9 must-have items in your dog first aid kit
Many people have a first aid kit stashed away in their car or backpack. Knowing it’s there provides a sense of security and “done-ness”. You’ve checked the safety box and now you won’t be needing it! After all, Murphy’s Law says that if you’ve taken the time to prepare, you’ll never need the first aid kit. Sadly, Murphy’s Law isn’t that reliable. If your travels include your dog, your first aid kit needs an upgrade with 9 essential items specific to your dogs first aid needs.
Ready to hit the trails with your dog? We define “trails” pretty loosely here at The Hiking Hound. It includes going for a walk downtown, visiting a dog park, hitting trails up in the mountains or any other activity that involves going outside or getting into a car with your dog. Regardless of your adventure level, be sure you have a first aid kit designed for your dog and packed with the right materials in case you need to help your (or someone else’s) furry friend! Most first aid kits are “almost” right, but you can top them off with 7 cheap and easy additions that are specific to dogs rather than people.
Dogs have an excellent sense of adventure that can get them into trouble. Sometimes the trouble is with gravity when they unexpectedly come to a steep incline and take a tumble in the woods. Trouble could come by way of a fight at a dog park. Or stepping on a piece of glass while walking the city streets. Perhaps a car accident on the way to the park. Other times it’s something that happens as they are intently focused on hunting a “varmint”.
When I was a kid, one of our dachshunds went to ground after a marmot at an old gold mining site high in the mountains of Colorado. She got stuck deep in the marmot tunnel and couldn’t turn around, nor could she figure out how to back up. My parents spent 4 hours digging her out with a pick-ax and shovel…not something you’d normally be carrying in a first aid kit. We just happened to have extra supplies on hand because my dad was a hobbyist gold miner. But that’s not where the story ends. Once the dog was out of the hole, she promptly found a porcupine and ended up with a nose of quills. First aid kit to the rescue while we got down the mountain and to an local vet who was kind enough to come in on a Sunday.
Denis Waitley
“Expect the best, plan for the worst, and prepare to be surprised.
In this article, we’re going to “plan for the worst”, knowing that our goofy dogs will always surprise us!
Many of us go through a blessed life with our dogs and have no serious incidents while out and about. But if your hiking buddy has an accident, you want to have the right materials on hand to provide support to your dog until you can get to a vet.
What kind of dog first aid kit do I need?
It depends on the kind of activities you do with your dog. If you are mostly tootling around town and not too far from your car, vet or animal ER, then a first aid kit that is stored in your car will probably suit your needs just fine. That kit can be a small basic kit since you are likely in town and near a vet. Or you can be thorough and have everything but the kitchen sink since size and weight aren’t a very big factor for a car first aid kit.
On the other hand, if you’re hitting the trails and are hours from civilization, now you have a few new considerations. You’re not going to be near a vet, so at a minimum you want to carry a basic first aid kit when you’re out having adventures with your dog. A basic kit will be fairly lightweight and you can up or down size the minimum items based on the size of your dog. A 30 pound terrier won’t need as many first aid supplies as a 90 pound Labrador.
Either way, you can use the information below to make a first aid kit from scratch by going to your local pharmacy or large grocery store. Or you can get pre-made kits at a variety of online retailers.
The different supplies needed by a person vs a dog
The good news is that a majority of items in a first aid kit designed for a human will also apply to your furry 4 legged friend. Think of it as getting a 2 for 1 deal on your kit assuming you can pack enough into the kit to cover you and your dog if you both need the supplies. If you go the route of sharing a first aid kit with your dog, know that there are a few things to add:
In addition to standard pads, gauze and wraps, these 9 items should be in your dog first aid kit:
3% Hydrogen peroxide: can be used to help a dog vomit. It works on people too…but generally you won’t be eating weird things off the ground in the woods. So just reserve that for your pooch.
Rounded tip scissors or a disposable razor blade: If you need to cut away some fur to get to a wound, either of these will do the trick. If you have a very furry dog such as a Husky or Samoyed, then pack the scissors too.
Honey: Ever been out on the trail and you “bonk”? Low blood sugar can hit hard-playing dogs too. If your dog “hits the wall”, give her time to cool off and get some quick high calorie nutrition. Honey is easy to smear inside the dogs mouth, even if she’s not interested in eating. A few packets of honey don’t weight much and can slide into any size kit.
