Pet Safety

Whether you are home, a pet sitter is staying with your pets, or you or traveling with your pet, a first aid kit is essential. Here are some Veterinarian and ASPCA recommended items for your DIY kit. Make sure to check your pack every few months to make sure nothing has expired or needs to be replaced.
 

• Sterile saline wash is useful if your pet has debris or smoke in their eyes. Apply liberally and try to flush the eyes until all debris is removed. You can also use sterile saline to flush out minor wounds. 
• Water can also be used to flush out minor wounds. It is useful for rehydrating a pet, soothing burns, washing off toxins, soaking a paw, or cooling an  overheated pet. Don’t forget a dish for your pet to drink from if you are away from home.
• Bandages: Gauze, cotton balls, swabs, clean rags, even a sock can be used as bandage material to help control bleeding and keep wounds clean until they can be treated by your veterinary surgeon. Melolin absorbent dressings, nappies or sanitary pads can be used to cover wounds before applying a bandage. Non-adhesive vet wrap (pictured here on Senior dog Milo) is also great to have in a pet first aid kit, as it does not stick to animal fur and is easier to remove.
• Tape. Micropore tape is useful for securing dressings (and is easy to tear). Alternatively, duct tape can be useful for holding temporary bandages in place (affix to the temporary bandage not to the pet).
• A blanket or towel can be used to help keep your pet warm and combat shock. You can use a blanket or towel to wrap your pet in on the journey to the vet, or if your pet is immobile you can use it as a stretcher to lift your pet on.
• Disposable Gloves. If you can wear gloves when dealing with an injury it helps to reduce any further contamination of the injury. Discard after use.
• Plastic pouches/bags can be used to cover foot injuries and help keep them clean; fasten in place with tape. This will help minimize blood spillages on to carpets, furniture and your car. They can also be used as an ice pack or heating pad.
• Scissors preferably with a blunt end, for cutting tape, gauze, splints, or fur.
• Tweezers can be useful for removing objects like thorns from a paw. Tweezers are more likely to remove the entire object, where as fingers can break an object and leave part remaining.
• Medications. If your pet is on regular medication, it is wise to keep a small amount in the first aid box. In addition, consider styptic powder, which is used to stop bleeding in cases of minor cuts or torn nails and sugar tablets for diabetic pets or a small pet with low blood sugar.
• Rubbing Alcohol wipes
• OTC antibiotic gel preferably Neosporin
• ​A small flashlight to focus on the wounded area
• Washing up liquid to remove toxins from the skin and fur. Just remember to rinse thoroughly with water afterwards
• Contact details for your local vet and emergency animal hospital.
• Medical records. If your pet has had any recent treatment or illness, or is on medication, it is worth keeping a copy of their medical records to hand. If your pet needs to visit a veterinary clinic after-hours, your regular vet may not be available and the vet at the emergency service may not have immediate access to your pet’s previous medical history.

Having a pet get lost is an awful, terrifying experience. Even with microchip technology, only 1 in 3 ever make it home again. Having been a pet parent that was fortunate enough to have my cat be 1 of those 3, after 9 days of not eating and not sleeping, I wanted to share some tips on door and window safety. These tips also apply to dogs, who like to race out the door to chase a dog or squirrel they see going by!

Use Baby Gates as Window Guards
Chewy.com actually sells these cheaper than I found anywhere else (pictured here). They are spring mounted to stay in place but we also put benches against them so the cats have a seating area (since the window sill is blocked) and there's no way they can burst out the screen. Originally we relied on screws driven through the screen frame into the siding, but what we found out can happen, is a large cat  in the midst of a fight with another cat can actually hit the screen so hard the fabric pulls out from the frame and they're gone in an instant. So now any windows we open have these gates in front of the screen. If the window is closed, you can simply pop the gate out until needed.

