Pet First-Aid Kit

To ensure you're prepared if and when disaster strikes, keep a pet first-aid kit in your home, your car and your Pet Disaster Preparedness Kit.

Recommended contents for your kit include:

• Water bottle
• Blanket
• Towels
• Brush
• Waterproof container
• Sterile pads (3" x 3" and 2" x 2" pads)
• Gauze bandage rolls (1" and 2" rolls)
• First-aid adhesive tape (1" roll)
• Cotton-tipped swabs (Q-tips®)
• Tweezers
• Scissors
• Plastic freezer/sandwich bags
• Small bottle of 3% hydrogen peroxide
• Styptic pencil or corn starch
• Antibacterial ointment
• Antiseptic cleansing wipes
• Kaopectate® or Pepto-Bismol®
• A current pet first-aid book
• Eye wash
• Eyedropper
• Mineral oil (a lubricant and laxative when given in the mouth)
• Digital or rectal thermometer in a plastic case
• Leather work gloves (to protect you if bitten)
• Latex gloves
• Leash
• Thin rope
• Splint materials (tongue depressor, 12" wooden ruler or thick magazine)

Place the contents in a water-proof container.

Pre-made pet first aid kits are available for purchase. Look for them in pet supply stores or visit the United Animal Nations' UAN Store online at www.uan.org.

You may also want to consider taking the Online Pet First Aid Course.

Important Disclaimers:

• First aid is not a substitute for treatment by a veterinarian. Contact your veterinarian as soon as possible when your pet is injured or ill.
• Do not use human aspirin on pets, especially cats.
• A dog's dry nose is not necessarily representative of its body temperature.
• Be cautious when moving or handling an injured animal – animals can react to pain and fear by biting or scratching those closest to them.