Having a dog comes with its fair share of responsibility, from providing him with a safe and comfortable place to live, to giving him enough daily exercise for his breed to giving him the loving kindness he deserves.
Your dog may be superman in your eyes, but without proper direction, he is mostly helpless. Being prepared for when an unexpected disaster, accident, or injury occurs could be the difference between the unthinkable and the entire pack coming out unscathed.
Dog Urgent Care Kit
The Three Disaster Necessities
When figuring out how to pack for the unexpected, having a designated emergency area in the house will ensure that nothing important will be forgotten and that you can gain access to it quickly. The area should be near an exit and largely unobstructed.
Water
Those who grow up in the flatter part of the United States know that when tornadoes are brewing, it's time to draw a bath.
That may sound silly to those whose only memory of tornadoes involve a tin man and The Wicked Witch of The West, but holding fresh water is paramount in unpredictable situations - as your water line may be the first thing to go.
In any tenuous situation you may find yourself in, water is the most important thing for you and Fido to have more than enough of.
Pack a 10 gallon tank of clean water, including a collapsible bowl
Medications
While many would consider food to be the next most important area to pack for, it is not the next immediate need to plan for. Like humans, some dogs rely upon medication to stay healthy. Some canines conditions can deteriorate quickly without necessary medication.
If your dog has an illness that requires daily medication, be sure to have extra meds in an insulated and easily accessible bag.
Food
Outside of water and medicine, food is the most important thing to consider for your doggo's survival. Whether you're running from a flooded town or escaping a house torn asunder, Fido has gotta eat, and he doesn't have to eat poorly in this scary interim.
Your dog deserves the best food, and we are sure you dedicate yourself to putting only the best on the pupper's dinner menu. There is excellent quality dog food in both kibble and wet, if you are used to buying dry kibble, explore the wet food aisle of your local pet food store and find the most shelf stable, and nourishing meals available.
Shelf stability is extremely important, you don't want to find yourself debating whether moldy dog food is better than no food at all.
Vaccination/Medical Records
In any disaster situation, tensions will be high. Being as transparent as possible is key to overcome inter-personal conflict regarding your fur-baby.
Be sure to have a hard copy of emergency contact information and up-to-date vaccine records, detailing rabies, parvo, and kennel cough vaccinations, as well as all other medical paperwork your vet has provided. Spend the extra couple dollars to laminate this precious paperwork - it could be the difference between your dog making it out okay and animal control taking him away from you.
Preparing For An Unexpected Dog Injury
If your canines are anything like mine, they get themselves into all kinds of trouble. From pushing their nose into anything that gives off any kind of weird scent, to treating the living room like a ninja-inspired parkour theme park.
Accidents happen, and so does dog on dog aggression.
Whatever injury has befallen your dog, it is important to be properly prepared and have an urgent care kit.
Antibiotic Ointment
There is a reason most high quality dog toys are made of material stronger than the rubber used to make tires - a canine's jaw is extremely powerful. As such, if your dog was unfortunate enough to be bit by an aggressive dog or had some other skin puncturing incident, you need to act quickly.
Before opening up the ointment, be sure to clean the dogs wound with a wipe or water and a dog friendly soap, such as Dr. Bronner's soap.
After thoroughly cleaning the wound, administer enough antibiotic ointment to coat the affected area. This works to kill surface bacteria, preventing it from entering the blood stream and the wound becoming further infected.
Whether Fido has a small nip behind his ears or a large gash, it is imperative to clean and doctor the wound. It is important to note that human grade probiotic powder for dogs should be taken immediately after the ingestion of an antibiotic, as they kill both the good and bad bacteria.
Pack a veterinarian approved antibiotic ointment and dog friendly soap
Gauze, Tape, and Scissors
After properly dressing a wound, it is necessary to remember that dogs never quite made it to 7th grade biology and wouldn't know bacteria from a pinecone. If you do not wrap the dressed wound, your dog could quickly reinfect the area and get severely ill all the same.
Cut a piece of clean cotton gauze that will cover the entire affected area and wrap it with a wound dressing tape.
Your canine is likely a curious little guy and will hesitate at the chance of nibbling away at this newfound accessory. There are many for-canine bitter tape rolls that work to cling to fur and keep his curious snout away from.
Be sure to cut a generous portion of the tape - wrap the wound tightly, without cutting off circulation. Your mission here is to maintain pressure, keep the antibiotic ointment touching the wound, and preventing outside bacteria from entering.
Pack 1 spool of dog fur-friendy and bitter roll of tape, 1 pair of scissors, and 3-5 sheets of clean cotton gauze
Gastointestinal Emergency
Many people think that all foods humans ingest are automatically bad for a dog's diet - but that's not true! Dogs can eat ginger, coconut oil, most mushrooms, cinnamon, and more.
With that said, there are a number of foods that are highly toxic for dogs, including Xylitol (found in candy, gum, and toothpaste), avocado, onions, garlic, grapes (raisins), chocolate, and more.
We are all guilty of walking away from the cutting board to open up a window. In that time, your dog may have snarfed up an entire bowl of chopped onions, garlic and avocado. This event can be panic-inducing, but it does not have to be the end of your sweet pupper's life.
If you find yourself in that situation, call your vet immediately. In lieu of a medical professional, turn to hydrogen peroxide to turn the tide.
Hydrogen Peroxide
When it comes to your dog eating highly toxic foods, hydrogen peroxide is your best friend.
Hydrogen peroxide is used to quickly induce vomiting. The dosage for your dog is 1 tsp. per 10 pound of dog weight.
We're not going to sugar-coat it, hydrogen peroxide is one of the worst tasting things your dog will experience, and it must be ingested orally. If you are at home, mix in a small amount of greek yogurt to mask the flavor. If you're out of a mixer and are at home, put it in a plastic container with a small pourable lip. Have someone open your dogs mouth, and quickly slide it down his throat.
After he has ingested the devils nectar, be sure to keep his snout shut so he cannot cough it up.
He should very quickly vomit the majority of the food contents within his now convulsing belly.
Pack 1 10 oz bottle of hydrogen peroxide
After Hydrogen Peroxide
Your dog is in the clear, he has puked up the garlic, the onions, the foot off of his favorite stuffed animal, and other liquidy goo. Within the goo is tons of digestion supporting good bacteria.
In the absence of that good bacteria, he could find his tummy upset for the next few days.
Fight the after-puke funk with human grade probiotic powder for dogs. The probiotics (good bacteria) will work to settle things down and keep his digestion running smooth.
When looking for a good probiotic, make sure the one he is taking comes complete with digestive enzymes and prebiotics, two things that further help to support proper digestion.
Keeping Your Canine Comfortable
Dogs are emotionally intelligent creatures and react to the stimulus in front of them. When situations aren't to their liking, they can get a panicked tunnel vision, something that can be difficult to deal with. Learning how to calm down a dog can be tough, but there are ways to keep your fluffer relaxed and ready to take on the challenge ahead.
Pack a blanket or old shirt that carries your scent, the comfort of cuddling with something that reminds him of you will likely take him down a notch. Bring with you a favorite stuffed animal or bone that will keep his mouth, and mind, occupied.
Another way to help your dog stay calm during moments of canine calamity is by providing him with a dog calming aid. Many all-natural calming aids provide chamomile, ginger, and L-tryptophan to keep your dog calm.
Pack an old shirt, a favorite toy and a dog calming aid
Whatever the disaster, Fidobiotics wants you and your dog to stay away from danger. Follow these tips and keep your canine safe!