Use Dog Exercise Pens as "Airlock" Systems
Cat Cafes work because they have airlock systems to ensure the cats don't get out as patrons come in and out. This is the same idea, but thousands of dollars cheaper! We're talking $20 vs $2,000. I use the 48" because I have cats that are Olympic jumpers and the 24" and 36" they'd clear with little effort (pictured here). Create an enclosed area just inside the exterior door, so if you are trying to come in, someone racing down the hallway after a toy or another pet doesn't leap out the door as it opens. Or get startled when jumped by their "brother" and leap and end up leaping out the door as it opens. If someone comes to the door, I always step outside and shut the door behind me; I never talk with the door part way open - that's just asking for a lost pet.

Institute Pet Checks Before Opening the Exterior Garage Door
We do a pet check before we open the exterior garage door. Our kitchen door opens into the garage. We go in and out to get tools, or empty trash, and it's always possible someone darts into the garage and we don't notice. So before opening the door to the outside, we do a "pet check". We take a quick walkabout the house, and ensure we see each dog and cat and no one is anywhere near the kitchen door we're about to go back out through. Only then do we open the door to the outside. Word to the wise - when you leave, DO lock that door from house to garage. The suction from the exterior door opening can pop open a doorknob, and suddenly the door to your house is open while the exterior door is open, and things can happen fast. That dog or cat could be down the street before you get your car shut off. We always turn the deadbolt so that can't happen.

Make a Temporary Pet Room 
If you're having guests over or a party, move a couple litter pans, some toys, beds, food and water into a spare bedroom and lock the cats in until the guests are gone. Also do the same with the dogs or put them in an exercise area in the backyard if the weather is good. An open front door is something to go investigate to a dog, who will happily trot off down the street and it could be hours before you realize your dog is gone. I once caught a guest deliberately trying to let my cat out. They weren't invited back - ever. Even if someone isn't that bad, people not used to pets may let one out without thinking, or just leave doors ope as they go in and out. 

There are 2 choices, and the ability to choose depends on if there is advance notice of 

the impending natural disaster or emergency. For example, warnings of tropical 

storms and hurricanes (and the accompanying flooding) occur often weeks in advance, 

allowing planning time such as locating boarding facilities in other cities, and/or pet friendly hotels. 

However, tornados, earthquakes, and even blizzards and ice storms come unexpectedly and you may find yourself having to shelter in place. Or you may need to because you have enough animals or types of animals that cannot simply go to a boarding facility or hotel. I recently had to shelter in place with all my pets, rescues, and ferals for 8 days in near 0 degree temperatures with impassable roads, no power (so no heat), and no running water. Here's what I did and learned so I can be more prepared next time. 

Shelter In Place Tips and Lessons Learned: 

1. Have at least 2 weeks preferably 3 weeks worth of food/water for you AND your animals, as well as first aid kits for you both. Pet First Aid Kit.
2. Buy a small generator and store at least 4 tanks of fuel AND 2 spare bottles of 10w-30 oil. Even if its a natural gas supply location; that could be shut off by the municipality, just like the water and electric, or supply lines could freeze or break. Gasoline will not freeze until -40F.  DON'T keep the oil outside; it freezes at 32F. Keep it in the house or you may find you can't run the generator as the oil is frozen.
3. Have enough 10amp/125v indoor/outdoor 100' extension cords to run from the generator (mine had 4 ports) to ensure you can reach the heaters inside the barns/feral houses/house. Using too low an amperage cord will result in the items not receiving enough power or potentially causing a fire.
4. If it's hot weather, you'll want a generator that can power your refrigerator to avoid losing all your food supply at a time you may not be able to get more. The grocery stores here ran out of food and water for almost 2 weeks. If it's winter, save the generator gas and power to run heaters, and put your food outside in the snow. Place it  inside storage containers, coolers, suitcases or whatever you can use that shuts tight so animals don't get into it.
5. Keep your car tank at Full or at least 3/4 of a tank. The gas stations here ran out of gas. I could siphon gas for the generator from the two vehicles to keep the outside animals (ferals and strays) from freezing to death. The generator powered their heated cat houses.
6. Don't try to heat your whole house. Shut you and your indoor pets into 1 or 2 rooms and run the space heater in there. 
7. Winterize your barns by caulking and sealing cracks, and weather stripping doors and windows. Buy or build waterproof feral houses. I use the K&H heated cat houses because I don't have to setup a heater; they have warming pads that plug in and heat the whole interior.
8. Have a camping stove and several of the small propane bottles to fuel it (each one only lasts a few hours) or have an outdoor propane grill that takes a large propane tank and have a second full tank as a spare. A hot drink and a hot meal in a house that is now in the 40's or high 30's can make a world of difference in keeping you warm.
9. Candles are risky and don't provide much light. Have at least 2 battery powered lanterns, 2 battery powered headlamps (it's hard to pour gasoline into a generator at 2am in 5 degree weather while holding a flashlight with bulky mittens on), a battery powered radio, and 2 flashlights. All these items run on AA batteries so I didn't have to buy 4 different types of batteries and chance running out of one type. I also had a 96 pack of AAs. 
10. If you don't have a landline (I don't), have a power charging pack for your cell phone. Remember to keep it charged up weekly. You don't want to have to use valuable gas running the car to charge your phone as you may need that gas for the generator. 
11. Have 6 cases (of 32 bottles) of bottled water. If it's winter DON'T leave it in the garage. There  it may freeze solid which will burst the bottles, leaving you with no water. Remember that if there is no water supply, you may get a hot shower the first night but the water heater won't be able to refill. Save your water for drinking for you and the animals. You can shower when it's all over!

