Stocking a pet first aid kit with meds

pnwsarahContributor - May 1, 2021

Advice

Hi Prepping Friends,

I have a tiny bit of spare time to give to prepping today, and I decided to go through my dog’s first aid kit and make a “DFAK” kit in kit builder. (Inspiration: I got a tick a couple of weeks ago, which my friend successfully removed with her intense survival knife, and while her ability to do that without leaving any tick head parts in my leg or making me bleed was impressive, it was pretty stressful for both of us, and I felt dumb when I realized later that I had a purpose-built item in my DFAK… and when you don’t remember what preps you have, odds are good your memory isn’t the only thing that needs to be refreshed.) Turns out, lots of things had expired, the Vaseline had leaked everywhere, I had two bottles of eye wash in there for some reason, and all the vet contact info I had was for animal hospitals in a state where I no longer live. Good dog, bad prepper!

The real bummer is the several expired prescription pain medications I had left over from various veterinary procedures and mishaps— which in turn has made me realize that, short of hanging onto these until they expire, I don’t really know what pain medications I should (or even could) be keeping in my DFAK. Certain OTC drugs for people are safe for dogs, like Pepcid AC and Benadryl, but those are for GI upset and allergies, and most household anti-inflammatories are actually lethal to pets. So… what happens if SHTF and you need a canine painkiller?

As it happens, my dog is getting a check-up next week, so I can ask our vet what suite of medications she would recommend keeping on hand for emergencies, and if there is any way to get them without a prescription— or if one can just get a prescription for as-needed use, or if there is even any point, since a safe-to-use painkiller will not address the pain from a serious injury, and/or because in the absence of definitive care, we need the evidence of pain to asses whether the patient’s condition is improving or not (sounds terrible, I know, but field medicine is probably really different when your patients are non-verbal). I will post what I learn on this thread. In the meantime, though, I’m betting that there are some folks out there who are as hardcore about pet parenting as they are about prepping— and/or some vets or techs— who may have given these questions and tradeoffs some thought. So… what meds do you keep for your dogs? What should I ask my vet about?

Looking forward to receiving your collective thoughts and wisdom, as always!

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Good to see you again pnwsarah!

Appreciate the topic, this is an area that I haven’t put too much time into prepping for. Curious to what your vet has to say.

Here’s my experience with pain meds for dogs.  So last year my dog was fine one morning but by the afternoon was in serious pain and then by night he died. Very glad he was able to go so quickly. It was from cancer that we didn’t know about and he had internal bleeding. During normal circumstances we would have called the vet and asked for advice, but they were closed and we knew he was going to die and we didn’t want to see him suffering and wanted to make him comfortable.

I had a few old tablets of gabapentin from an old injury and looked them up online and found out that it is commonly used to treat pain, anxiety, and seizures in dogs. (source) We tried crushing up the pill and putting it in a bit of raw meat, but he was so uncomfortable that he didn’t even want to eat that. We crushed up another pill and made it into a paste. We took a small syringe and tried squirting it down the dog’s throat, but not sure how much actually made it down. 

Sorry that’s all I got.

On a lighter note… what tick remover do you have in your kit?

 

Gosh, Robert, I’m so sorry about your dog. That’s awful— although in some ways maybe better for all of you than a cancer diagnosis followed by months of expensive treatment with terrible side effects? Your story also makes me appreciate the syringes I have in my IFAK and DFAK.

As for tick removers, I have a Tick Key, which I have actually never used. I got it after my dog got his first (and so far only detected) tick when he was a puppy 8 years ago, and this was my first tick bite. (I really thought I just smelled wrong to them, after all the bushwhacking I did in college and graduate school.) If you or others have any reviews or recommendations, I’d welcome them.

Also, nice to see you again, too. I’m looking forward to spending more time here again when summer rolls around, and glad you all haven’t totally forgotten about me in the meantime! Work is just a lot right now. 🙁

 

I use the Tick Nipper whenever I find one embedded in me.  Works great & has a built in magnifier.  We certainly have lots of ticks around here.  However our 9 dogs never get ticks or fleas.  They all get a new Seresto collar every spring & they last 8 months until winter, when ticks & fleas are gone.

 

Haven’t seen that one before— thanks for the tip. My dog is also on a flea/tick/heartworm prevention medication (that he was too young to take when he got that first tick bite) which I suspect is why we haven’t had further problems. Also, they’re really not that bad out west— not only are they less common, but the Lyme prevalence is a lot lower. 

 

Hi pnwsarah,

Good to see you post! 

Something I want to get up front and noted is to watch for pesticide sprays that contain the same ingredients as heartworm meds. Our dogs can absorb them via their paws and could lead to a toxic dose of the ingredient.

I found this info on this website, which is related to collie issues, but this info is still relevant for all breeds. It is in the paragraphs below the heartworm heading:

https://colliechatter.com/parasite-protection-for-dogs-with-the-mdr1-gene/

We give our border collie Interceptor Plus for heartworm, round worms, hook worms and tapeworms. Border collies are not able to take Ivermectin. She also gets Bravecto for ticks.

