Whether it’s happens while you are training, hunting, exercising or playing, your dog will, at some point or another, get hurt. According to Ducks.org online, “There are a number of ailments you can handle in the field. You can treat a dog for dehydration, porcupine quills, barbed wire cuts, and scrapes from thorns or briars. In the case of more serious injuries, including muscle tears, broken bones, or hemorrhaging, stabilize your dog until professional help can take over.
A skin cut is one of the most common injuries for gun dogs in a training session or on a hunting trip. Though any laceration that slices open a dog’s epidermis is serious, not all such wounds might require an immediate trip to a veterinarian.”
With some preparation, however, you and your pup can be prepared for these cuts, scrapes, quills, and more and get back in the field where you both belong. Whether you choose to make your own first aid kit or purchase a pre-made one there are some things that simply cannot be left out.
Here’s a list of some must have equipment in any hunter’s canine first aid kit:
- Bandages
- Gauze – gauze is great for soaking up blood
- Medical tape – both adhesive and “vet wrap”
- Scissors
- Forceps – helpful for removing larger embedded objects, such as quills
- Tweezers – essential for picking trash and debris out of open wounds
- Saline Solution – great eye-wash
- Hydrogen Peroxide – for disinfecting
- Hydrocortisone Cream
- Alcohol Pads – for cleaning wounds
- Iodine
- Syringe – for cleaning out wounds and hydration
For more information on first aid trips and kits, here are a few URLS to get you on your way:
http://www.gundogmag.com/2010/09/23/health_nutrition_gd_firstaid_0909/
http://www.gundogmag.com/2010/09/23/tools_trade_food_medical_gd_firstaid_0909/
http://www.gundogmag.com/2011/03/16/tools_trade_food_medical_outdoor_safety_pro_model_sport_k-9_first_aid_kit_110810/
http://www.ducks.org/hunting/retriever-training/patch-up-your-pooch-canine-first-aid