Even though your key priority in a pet medical emergency is to find a certified emergency vet, however arming yourself with the knowledge of how to supply basic pet first aid may prove invaluable in a critical situation . One of the most important things you could do presently is to ensure you have the correct provisions at hand as well as the right information and contact information for a vet, poison control center and area animal shelter. With any emergency situation, having a calm and collected, assertive attitude is crucial, and having a procedure to deal with your pets in case of an emergency, natural catastrophe or family situation will be worth it when you need to make snap decisions.
A well-stocked first aid kit is crucial to any household, and fortunately many of the supplies it includes can be used for attending to your animals' illnesses and injuries. Hydrogen peroxide, sterile saline solution and antibiotic ointment may be applied to wounds to fend off infection while go to get proper medical care. Know how to effectively dress a cut and keep in mind that animals often try to pul off bandages, and since you might need to find methods to keep it in place, be certain you have a lot of additional clean cloth strips, gauze and bandage tape on hand. Get a digital thermometer in your first aid kit because ordinary human mercury thermometers frequently will not register high enough to get an accurate reading on an animal. Other handy things, especially for intestinal illnesses, are Milk of Magnesia, mineral oil, activated charcoal tablets and laxatives that could be suggested by an
emergency vet, but should not be used without getting expert advice first.
Specific animal related items for your first aid kit include an eye dropper and pill dispenser so you are able administer medications. If you have dogs, include a properly-sized muzzle for them, since many dogs when panicked can bite. Injured cats may be wrapped gently in a thick towel so they are not able to run away and hide or injure you while you are attending to them. It is valuable to have a crate for every one of your pets since it is not safe for all concerned for an stressed dog or cat to be loose in the car. If your animal is on certain medicines, ensure you have a reserve bottle in your emergency kit in case you do not have access to your normal supply.
Knowing how to make the right choices in
emergency pet care may be the deciding factor between life and death or avoiding additional injury. A significant factor to remember is how useful water is in handling a lot of pet related situations. As an example, you can distract fighting animals by pitching a pot of water at their heads or showering them with a garden hose. To find out where an animal has been hurt if it is bleeding heavily, washing the cut with clear water is your first response. If a dog or cat appears to be experiencing heat stroke or dehydration, apply cool wet towels to help them reduce their temperature.