If we ever did have a tick for her or us, we would use a warm match head to remove the tick. It is safe and doesn’t burn the surrounding skin. Part any hair around the tick to expose it. Then light a match, let it burn for a second and blow it out. Then apply the hot end of the match to the back end of the tick. The heat will cause the tick to release it’s bite and back out. Just be ready to grab the tick when it releases.

We had lots of ticks on the farm and have used this method since I was a kid. It was considered the safest way to get the head out.

I never give our dogs any type of otc or pain med unless it is under the recommendation of our vet.

The only pain meds we have ever had to adminster were for post surgical and palliative end of life care. I know the meds are dependent on weight, so in a disaster if there was weight loss, then the dose could be out.

I think it’s important to know the signs of pain or distress in our dogs. So, that may be a good thing to discuss with your vet to ensure you know all the signs.

Our vet told us to always seek care if our dogs didn’t eat, didn’t drink and didn’t toilet. We also check stool and urine for signs of blood. In a way, it’s like a human showing signs of illness.

Our girl has an appointment in a week or so and I am also going to ask our vet about emergency pain management for disaster purposes. Thank you for raising this issue.

 

Hi, nice to see you, too!

I’m glad to know that the match head approach actually does work on ticks; we tried it (or rather, my dad did while I made him swear not to burn my puppy) that one time my dog got a tick, and the tick remained in place.

Great resource on managing fleas, ticks, and heartworm. I had no idea that there was a gene mutation common in collies and other herding breeds that affects their ability to tolerate these drugs. My dog is mostly husky and no herder, but I really don’t like giving him a serious anti-parasite medication. We’ve lived in places where heartworm is prevalent, though, and I do not want to mess around with that. We do one medication and leave it at that. I don’t even use bug repellant on myself. 

The only OTC medication I’ve ever used on my dog is Benadryl, and both times on vet’s orders (once when he got himself beestung and his face swelled up, and the other time when I had first adopted him and had a 3-hour trip home; the vet said it would be less stressful for him if he were groggy and to give him Benadryl for that purpose). Vets have told me many times to give him Pepcid AC for GI upsets, and I keep it around because of that, but I don’t think I’ve actually ever given it to him. 

We ended up having to schedule last week’s vet visit because they gave us a tech appointment by mistake. I will try to update the thread with what I learn, though…

 

Hi pnwsarah, I have rabbits and have meds/supplies from the vet for home emergency use.  Be sure to also get a protocol to indicate the dosages and order of options for typical issues.  I’ve taken a rabbit first aid course which covered some areas I’d not experienced before (broken bones/cuts/trauma) as well as basics like taking temps and other key skills.  You can probably ask about a dog first aid course as well.   Some types of tourniquets have advertised usability for children and dogs.  

 

I’m impressed that you found a RABBIT first aid course (!!) given how difficult it has been for me to even find a dog CPR course. It’s definitely on the list for when Covid “ends”, but I wasn’t seeing any offerings in my city (or near it) before the pandemic set in. In the meantime, I keep a very large dog and cat first aid manual with my DFAK. It specifies what to do first, when to call the vet, etc.

 

House Rabbit owners/slaves are  a smaller community for one.  And unlike many cat/dog illnesses, rabbit issues start a cascade that can quickly turn deadly: GI issues cause pain that triggers shock leading to death within hours.  This means that having these skills (and supplies) is more pressing and the community teaches skills at rescue organizations and exotic vets.   This is also why I suggested you ask your vet.  They may know of places where these sorts of classes are offered.  Or they may do so occasionally or consider it if you ask.  

 

My wife was able to do a dog first aid/CPR course and really enjoyed it. She now knows how to save our dog, but not me. haha, I probably should have her take a human class as well.

 

Indeed, and hopefully not confuse the two if ever needed for either of you.  🙂   You should do the same for all family species, too.  Fair is fair!

 

I hope all is well with your dog during it’s check-up. You sound like a good owner.

 

Thank you so much, Isabel. He is fine, but I do take him in pretty often to get his weight, talk with the vet about any changes I’ve observed in his body or behavior, and get his anal glands expressed. (Huskies don’t typically need assistance with that… but he’s very special. 😀 ) He is incredibly important to me, so only the best care and attention (and preps!).

 

I try to avoid drugs when possible. Unfortunately, this is a bad year for fleas, so bad that I think we have to use drugs. We give Simparica to the dog and Revolution to the cats. The dog was scratching all the time even though the vet said last week she didn’t have fleas: the Simparica was working. The vet prescribed a drug I’d never heard of, Ataquel, to control the scratching, which may be from a seasonal allergy or may be a chronic autoimmune condition. It looks as though this were a very common problem. Next week I’ll start fish oil and herbal nettle and quercetin tablets, and a homeopathic remedy for itching, and hope they work. I would include all of these in a bug out bag for our pets.

 

Great ideas, Cia! I’ve never heard of any of these treatments for itching, though it’s definitely great info/worth asking my vet about, especially if my guy starts licking his paws excessively (an occasional problem in the past).

