Pet Sitters On-The-Go First Aid Kit

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This month is Red Cross Pet First Aid Awareness month.  I plan to run a series of articles here to make sure that as a pet sitter you are prepared to care for your clients pets in an emergency situation.

If you are a pet owner or pet sitter you should have a first aid kit for the pets in your care so that you are prepared to respond in an emergency.  You can put together your own kit or you can purchase a kit - either way make sure you know what you have in the kit so that you won’t have to be searching through it to see what you have when time is critical.

Here is a list of recommended contents for your portable pet first aid kit.

Pet First Aid Kit Contents

Dressing & Bandages:

  1. Adhesive Tape (1 inch roll)
  2. Gauze Pads (3 or 4 inch square)
  3. Gauze Rolls (2 inch for small pets, 3 inch for big dogs)
  4. Triangular Bandages
  5. Individually-Wrapped Sanitary Napkins

Instruments:

  1. Digital Thermometer (check battery twice a year)
  2. Scissors (blunt end)
  3. Tweezers
  4. Eye Dropper
  5. Syringe (12cc with needle removed)

Ointments, Disinfectants & Medications:

  1. Antihistamine (gel caps in blister pack, poke hole in cap and squirt into pets mouth)
  2. Antibiotic (triple) – ex. Neosporin
  3. Hydrogen Peroxide (3%)
  4. Mercurochrome
  5. Vinegar or Baking Soda (a mild alkali for neutralizing burns caused by acids)
  6. Activated Charcoal (for absorbing poisons)
  7. Petroleum Jelly (or other sterile lubricant for thermometer)
  8. Kaopectate
  9. Chemical Ice Pack

Miscellaneous Equipment & Supplies:

  1. Small Flashlight
  2. Needle Nose Pliers
  3. Q-tips
  4. Betadine Solution
  5. Razor Blades
  6. Extra Leach and Collar
  7. Muzzle
  8. Plastic Bags (for clean up or samples)
  9. Permanent Marking Pen
  10. Photo of You and Your Pet
  11. Towel or Blanket (large enough to transport pet)
  12. Gloves (Latex or Nitrile)

 After putting together all of your kit contents, place them in a portable container for easy access. Remember to replace all items after each use and update twice a year.

These items should fit in a fanny pack for walks or hikes with your dog.

If you do prefer to purchase a pre-made pet first aid kit I recommend the two kits available from Wag’N Enterprises.  I met company owner Ines at the PSI conference in February. She has some great pet supplies, first aid kits and emergency kits for pets at  Wag’N Pet First Aid and Emergency Store.

I’ll be covering the use of your pet first aid items in coming posts. If you would like to attend a Pet Tech Pet Saver first aid course - I will be holding my first class in DFW on May 2nd at the NE Tarrant County Chamber of Commerce offices in Halthom City. 

If you are in another city you can find a local Pet Tech instructor at the instructor listing at http://www.pettech.net.

 

 

 

Free Pet Disaster Preparedness Guide

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Freebie Friday

Every pet owner and pet business owner should have their own disaster preparedness guide. You never know when a natural (or manmade) disaster can strike and you need to have a plan to ensure that you know how to get your pets to a safe place. 

If you own a pet sitting business - you will also need a plan to keep your clients pets safe in an emergency situation.  You should have a documented plan on hand and your pet sitters should be familiar with it so that you can act quickly when you need to. 

Having a plan that you can show your clients and advertise on your website will differentiate you from other pet sitting services and give them confidence in you.

You can pick up a free Pet Disaster Preparedness Guide from Diana Guerrero’s blog - ArkAnimals.com. All you need to do is sign up for her monthly newsletter using the sign up box at the top right of this page.

Here is a preview of the Animal Disaster Preparedness Guide Table of Contents:

About this Project

Expect the Unexpected

Examples: flooding, earthquake, fire

Animal Disaster Preparedness?

Are you Prepared?

The Beginning: Questions to Ask

The Next Step: More Questions & Action!

Does Your City/Town Have A Disaster Plan Program?

You Need an Evacuation Plan

Animal Needs

Animal Rescue (Disaster) Kits

Do it Yourself Animal Disaster Kit (Dogs & Cats)

Avian Collections & Birds

Injured Bird Tips

Equine & Large Animals

Horse Kit Items

Importance of Horse Training

Livestock & Fire

Earthquake Warning Behavior from Animals

Cats, Dogs, Horses & Livestock, Birds

Other Animals

Post Disaster Animal Behavior

Cats, Dogs, Horses & Livestock

Post Disaster Problems

Hazards

Always Take Your Animals With You!

Desensitization & Other Training

Other Resources

Appendix of Animal Behavior & Needs

Moving Livestock

Other Animals

Dog Emergency Care Sheet

Cat Emergency Care Sheet

Bird Emergency Care Sheet

Horse Emergency Care Sheet

Emergency Care Sheet for Sheep, Goats, Llamas

Cattle Emergency Care Sheet

Swine Emergency Care Sheet

Appendix of Historical Animal Behavior

Animal Behavior Precursors & Locations

Resources & Recommended Reading

Appendix of Animal Disaster Agencies, Training & Equipment

Disaster/Search & Rescue Dogs

Do you have a disaster plan for your pet sitting business?  Have you ever had to use it?  I’d love to hear about your plan or story of how you put it in action. Please leave a comment on this post!

Do You Have A Disaster Plan for Your Pets?

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Animal Disaster Preparation Plan

This weekend I evacuated from New Iberia, Lousianna because of Hurricane Gustav.  I was scheduled to stay in Louisianna for another week to teach a class but got out before the mad rush to leave New Orleans on the weekend.

