Essential Items In Your Dog’s First-Aid Kit

Hiking with your dog is a wonderful activity to do! It is good exercise and can help strengthen your bond with your dog! When you’re hiking with your dog, are you prepared? Do you have good shoes, or maybe even some dog treats when you need to get your dogs attention? What about a first-aid kit?

Accidents hAPPEN

Accidents happen, and when exploring a new area, it’s important to be prepared! Having a first-aid kit with you can make the all the difference in the world. There’s a lot of overlap in first-aid kits for dogs and humans, but there are some canine-specific items that you might want to include the next time you and your dog decide to go on an adventure together!

Canine-specific items to bring with you on a trip

Self-Adhering bandages: These bandages are designed to stick to themselves rather than your dog’s fur. These can be used to secure dressings, create a splint, or give minor support for sprains or strains in your pup!
Sterile Gauze Pads: These pads are essential for cleaning wounds and applying pressure to control bleeding.
Tick Remover Tool: It might be worth investing into a tick-removal tool, or a tick twister specifically designed for dogs in mind. These tools allow for the safe and efficient removal of ticks without leaving behind the head.

Digital Thermometer: Specifically, a rectal thermometer for taking your dog’s temperature. Heat exhaustion or stroke in the warmer months can be extremely hazardous to your pup’s well-being. Normal temperature ranges for dogs are around 100°F and 102.5°F.
- Signs for Heat Exhaustion
  - Excessive panting
  - Excessive drooling
  - Weakness or Fatigue
  - Dry or pale, or even bright red gums
  - Vomiting
- Signs for Hypothermia
  - Shivering
  - Weakness or Lethargic
  - Dilated Pupils

Saline Solution: For flushing out debris from your pet’s eyes.
Hydrogen Peroxide: This item can serve a dual purpose. It’s great for helping to disinfect wounds before bandaging them, but it can also be used to induce vomiting in case your pet has eaten something toxic.
A list of local veterinarians, and 24/7 emergency animal services should always be carried with you whenever you’re in a new and unfamiliar area with your dog.
Tweezers: Effective for removing splinters, thorns, or other small foreign objects that may be harming your dog.

Ensuring that these few additional items in your first-aid kit can make all the difference in the world when the unexpected happens! Dogs can be some of the best companions that we’ll ever have, and it is our duty to consider their health and safety when we take them into the unknown!