Dog injuries and pet first aid kits, what do you carry?

S

sar5

Joined
Jan 15, 2011
Messages
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Hi gang, I know a lot of you hike and camp with your dogs. Do you carry a special first aid kit for them? And what types of emergencies have you had on your adventures?
Thanks

I'm going to start bringing my dog with on the trail.
:)
 
Good question. I've been thinking about approaching my veteranarian about the possibility of putting together an animal first aid course.
 
I always carry a roll of athletic tape in my pack. I once made makeshift booties for my pup when her feet grew blisters on the trail...literally saved me from carrying her out. The same roll of tape also allowed me to seal up a bone-deep gash in my shin until I could make it to the hospital. Tape can also be used for so much other non-medical things there's no good reason not to carry some with you.
 
I mainly carry neosporin, 3M Micropore tape and good needlenose pliers. The goop and tape are for the humans. The pliers are for cholla spines in my Labradors.
 
Ever since my dog came trotting up to me with about 20 porcupine quills in his face, I've always been careful to include a multitool or needlenose pliers. Luckily I happened to have a multitool in my pack that day, since we were about a 3 hour hike from any kind of help. (getting him to hold still so I could get the one quill out of his palate was the real trick).

Don't forget extra water.
 
I actually purchased a dog first aid kit (because it was cheaper than a human's FA kit) and the contents are the same sterile human products except without any band-aids of course. Lots of wound pads, bandage rolls, tape, saline & peroxide, antibiotic & burn creams, thermometer, tweezers and scissors. -and a leash.

I think a well thought-out human FA kit will include all the essentials needed for FA care of your dog.
 
mushers secret for her paws so they dont get beat up too badly. works all year round and works pretty decently for getting a fire going as well :D


other than that i think the stuff in my first aid kit would take care of the rest.
 
Dogs are prone to eye damage. I learned when training bloodhounds years ago to carry eyewash and eye ointment. Neosporin for cuts and abrasions, benedryl for stings and possible snakebite. I like the non-adhesive stretch tape (forget the name) to help with bandaging and splinting. Low dose asprin can be useful, and a rectal thermometer for longer trips. Good ideas on the pliars/multitools. No porcupines and few cactus here, but dogs can and will find fishhooks and thorns. I also carry one or two packs of sterile prethreded sutures and a disinfectant packet, provodine or betadine.
 
I asked myself the same question a couple years ago when I started hiking with my dog, my main concern at that time was my dog getting bitten by a rattlesnake.

So I asked a friend who is a veterinarian and he told me the most important thing was knowing how to respond to an emergency, especially how to immobilize and carry your dog out of the wild in the event of a broken leg, snake bite or serious injurie. Be sure to carry some kind of strong cord, rope or tape to improvise somekind of stretcher.
Always have an emergency number to your veterinarian and be sure to know your dog, so you can actually notice if it is limping or if it seems in pain. Learn to examine your dog, check under the paws for thorns, any swelling on the legs, always keep it hydrated during a hike. Remember dogs get a little defensive under pain so be really careful.

Other than that, whatever you carry on your first aid kit will be useful for your dog too (only in larger quantitites depending on the size of your four-legged fella), dressing, gauze, bandages, micropore, iodine solution. Be careful about medications, though. Some human medications will work with your dog, however dosis are very different. Be sure to ask your veterinarian about any pain killers or other medications before giving them to your dog.

One practical recommendation, carry some nice tweezers to remove any thorns, if your dog hikes on rough terrain, you may wanna try some fancy hiking boots or be sure to carry moleskin and enough gauze and tape 'cause the cushions undes the paws always get scuffed up. If your dog has a black coat, keep it cool during a daylight hike using a slightly wet white cloth.

Dogs love the outdoors but they're too curious, so always keep an eye on them.
 
Klein makes good needlenose pliers. If you carry the sidecutter variant, you can deal with barbed fishooks better(?).
 
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