Luckily my pets were still safe and sound with my husband in Dallas. I was concerned about all the animals that had to be evacuated from the region.  Some of my work colleagues were asking me if I knew of any hotels in the Dallas area that allow pets. I could recommend Motel 6 as I remember them doing an advertising campaign to tell people about their pet friendly policies. I wish was able to make more suggestions - a list of pet friendly hotels would have come in very handy. I’m thinking that putting together such a list may be added to my to do list for next time.

As I drove home I got a call from Irving animal rescue asking if I could take in any evacuated pets.  I think that they thought that as part of my pet sitting business that I had a boarding facility. I wish I did and could have helped but I had to turn them down. 

If you had to evacuate from your home would you know what to do or take to care for your pets? It is very timely that my friend Diana Guerrero has released her new Disaster Preparedness plan for pets. You can get your free copy by clicking the picture at the top left or clicking here

Make sure that you have a plan and are not scrambling at the last minute to find a safe place for your family and your pets.  Grab her free planning guide and put together you plan.  If you are a pet sitter you should also have a disaster plan that spells out how you will manage your clients pets if a natural or man made disaster occcurs.

Summer Pet Care - How to Prevent Heat Stress

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Summer is almost here and all pet professionals should be aware of the dangers of the summer heat to our pets.  

Last summer my husband relayed to me an incident that a workmate had with his dog. He and his wife left their two dogs out in the yard while they attended church on Sunday morning. The dogs had plenty of shade and water but when they returned home and let the dogs in the house one of them collapsed on the floor. Believing that the dog was suffering from heat stress they doused him with cold water and then consulted the internet to check on the typical symptoms. Their research told them to check the gums of their dog as the gums of pets suffering from heat stress will be bright red. When they checked their dog they found that the gums were grey. They rushed him to the vet and their dog was diagnosed with a ruptured tumor in the stomach. 

As pet care professionals we should be able to immediately recognize the symptoms of heat stress. I did my own research and found that heat stress can set in within 10 minutes of a pet’s exposure to high heat environment and can have serious long term effects such as blood clotting and organ failure.  But don’t be too alarmed - heat stress can be easily prevented. With the summer months of high temperatures ahead of us it’s important for us all to be aware of the risk to our pets, minimize the danger, and be able act quickly to recognize the symptoms and take the correct treatment steps. Typically we hear about dogs suffering from heat stress but cats are also at risk. Pets with dark, heavy coats, and dogs with short noses such as Pugs, Pekinese and Boxers are most susceptible to heat. Heat stress occurs when the pet’s body temperature rises above 107F. Above this temperature cells begin to break down and die, and can also produce chemicals that damage the surrounding cells. 


To minimize the risk of heat stress never leave pets in vehicles or tied out in the direct sunlight during warm, sunny days… even a few minutes can be critical. Always provide them with plenty of cool water to drink. Flea markets and other outdoor activities are often the worst place to bring a dog on a hot summer day.   Factors that increase an animal’s risk of developing heat stroke include:  -  water deprivation, enclosed space,  excessive humidity, obesity, exercise, age, cardiovascular disease and lack of acclimatization 

Symptoms of heat stress that you should look for include:  - intense, rapid panting, wide eyes, salivating, staggering, weakness, dark red gums ,  respiratory distress or hyperventilationAdvanced heat stroke victims will collapse and become unconscious. If you notice your pet suffering from any of these symptoms and are close to a veterinary hospital it is advisable to take you pet immediately. Otherwise, you need to get the pets body temperature down by placing them in a tub of cool running water or spraying with a hose. Be sure that the water contacts the skin and doesn’t simply run off the coat. Thoroughly wet the belly and inside the legs. Take the pets temperature rectally if possible. Cool only until body temperature lowers to 103F. It is possible to cause hypothermia if the pets body temperature falls to low. Once the pet has been cooled veterinary attention should be sought as soon as possible.

Disaster Planning for Pets

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Last week we found ourselves in the path of the tornado that swept across Dallas Fort Worth. We sheltered with our pets in our home as the sirens sounded and were hit by hail just larger than golf ball size.  We were lucky - the tornado touched down just south of us causing minor damage to homes and stores but passed over our neighborhood leaving only hail damage.  It left me wondering what we would we have done with our pets - and our pet sitting clients pets - if the storm had been more serious.  So today I wanted to give you some information that can help you to put together your own pet disaster plan.

Everyone should have a disaster plan for themselves and their pets. If you have a pet business you also need to have a plan to make sure your clients pets are cared for if you have a personal emergency or are involved in a community evacuation.  These emergencies need not be as dramatic as a tornado but can include sudden illness of yourself or a family member or bad road conditions that don’t allow you to get home or to homes of your clients.

At a pet sitting conference we attended earlier this year one of the sitters suggested that pet business owners should take the Disaster planning course offerred by the Humane Society.  Their course “Disaster Animal Response Training” is a 3 day training that covers all aspects of caring for pets in a distaster.  Visit their site to find a regional office close to you.

Some of the other great information available at their website includes how to put together a pet disaster kit for your home or vehicle,  and how to plan ahead to find hotels and boarding facilities in your surrounding area that you can take your animals to if you have to evaculate your home.

A few simple things to do right away are to:

1) Ensure your pets wear identification that includes your contact numbers and address

2) Find a trusted neighbor that the pets are comfortable with and give them a key so that they could enter your home and take care of your pets if you can’t make it home for any reason. Make sure they are familiar with pets habits and hiding places and the location of pet supplies and disaster kit.

3) If you evacuate - take your pets with you. Have leashes and carriers handy in case you have to evacuate with your pets.

I also found some great tips on questions to ask during disaster planning in an article by Diana Guerrero “WHY ANIMAL DISASTER PREPAREDNESS?”. She also addresses animal behavior during and after a disaster.

Having a documented disaster plan is a great marketing tool for your business as it highlights your professionalism and committment to your clients pets safety.