By Jeeru Jeejeebhoy*
What’s the best thing you can do for your pets?
Be prepared, this sounds so commonsensical but we often overlook the obvious.
Emergency Preparedness Tips
Your veterinarian’s number should be in an easy to access place, and everyone in the family must know where it is. Ideally, it should be on every family member’s mobile phone.
Make sure you know all the medications your dog is taking.
We live in times of natural disasters. As weather patterns across the world change, we now realise we have to be prepared for our pets in the event of a natural disaster. An easy way to be prepared is to have a small bag packed and ready in case you have to leave your house in an emergency. Make sure you have your pet’s medication, water bowl and some dry food (enough for at least 3 days) in this bag.
Always make sure your pet is traceable. Social media is not a reliable way to find a lost pet. Names tags, QR code badges, microchips, and GPS trackers are fool proof methods of finding lost pets.
Always know if your dog has ingested anything on their daily walk. So, for all the dog owners who rely on house help or dog walkers, your job just got tougher.
Learn Basic First Aid for Pets
The physical medical emergencies that may occur at home include burns, cuts, ingesting liquids like detergents etc. You must ask your vet and learn how to provide basic first aid such as stopping bleeding, dressing a wound, dislodging an object stuck in a dog’s throat and dressing a burn. You can also contact us for more information
First Aid Kit
Your typical First Aid Kit should contain the following essentials:
- Gloves – most important – you must protect yourself before you help an animal. Safe guard yourself from contracting a potential infection.
- Bandage – to temporarily stop bleeding or cover an open wound. It doubles up as a temporary Muzzle for a dog. It is vital that you are knowledgeable on how to tie a dog’s mouth without cutting its tongue. An injured dog, including your pet may become aggressive because they are fearful or in pain. Muzzling an injured dog lets you get professional medical help faster.
- Disposable Water Bowls – sharing water or food bowls is the quickest way to transfer infection between animals. There is no risk of bringing infection into your home when you feed with a disposable bowl.
* Jeeru Jeejeebhoy is the Co Founder of Oliver Pet Care Solutions (www.oliverpetcare.com). Her email id is info@oliverpetcare.com.
