Pet Emergency Kit
Due to Michigan’s beautiful weather, many of us spend increased time outside with our pets during the summer. The great outdoors is full of interesting smells and areas to explore. Therefore, it should not surprise you to learn that veterinary emergency room visits increase this time of year due to unexpected trouble our pets may find themselves in.
Every pet owner should have a basic emergency kit in order to appropriately intervene during these unexpected situations. Below you will find a list of items I recommend for all pet emergency kits to help make these stressful situations more manageable for you and your pet!
· Roll gauze
· Telfa (non-stick) pads
· Triple antibiotic ointment
· Adhesive sports tape
· Diphenhydramine* (“Benadryl”) – Children’s liquid if you have a small dog, adult tablets if you have a medium to large dog
· Hydrogen peroxide**
· Pet Poison Helpline (855-764-7661) and ASPCA Animal Poison Control (888-426-4435) phone numbers
· Phone numbers for local veterinary emergency rooms
· Relevant medical information for your pet: known allergies, known adverse drug reactions, list of current medications, list of known medical conditions, etc.
· Collar and leash or carrier
*Diphenhydramine may be helpful if your pet is experiencing an allergic reaction. Please only administer diphenhydramine if instructed to by your veterinarian or pet poison veterinarians.
**Hydrogen peroxide may be helpful if your dog recently ingested something toxic. Please only administer hydrogen peroxide if instructed to by your veterinarian or pet poison veterinarians. Note: hydrogen peroxide should not be administered to cat!
