Dog First Aid and Poison Control Information at your Fingertips

by Carrie Boyko

(c) Carrie Boyko

First Aid for Wounds

No Chewing Stitches!

First Aid for our dogs is always on my mind when Hurricane season arrives in Florida. I am pleased to announce the addition of a new resource page to All Things Dog Blog: Pet Emergency Resources covers all your bases--poison control information and treatment and first aid resources of all kinds. The national poison control hotlines are included in red to help you find them quickly. In addition, I've included a 3-step triage for your priorities in the Pet Emergency Resources sidebar, so check it out--before you really need it.


Pet Emergency Resources will be available to you, 24/7, in my sidebar. You'll find it located with the picture of Tanner that you see at the top of this post. Just click the picture or one of the links to get quick info.


A few years back, when four of these nasty storms hit Central Florida during one season, our home was clobbered. We lost 8 large pines--two falling on our home--and these stately trees ripped up 40 feet of sidewalk. No matter, though, our whole family was safe, including the critters.


That year I really took preparation seriously, and thank goodness I did. Non perishable food, water, bedding and essentials such as medicines and first aid supplies were set aside in the safest room of the house for all of us--furry companions included. Even Patches' litter box found a corner to reside for that 'just-in-case' experience. Fortunately we did not have any tornadoes, so our bunker was left unused. Better safe than sorry.


Today's post is here to remind you that, although you may not be in the Hurricane zone, each geographic area has its own particular brand of natural disaster to prepare for. Whether it be sinkholes, earth quakes, ice storms or tsunamis, you do need to have a list of necessities ready for the possibility. A first aid kid for your family and your pets is essential to providing emergency care, when a vet is not available or accessible.


And poison control information at your fingertips is critical in those first minutes after a 'no-no' has been consumed. Prevention is key. First, check all your house and yard plants for safety. Make sure all members of the household know that food, chemicals and medicines must always remain out of reach, when not supervised. Many of our favorite foods are poisonous to our pets, even as they are delightful to us. Chocolate is the best example, of course, however there are many more.


Following are a few resource books you may want to consider owning. Pet Emergency Resources may not be available if your power is down. Having one of these on hand could prevent a tragedy--well worth the cost of the book:

• Dog First Aid, by the American Red Cross
• Field Guide to Dog First Aid for the Outdoor, Hunting or Working Dog, by Randy Acker
• First Aid for Dogs: What to do When Emergencies Happen, by Dr. Bruce Fogle
• Safe Dog Handbook: The Complete Guide to Protecting Your Pooch Indoors and Out, by Melanie Monteiro
• Dog Owner's Home Veterinary Handbook, by Drs. Eldredge, Carlson, Carlson, and Griffin
• What's Wrong with My Dog? 150 Symptoms and What to Do About Them, by Jake Tedaldi
• First Aid for Dogs: What to do Before You Take your Dog to the Vet, by Justin Wimpole, PhD.
• Rescuing Rover: A First Aid and Disaster Guide for Dog Owners, by Heath and O'Shea
• Practical Pet First Aid, Dr. Mark Anderson 
• How to Look After Your Dog (an illustrated guide), by Peter Larkin
• Hands-On Dog Care, by Copeland and Hamil

Good luck in your quest to be prepared for your region's disaster possibilities.

Help protect our precious dog parks
Visit Adopt a Dog Park to learn how

© Carrie Boyko, all rights reserved

Enter your email address:


Delivered by FeedBurner

Follow All Things Dog at Twitter
Find me at Facebook

Bookmark this on Delicious © copyright Carrie Boyko, all rights reserved