EMERGENCY KIT

By Sylvia Lueck, DVM
All articles have been previously published in either the PWCPA Newsletter or Pembroke Welsh Corgis in America volumes. No article can be reprinted without express written permission of the author.

Corgis in America, 1991

Emergencies happen year-round, but undoubtedly, from a veterinary standpoint, the incidence escalates in spring and summer. Fertilizers, pesticide and slug/vermin bait get used widely as soon as spring fever hits the gardeners. Heat exhaustion and stroke cases increase with the sunny weather and more dog fights and car related injuries occur as pets spend more time outside. Allergic reactions to insect bites and plants are also increased as nicer weather arrives.

Being a responsible dog owner will not only make you more popular with your neighbors but should help you spend less time in the emergency room with your pets. In essence, "an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure."

  1. Dogs should at all times be in a fenced yard or on a lead.
  2. Animals should always have water and access to shade (dog houses in the sun are inadequate).
  3. Animals should NEVER be left in a car in the sun, even with the windows cracked, even "just for a few minutes."
  4. Use of poisons in the yard and around the home should be done with common sense and stored/disposed of properly.
  5. Animals should NEVER ride loose in the back of trucks for ANY distance, no matter how well trained you THINK they are.

Enough said about responsibility!

Having an emergency kit is a great idea - in your house and to take along when you travel. A few simple items can help cut down on emergency room visits, or help to stabilize an animal until it can be transported. A kit maybe very simple, or very elaborate depending on the person putting it together. The following are suggested and can be easily purchased. If you tell your vet you are making an emergency kit, he/she will more than likely help you formulate a kit.

A commonly repeated statement throughout veterinary school is "ABOVE ALL, DO NO HARM." This certainly applies to home treatment as well. An emergency kit is not a substitute for a veterinary visit and realizing your own limitations and using common sense are a must. With that admonishment, happy kit making!

Suggested Items:

  1. Rectal thermometer (normal dog and cat temperature is 100-102).
  2. Small tube KY jelly (useful to lubricate thermometer, or to help ease a pup along vaginal canal in delivery of large pups).
  3. Long piece of strong gauze or sturdy cloth to use as a muzzle. (ALWAYS protect yourself if what you need to do to the animal may be uncomfortable - no sense in both of you requiring medical attention! NEVER leave a muzzled animal unattended; if it begins to vomit it may choke to death.)
  4. Scissors (to trim hair away from wounds to facilitate cleaning, trim bandage material, etc.)
  5. Nolvasan or betadine solution (to rinse/disinfect wounds).
  6. Neosporin or other antibiotic cream (to apply to wounds/lacerations).
  7. Panalog, Derma 4, or Cortaid (for rashes, early hot spots, insect bites, mild ear irritations).
  8. Telfa Pads, gauze pads, vet-wrap and/or medical tape.
  9. Mycitracin or other ophthalmic ointment NOT containing cortisone.
  10. 20 cc syringe for administering any of the following liquids (note: 1 cc = 1 ml; 5 ml = 1 tsp; 15 ml = 1 Tbsp; 30 ml = 1 oz)
  11. Hydrogen peroxide. Use to induce vomiting. For a Corgi, give 15-30 mls. Repeat in 15 minutes if necessary. If dog doesn't vomit within 10-1 5 more minutes, contact your vet. Dogs should be made to vomit if they eat rat poison, slug bait, more than a few bites of chocolate, any large quantity of rich or rotten food likely to cause GI upset. For ingestion of caustic substances such as bleach, toilet bowl cleaner, etc., DO NOT INDUCE VOMITING, rather dilute the poison by making dog drink large quantities of water and/or milk. Then call your vet, local emergency clinic, or poison control.
  12. Pepto-Bismol. To coat and soothe an upset Corgi stomach/bowel, withhold all food for 24-36 hours and use 15 mls Pepto every 4-8 hours as needed. If your Corgi does not seem to improve within 24-36 hours, it should be seen by your vet.
  13. Kaopectate. Use for diarrhea as per instructions for Pepto. Do not self-treat, rather see your vet without delay if your Corgi has bloody vomit or diarrhea, its mucous membranes or "whites" of the eyes appear yellow, the vomiting is accompanied by extreme agitation and "twitching" of the body, the dog is deteriorating instead of improving, or the dog has a fever of 104 degrees or greater.
  14. Aspirin, 5 grain. (NO Tylenol, Advil or other aspirin substitute). Use 1/2 tab per 20 pounds of body weight every 12 hours as needed to drop fever, or for mild lameness/stiffness. Give with some food to prevent stomach irritation. Do not give to dogs with known or suspected kidney disease.
  15. Diphenhydramine (Benadryl) 25 mg. TABLETS. For a Corgi, give 1/2 tab. Use for mild allergic reactions to insect bites, etc. Put some ophthalmic ointment, or a drop of mineral oil in eyes to reduce dryness when using this, or any other, antihistamine. If welts continue to worsen, animal has difficulty breathing or collapses, go to your vet. (In times of extreme allergic reaction, Prednisone or other cortisone may be life saving ... 10-20 mg. However, injections are usually required).
  16. Phone numbers for your vet, local emergency clinic, and poison control center.