 

I’ve been gradually weaning her off of it since the first week of twice a day. The drug has enough risks that I wouldn’t want to give it to her every day indefinitely. I looked to see what Dr. Marty Goldstein recommended: he said fish oil and nettles. I ordered Strellalab Omega Chews with salmon oil, Itch and Allergy Relief, and Pets Health Solution Allergy Relief for Dogs, turkey-flavored chews, with quercetin, nettle, turmeric, bromelain, burdock, and licorice root. They seem to be working. I’d pack both Ataquel for an acute condition, and the two natural supplements for long-term use.

 

UPDATE: When I did finally talk to my vet, her response was basically, “Huh. Nobody has ever asked me that before. I’ll have to think about it.” She did reiterate that Benadryl and Pepcid AC were good OTC meds for people that could be safely used on dogs, but beyond that, she couldn’t think of anything that belonged in an emergency DFAK.

 

Rabbits are sooooo different.  Time is of the essence when they have health issues (pain can lead to shock and death in hours).   Our vet suggested what to have on-hand including both oral and injectable medications including versions with a longer shelf life for FAK.  

 

We had a cocoa and white Dutch for six years. He got GI stasis many times, I had two medications (I’d have to look them up), and I force fed him Critical Care and water. The best solution was having the vet shave his whole body so he didn’t groom himself and swallow hair. I’d definitely pack all those things. We had a guinea pig who died in less than a day of GI stasis. The vet said she had no idea what to do when I rushed her there as an emergency.

 

Replan and Cisapride that worked at different ends of the digestive tract to restore motility in cases of GI stasis, and infant simethicone for the pain. DEFINITELY pack those.

 

Reglan. My phone fights my spelling of everything.

 

Wow. I had no idea that rabbits were so sensitive. I’m violently allergic to them, so I haven’t spent a lot of time in their company.

 

Seb was gentle and sweet, but it was painful dealing with his many episodes of GI stasis. I had to write tiny reminders of dosages and weaning down for two months at a time every time. Ultimately he died of kidney failure. If I had known then what I know now,  I could probably have saved him with what I’m giving our 9 year old parakeet now, Homeoanimal Kidney Failure.

 

I empathize, Cia. I’ve learned a lot too and have similar regrets for my learning curve. I had moved and learned the hard way, as you did for your guinea pig, that vets don’t always really know how to treat them even if you check ahead of time (which I had done). After 9 buns across a few decades, we’ve dealt with GI stasis of many ilks and most of the rare issues according to our current fantabulous vet: skin cancer, liver lobe torsion, sebaceous adenitis, arthritis, others. So we have come up the learning curve and have the full suite of meds including rabbit NSAIDs, GI stimulants (you mentioned), pain killers and subcutaneous fluids.  We recently rescued a charcoal Lionhead as she was a successful date for our spotted mutt-boy. Before him was a string of Rexes.

 

Wow! I’m in awe of your pet-keeping abilities! I had given sub-Q treatments nearly every day, eventually every day, for a cat in kidney failure, they prolonged his life for three years and were easy to do. I asked the vet clueless about guinea pigs, and she did it, but I think Mattie needed reglan, Critical Care, and water given with a feeding syringe. our current vet doesn’t think sub-cutaneous fluid infusion with Ringer’s Lactate is useful, but I think it would be. I took care of many pets for many years, loved them all, but their sicknesses and deaths were very painful and I couldn’t go through that again. Although we still have a 6 year old Aussie, Polly, a 9 year old cat, Harlequin, we took in as a stray, 4 year old bobcat mix we took in as a rescue, Havoc, and a 9 year old parakeet, Sprite. I just hope I can see them through competently and lovingly and never get any more.

 

Thanks, Cia. It’s really due to our amazing and enabling vet. She is a rabbit specialist that we have been with since rabbit #2 and watched her expand to starting her own exotics practice (rabbits, guinea pigs, rodents, birds, reptiles, etc).

I totally understand about the illnesses, grief and reluctance. We thought our mutt bun (and diva), Oreo, would be our last, but he was so lonely. We failed to get a middle-aged mate for him as we had intended, so we’re in for the next 10 years or so.

 

I had read that rabbits live for eight to twelve years, and was very sad when he died of kidney failure at only six. I thought it was stasis again and missed the signs obvious in retrospect. The vet missed them too, only shaved him again and gave him an appetite stimulant. We kept him in a Coroplast rectangle with six inch sides eight by four feet with room to hop around and a wooden shelter. Hay, Timothy Oxbow pellets, a lot of veggies and greens every night. We let him run around the house for several hours every evenning and my daughter was the delegated rabbit catcher at bedtime. It was a terrible shock to lose him.

Since my daughter was born in 2000, we’ve had many gerbils, two hamsters in separate enclosures, so mice (amazingly individual and personable), three guinea pigs, fish, the rabbit, five parakeets, one canary, three cats, and one dog. My daughter learned to love and care for pets. But, as you say, it was a lot of work and heartache. I wouldn’t want to get any more.