessible place, like on the refrigerator or on a list beside the phone. We keep a list of the local vets our customers use available for every pet we care for. We also are very familiar with the animal emergency clinics in our area. If your vet is not associated with an animal emergency clinic, you should take the time to identify the one closest to your home now and note their telephone number and address, too.
Poisoning is the pet health emergency that often provides the most uncertainty for most pet owners. The telephone number for the ASPCA’s Animal Poison Control Center is 1-888-426-4435. Poisoning can happen anytime your pet ingests something they shouldn’t, like a bag of chocolate chips, or a styrofoam container with last night’s leftovers, or a dead mouse in the backyard. We try to keep everything out of reach of the pets, but sometimes accidents happen. Your pet first aid kit should include a 3% hydrogen peroxide solution, which you can buy at any drug store. Administering hydrogen peroxide will induce vomiting in your pet. But before inducing vomiting, make sure you determine that the dangerous material will not cause more damage when it is thrown up. If you are unsure, talk to Poison Control Center or your vet first.
Cuts or lacerations are very common pet health emergencies. Cut the hair away from the wound as much as possible. To control any bleeding, apply pressure with non-stick bandages and gauze. Because of their coat and their sensitive skin, do not use adhesive bandages. Instead, place gauze over the wound and then wrap it with an ACE-type bandage to hold it in place. You should never use alcohol or hydrogen peroxide on a cut or laceration. Also avoid the temptation to use antibiotic ointments or creams intended for humans on your pet.
As gentle and loving as your pet might normally be, an injured pet will often react out of fear or pain toward a caregiver. This makes it important to include simple restraint devices in your first aid kit. These include a muzzle to prevent your pet from biting you. You may also choose to include a lampshade collar, which will prevent your pet from licking a wound.
Take the time to pull together a simple pet first aid kit now and you’ll be calmer around your pet during an emergency.
If your pet has had an emergency recently, be sure to tell the staff at Noah’s Too when you drop your pet off for boarding or for doggie daycare.
Tags: doggie daycare, kennels, pet safety