A first-aid kit for your dog
FOUR PAWS Guide for Dog Owners: What belongs in the pharmacy bag for the dog
If you’re taking your dog on holiday, a first-aid kit is simply indispensable. Should an emergency arise, this may quite literally save lives. But it won’t just be useful in the event of an accident. A good first-aid kit can also help relieve a whole range of milder complaints. When assembling your kit, it is best to consult your vet.
The following are essential in your first-aid kit:
- Pair of tweezers with blunt end, for removing dirt and foreign bodies from wounds
- Pair of scissors with the tip of one blade rounded, for cutting dressings
- Pair of tick tweezers
- Digital medical thermometer
- Disposable gloves
- Muzzle / bandage for mouth
- Dressing material
- Sticking plaster, for fixing bandages in place
- Disinfectant (for disinfecting superficial skin wounds or abrasions)
- Nausea remedies and medicines for calming your dog
- Diarrhoea medication (e.g., charcoal tablets) - regularly check expiration dates
- Tongue depressor (to apply ointments)
- Healing ointment (e.g., for cracked paws)
- Booties (for injuries of the paw)
- Disposable syringes for administering medications orally
- Small plastic bags (to carry samples of poisons)
- Small flashlight or headlamp (to be able to see wounds better; if necessary, the flashlight of the smartphone also works) - regularly check batteries
If your dog suffers from a chronic complaint, please bring:
- An adequate supply of the medications your dog must take regularly
- A vet’s certificate (detailing the nature of the complaint and how it should be treated (in your own language and in English)
Contacts
Contact details of local veterinarian as well as local veterinary emergency clinics (including those with 24-hour emergency service).
Our tip
Complete a first aid course for dogs to be able to help your dog in a calmer and more targeted manner.
Check your dog’s vital signs against the normal values below:
Body temperature: 38.0-39.2°C (100.0-102.5°F)
Heart rate (pulse; beats per minute): Small dogs: 100-160 bpm
Medium to large dogs: 60-100 bpm
Puppies: 120-160+ bpm (often higher)
Respiratory rate: 10-30 breaths per minute while resting or sleeping
Disclaimer: All our guides are based on scientifically grounded research, current studies, and the expertise of FOUR PAWS experts. If you have any questions or would like to get in touch with our experts, please contact us at research.info@four-paws.org.
