Dog first aid kit?

Thanks everyone, I've picked out some items to add to my list.
Liquid bandage/super glue was one of them and my afro comb
might be of use on Cholla...which was one of my concerns as they
seem to be laying about.
Mali thanks you.

Another thing I do that I consider part of my first aid safety for the dogs.

When I pull into a CG as I travel the first thing I do is look up the nearest vet to the CG. The phone number AND directions are then put on the fridge door. And repeat at every CG stop all the way.

Nothing worse than panicking when you dog needs emergency care and you don't have the phone and address right there in front of you so you can take them in asap.

We also carry super glue in our kit; had to use it once when our greyhound sliced open his back leg on the bottom corner of the screen door to close up the cut before wrapping.

For dosing we know our dogs' weights and know the link to the Merck Veterinary Manual.

Walgreens has a store version of Bufferin.

In small animal practice, we deal with patients from less than 1# up to near 200#, so most medication is dosed according to weight.

For those of you who want to use aspirin, I'd recommend you talk to your vet to make sure that is appropriate and to get a recommended dose.

As far as brands, I'm not real particular - I use bufferin personally.

"Regarding aspirin, buffered is preferred. Most people tremendously under dose aspirin in dogs to the point where it probably doesn't work as needed. If you are giving a low dose aspirin to anything larger than a 10# dog, you are under dosing."

Assume you can adjust the dose based on the weight of the dog? I use baby aspirin because it's something I take myself (convenient) and my vet says that the company that used to make the buffered product for dogs stopped making it because the demand wasn't large enough. Do you have a specific product your recommend - I know that some of the common product we use as human's are harmful/lethal.

Multi-tool is fine. I carried a miniature leatherman, However, I'd highly recommend carrying a afro, or teasing (?) type of comb. It's a comb with five or six long spread apart teeth. This is used if your pal gets a piece of Cholla cactus stuck to him/her. Place the comb under the piece of cholla, then flick it off. A plier is not as effective in this situation.

Pops

Pawz4me wrote:
Hopefully Dr. Doug will correct me if I'm wrong, but I thought "baby" (low dose) aspirin wasn't particularly useful for dogs as it's almost always enteric coated and the coating doesn't dissolve at the appropriate point (or at all) in a dog's digestive tract for it to be absorbed well? My vet has always said that buffered aspirin is best for dogs. Of course that makes it tough for small dogs, as buffered aspirin is typically 325 mg. (and even that is getting harder to find).

While aspirin will work in dogs (don't use in cats without specific instructions from your vet), it is not my preferred method of control for pain/inflammation. There are nsaids that work better and are safer, and I prefer that my patients/clients keep a small supply of another nsaid on hand for those times something is needed.

Regarding aspirin, buffered is preferred. Most people tremendously under dose aspirin in dogs to the point where it probably doesn't work as needed. If you are giving a low dose aspirin to anything larger than a 10# dog, you are under dosing.

Doug, DVM

Hopefully Dr. Doug will correct me if I'm wrong, but I thought "baby" (low dose) aspirin wasn't particularly useful for dogs as it's almost always enteric coated and the coating doesn't dissolve at the appropriate point (or at all) in a dog's digestive tract for it to be absorbed well? My vet has always said that buffered aspirin is best for dogs. Of course that makes it tough for small dogs, as buffered aspirin is typically 325 mg. (and even that is getting harder to find).

Carry one every time out. Most used items used were those that deal with cut paws.Also may want to include a vomit inducer.