Emergencies involving your beloved pet can be traumatic. In honor of National Pet First Aid Awareness month, I’d like to share pointers on how to stay calm in case your pup needs first aid.
Before you need it, start by having a pet friendly first aid kit on hand. You can buy kits that are already put together or you can build a pet first aid kit yourself. Within your pet first aid kit, have a copy of your pup’s shot records, list of medication your pup is on, any previous illness your pup has had, and contact info for you, your regular veterinarian, the nearest 24- hour emergency vet hospital and poison control. Keeping them organized in a folder inside of your first aid kit can help you get the information within seconds. We’ve put together our must-haves for your pet first aid kit on our Amazon page here:
Start learning about the different illnesses from which pups can suffer before they happen, so you know how to handle the situation. For our Texas pups I would suggest you start by studying heat exhaustion/ heatstroke, Giardia, animal/snake/spider bites and torn paw pads. Getting an idea on how you would need to handle each situation differently can help you stay calm and either administer first aid to your pet (depending on the situation) or get them to a vet asap.
Consider taking a pet first aid and cpr course, this will give you the confidence to make the best decisions for you pup. Before taking the course, I suggest writing down any questions that may pertain to your pup and ask the instructor for advice.
My last suggestion regarding pet first aid is to download a couple of apps. The first one is the ASPCA Animal Poison app, I love looking through this app. It tells you which common food, plants, medication, household hazards, etc are poisonous and which are not. Casually go through the app and familiarize yourself with it before you might use it in a real situation. The other app is from the American Red Cross called Pet First Aid. This app covers topics like choking, falling and other injuries that pups can suffer from.
At Pawderosa Ranch we take safety very seriously and our team members are educated in illnesses and injuries that pups can have while in our care. I hope this week’s blog inspired you to make a pet friendly first aid kit and take the next step in being a responsible pet parent!
Until next week…Well Wishes and Puppy Kisses!
XOXO,
Baelyn
At Pawderosa Ranch we welcome all dogs to come play and stay with us! Each rancher is cared for by a specialized staff who understand the benefits of dog daycare and lodging and who are passionate about making Pawderosa Ranch the best dog boarding in San Antonio. We can’t wait to see your pup!
