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A scruffy terrier mix lying on a rug at home with a roll of pet bandage in its mouth, beside an open first aid pouch

Emergency

Your pet first aid kit: what to put in it

He thinks the bandage is a toy.I bought two.

Pack it on a quiet day, so on a bad one you are not searching the kitchen drawers.

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Pack it
On a quiet day
Keep it
Where everyone can find it
Check it
Every six months
After you use it
Your pet still sees a vet

First things first: First aid buys time

A first aid kit will not fix what is wrong. It keeps your pet clean, steady and comfortable until a vet can take over, and in an emergency those minutes count. However well it goes, your pet still needs to see a vet afterwards, because injuries inside do not always show.

Everything below is grouped by the job it does, with a line on what each thing is for. If anything is new to you, ask your vet to show you how to use it before you need it.

Happening now?

If your pet is struggling to breathe, has collapsed, is bleeding excessively or has eaten something poisonous, do not stop for the kit. Get them to a vet now.

Emergency page

The kit: What goes in it

Holding them safely

A pet in pain may bite or scratch, even yours. These keep you both safe.

Disposable gloves
Keep a wound clean, and your hands too.
A soft muzzle
For a dog who might snap while you help. Never use one on a pet who is vomiting or struggling to breathe.
A towel or blanket
To wrap a cat or a small dog safely, to carry a pet who cannot walk, and to keep them warm.
A cone or a recovery shirt
Stops them licking or chewing at a wound or a dressing.

Cuts and bleeding

At home, only small, shallow cuts and scrapes. For bleeding, press a gauze pad on firmly. A deep or gaping wound, a bite, a puncture, or bleeding that soaks through the gauze goes to a vet now, with the pad still pressed on.

Sterile saline
Rinses dirt and sand out of a small cut or scrape.
Iodine antiseptic solution (Betadine)
Cleans the skin around a small cut. Dilute it to a light orange colour (usually 1 part Betadine to 5 parts water).
Gauze swabs
Press on a wound to slow bleeding, or use with saline to clean it.
Cotton balls or buds
For cleaning around a wound, never inside it.
Adhesive wound dressings (Primapore)
Covers a small scrape where there is little fur, such as the belly, until your vet sees it.
Blunt-ended scissors
Cut gauze, pads and tape to size. Leave trimming fur near a wound to your vet.
Non-stick pads (Melolin)
Goes on the wound under the gauze, and will not stick to it.
Self-adhesive wrap (Vet Wrap)
Holds a pad in place on the way to the vet. Wrap it loosely: you should be able to slide a finger under it. Proper bandaging is a job for your vet.
Adhesive tape (Micropore)
Secures the end of the wrap.

Eyes, paws and ticks

The small things, so they stay small.

Sterile saline
Flushes sand or grit out of an eye. If the eye looks hurt, is shut or cloudy, do not flush it: go to a vet.
Artificial tear gel
Keeps a sore eye moist until your vet can look at it.
Tweezers or a tick remover
Lifts out a tick, or a thorn near the surface. With a tick, grip it close to the skin and pull straight out, slowly. Anything deep, or in an eye, is for your vet.
Nail clippers
For routine trims. A torn or bleeding nail needs gauze pressed on it and a vet.
A small torch
To look into a mouth, an ear or between the toes, and for walks after dark.

Heat and cold

Heatstroke is common in the UAE, so this is the part of the kit you may reach for first.

A digital thermometer
Ask your vet to show you how to use it. Normal is about 37.5 to 39.2 °C for dogs and cats.
A cooling towel and water
For heatstroke: wet the coat with cool water, not ice-cold, offer sips if they are awake, and get to a vet with the air conditioning on.
An ice pack
For swelling or a bump, wrapped in a cloth. Never for heatstroke.
A hot water bottle
For a pet who is cold or in shock. Wrap it in a towel, never straight on the skin.

Only on your vet's advice

Medicines

Keep a medicine in the kit only if your vet has prescribed or approved it for your pet, and write the dose on the box.

Your pet's own prescriptions
A few days' supply, in case you cannot get home.
A pet anti-inflammatory
Only the one your vet prescribed for your pet, at the dose they gave you.
A pet antihistamine
Only one your vet has approved, with the dose for your pet's weight on the box.
Antibiotic ointment
A pet-safe one, in a thin layer, with a cone on so it is not licked off.
Manuka honey
Medical grade, for wounds, and only if your vet suggests it.
Activated charcoal
Only if a vet tells you to give it. It is not right for every poison, so call first.

Never a human painkiller. Paracetamol and ibuprofen are dangerous for pets, and far more so for cats. Never give a cat paracetamol.

Getting to the vet

The last job of any kit is getting your pet seen, with everything the vet will ask for.

A carrier or a sturdy box
Keeps a cat or a small dog safe on the way, and any pet who should not walk.
Your pet's details
Allergies, long-term conditions and medicines, on one page. The card below has room for them.
The vaccination record
So the vet knows what your pet is protected against.
Microchip and registration numbers
Both numbers on the card, so you are not hunting for paperwork at the desk.
Water and a fold-flat bowl
Keeps them drinking in the car, especially from May to September.
A favourite toy or blanket
Something that smells of home helps a frightened pet settle.
Your vet's numbers
Saved in your phone, and written on the card in the lid.

Print it: Tape it inside the lid

One page with the whole kit and space for the numbers you will need in a hurry. Print it, fill it in, and keep it with the kit.

And if he runs off with the wrap, there is a spare.

First aid questions: Common questions

What should be in a pet first aid kit?

Enough to keep your pet safe and steady until a vet takes over. Gloves, a soft muzzle and a towel to hold your pet safely. Saline, gauze, an antiseptic and bandages for cuts. Tweezers or a tick remover, a torch and nail clippers. A digital thermometer and a cooling towel for the heat. Your pet's records and your vet's numbers. Medicines only if your vet has prescribed or approved them.

Can I use a human first aid kit for my pet?

Partly. Gauze, saline, tape, scissors and tweezers work for both. Add what pets need, such as a soft muzzle, a self-adhesive wrap that will not stick to fur, a cone and a thermometer, and take out the human medicines.

Can I give my dog or cat a human painkiller?

No. Paracetamol and ibuprofen are dangerous for pets, and far more so for cats. Never give a cat paracetamol. If your pet is in pain, call a vet.

What is a normal temperature for a dog or cat?

About 37.5 to 39.2 °C for dogs and cats. If your pet feels hot after time outside in the heat, treat it as heatstroke and get them to a vet.

Where should I keep a pet first aid kit?

Somewhere cool, easy to reach, and known to everyone at home. Check it every six months, replace what you have used and anything out of date, and update the card in the lid.

Does my pet need a vet after first aid?

Yes. First aid keeps your pet steady until a vet can take over. Injuries inside do not always show, so have them seen even if they seem fine.

Ask us: Not sure what your pet needs?

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This page is general advice. It cannot replace a vet seeing your pet. If you are worried, call a vet.

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