Cheap skip leash: You’ve seen these at your vets office along with a note saying “please keep your dog on a leash while in the lobby” They are lightweight and double as a collar/leash. Perfect if your dog loses hers.
Water based lubricant: You can put a thermometer in your mouth…but your dog needs it in the “other” end. This makes it more comfortable.
Blood stop powder: More officially known as “styptic powder”, you may have seen this in use by a vet or groomer to stop a toe nail bleed. It is designed to work for large wounds too and can be purchased as a powder in small single use packs or pre-packed into gauze. For use out on a trail and far from home, the clotting gauze or a clotting sponge is a miracle worker for gaping wounds since it stops the bleeding as you apply pressure. You simply bind it in place and the bleeding is unlikely to start again.
Muzzle: Always be careful around an injured dog, even if it’s your own. If you decide not to pack a muzzle, then pack some extra rolls of gauze or adhesive tape for a makeshift muzzle if necessary. Caution: NEVER muzzle an unconscious dog or a dog who is having trouble breathing!
First aid quick guide for dogs: This comes in most commercial dog first aid kits.
Benadryl: Wasp stings and other sudden allergic reactions are common in the wilds (or in the park). While you know your own dosage as a person, your dog’s dosage will be different. This is a place to plan ahead and ask your vet the dosage for your dogs size and weight. Then pack the appropriate amount.
Be creative. What if you don’t have a leash? If you dressed in layers, you have a long sleeve shirt. Take it off, slip an arm sleeve under the collar and use it as a makeshift leash.
No muzzle? No problem. Grab some adhesive tape and/or rolls of gauze and make one that will get the job done until you get help from a vet.
If you don’t want to assemble a kit from scratch, there are a few starter kits that will have a bulk of the main items, then you’ll just need to supplement from the above list. Here is a first aid kit that has quite a bit of the right “stuff” in it. If you’re shopping around and see a “pet first aid kit” that includes band-aides, then you know you’re looking at a people first aid kit that has been rebranded as a “pet” first aid kit. Dogsafe.ca offers a very solid first aid kit that is high quality and designed by the folks who teach dog first aid.
Here are the basic, common items to have in any emergency supply kit that can work for people and dogs:
- Disposable gloves
- Trauma pads in a few sizes
- Wet wipes
- Adhesive tape
- Self adhering roll bandages. Also known as “vet-wrap”. Keep some of these in your house too! It’s miracle stuff!
- Roll gauze (in a few widths)
- Gauze pads
- Non-stick pads
- Antiseptic wipes and/or tube of antiseptic cream
- Instant hot pack
- Instant cold pack
- Saline eye wash
- Tweezers
- Thermometer
- Emergency blanket (those silver ones. If your dog is scared of it, don’t force it on him if he’s getting even more stressed out. Use your coat or something he’s familiar with instead.)
Things to have on you and programmed into your phone and written on a piece of paper in your first aid kit:
Emergency 24 hour vet clinic phone number and address
Your vet’s normal phone number and address
Your phone # and address
Pet Poison Helpline: 855-764-7661 (in the US)
ASPCA Animal Poison Control 888-426-4435 (in the US)
Ever thought about taking a dog first aid course? If not, put it on your to-do list. It’s easy to read about “what to do in case of a pet emergency”. And go a step further by watching videos of how to do CPR on your dog. But being in a real emergency situation with your dog is very different than reading or watching a video. And there are things you CAN’T practice on your live dog. This includes CPR. NEVER watch a video on dog CPR and then try to practice it on your healthy dog!
Good dog first aid courses have dog mannequins so you can get the real practice and muscle memory. Dogsafe.ca is a great resource to learn more.
If your dog does have an unfortunate accident and is in need of recovery, check out some of these ways you can support her recovery at home!
Now you can pack up your first aid kit and enjoy your adventures with your best friend!
Please note that this post contains links to other websites. Some of those links are to studies and sources, while others are affiliate links. Clicking any link will open a new tab in your browser and doesn’t cost you anything! Any sales made through such links will reward me with a small commission – at no extra cost to you. If you like the content here at The Hiking Hound, please consider using the links in this article if you decide to purchase materials or products. The information on this website is not intended to replace the relationship between you and your veterinarian and is not intended as medical advice. It is intended only as a sharing of knowledge and information. If your pet is pregnant, nursing, taking medication, or has a medical condition, consult your veterinarian before using products or processes presented on this website.
