Veteranarian Provides Emergency Tips For Your Pet

Online, April 27, 2011 (Newswire.com) - As we learned in Leapers and eaters, there are many things that a pet can get into. If you find that the little rascal has ingested something that she should not, be sure to have some hydrogen peroxide and milk of magnesia or activated charcoal on hand, checking the expiration date on the former every six months to ensure that it is not expired.

Always contact your vet or local poison control center before inducing vomiting (with hydrogen peroxide) or treating an animal for poison (with milk of magnesia or activated charcoal). Using either of these is dependent on the animal's weight, and just like with humans, different poisons are treated differently.

Keep an eyedropper or large syringe (without a needle) in the kit to administer oral treatments or to flush wounds. Dr. Courtney Jagger, from the Veterinary Emergency Treatment Service & Specialty (VETSS) in Charlottesville also suggests having a sterile saline spray bottle which you can get at the drug or grocery store; use this to flush dirt out of wounds before you go to the vet.
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Jagger also suggests keeping eye flush on hand (which can be used on wounds instead of the sterile saline) in case debris gets in an eye. Also keep a bottle of water and bowl available to offer water "in case the animal gets overheated while out and about," she said.

Other items to include in the kit are:

Gauze

Nonstick bandages

Strips of clean cloth (for wrapping wounds, controlling bleeding, or muzzling), securing the cloth with adhesive tape; never use human adhesive bandages (like Band-Aids®).

Digital thermometer; do not use a human thermometer because these do not go high enough for animals.

Leash, provided the pet is capable of walking without further injury.

Makeshift stretcher comprised of a door, board, blanket, or floor mat can be used to stabilize the patient and prevent further injury during transport if the pet is not mobile.

However, the most important thing you can have handy for any emergency is the phone number for your vet.

It is always better to be prepared and not need it than to need it and not be prepared. "Expect the best but Prepare for the worst."

Source: http://www.examiner.com/dachshund-in-charlottesville/pet-first-aid-tips-from-charlottesville-emergency-vet

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