Important Things To Have In Your First Aid Kits For Your Hunting Dogs
Are you a hunter who takes his dog out onto the field? If so, you must carry first aid kits, not just for yourself but for your dog, as well. Injuries can occur at anytime, so you should be prepared to treat small injuries before they become very serious. The good news is that there are an abundance of great first aid kits for hunting dogs that you can use at home or out on the field.
Your dog is depending on you to care for him at home and out on the field. After all, this is your responsibility. In the event that your dog becomes hurt, will you be prepared to treat his wound with sanitary medical dressing? That’s the difference between being prepared and using an old shirt or rag, which can actually lead to deadly infections and make the injuries worse. It’s worth the couple extra dollars to have a first aid kit for dogs on hand.
Here is what to look for in a good gun dogs first aid kit:
A First Aid Guide
The first aid guide will show you basic first aid for dogs for both small injuries (like wound treatment for scraps) and life-threatening injuries (like mouth-to-snout resuscitation). There should be clear instructions for the use of all items contained within the first aid kit, as well. To be best prepared for emergencies, you should read the first aid guide and learn the basics before emergencies happen. The keyword here is “emergencies” — first aid is not the replacement for regular veterinary visits.
Tweezers
This is a very helpful tool for removing splinters, ticks, and more. Splinters can go into the pad of a dog’s foot or elsewhere and work its way deeper and cause discomfort, and worse, abscesses. It’s best to treat them right away before they are forgotten and enters further in, causing infections that can spread to other parts of the body.
Good old Hydrogen Peroxide
This simple, cheap, and misunderstood liquid is the basis for any good first aid kit. It’s a sterilizer that can be used safely on animals and causes no discomfort. Use with a sterile gauze pad to clean a wound, prep a splinter site before removal and after you’re done, and so forth.
Iodine
A small bottle of iodine is the next step up from peroxide and can be used to more thoroughly clean a wound or cut before bandaging. Even better is to use the peroxide and then the iodine on the wound before bandaging. Iodine can make a wound heal much faster.
Antibiotic Ointment
No dog first aid kit would be complete without this ointment which can help with insect stings, scratches and scrapes and other minor injuries. Make sure you have a tube of this ointment!
Eyewash
A simple saline solution for washing out the eyes can make your dog’s life much easier and save his vision in some cases. When your dog gets something in his eye that he can’t get rid of on his own, use this to clean them. A quick squirt into the eye and nature will do the rest in most cases.
Trauma Pad
A trauma pad is crucial if your dog is seriously injured; it will help minimize bleeding and help keep the wound bound as well as providing assistance in transporting your dog to emergency help. When shopping for a trauma pad watch out that the sizing is correct for your dogs needs.
Gauze, Tape, and Scissors
Simple tools that, when used correctly, can greatly help your dog in times of injury. If your dog is cut, scratched, or similarly hurt, you’ll want to bandage, gauze over, then tape the wound so it is protected from infection. These three tools can do that job quickly.
Don’t risk your dog’s happiness with being out on a hunting trip with you by being unprepared for an emergency. A good first aid kit is a helpful tool whether you’re out hunting or at home and is full of great hunting dog supplies. There is nothing that you can do more easily for your dogs’ safety than have a good first aid kit.