Notes on generator size:

Each generator specifies the total amperage it can support. There are 3 important things to remember about that total:

1. If you are using 90% of that total amperage, the generator fuel will last much less time.
2. I also discovered the higher the ethanol, the more efficiently the generator will run, making the fuel last longer.
3. Buy a generator that can at least run 2 small space heaters (usually 1500 watts each). One for you and the indoor pets, and another for the outdoor animals, and an average size refrigerator (usually 700 watts) which helps in warm weather.

Notes on gas stoves:

Gas stoves made after 1990 have a lockout feature that will NOT allow the burners to be manually lit. The safety feature added to them locks the gas valve so it will not flow to allow a manual light. I  discovered this much to my consternation. Next time I'll buy a vintage stove!

DO NOT LEAVE YOUR PETS BEHIND. If it isn't safe for you, it isn't safe for your pets. They may become trapped, abused, or die. They will NOT "be OK on their own". They MIGHT get lucky and be taken in but the odds are against them.

DISASTER PLANNING:

Not all people shelters accept pets - in fact most don't. So disaster planning is essential.  Just as you may have plans in the event of an earthquake, be sure to include your 4 legged family in those plans:

• Contact your veterinarian for a list of preferred boarding kennels and facilities if they do not board (some Vets offer boarding). 
• Ask your local animal shelter if they take reservations for emergency shelter or emergency foster care for pets - many do. 
• Identify hotels or motels outside of your immediate area that accept pets. These websites are focused on pet friendly accommodations:
• bringfido.com/lodging/ 
• expedia.com/g/rg/pet-friendly-hotels 
• www.marriott.com/hotel-search/pet-friendly.hotels/ 
• www.ihg.com/destinations/us/en/pet-friendly-hotelsbridge  
• Ask friends and relatives outside your area if they would be willing to take in your pet.  

PREPARING AN EVACUATION KIT

Have a PREPACKED container with:

• A carrier, or pop-up kennel or pet playpen (that has a zipper in top and bottom)
• Pet First Aid Kit
• A leash, harness, collar and Rabies/ID tags
• 1 week of pet food and water
• Veterinary records
• Medications
• Blankets and/or pet beds
• Potty pads and poop bags
• Disposable litter pans, 2 bags of litter, and a litter scoop and small trash bags
• Hand sanitizer

SHELTERING IN PLACE

Encountering an animal in need can happen anywhere: a grocery store parking lot (as I once discovered), an office complex, a field, a festival, a gas station, the side of a freeway....you get the idea.  Sometimes you aren't prepared; and when you go back later the animal is gone. This can be heart breaking especially if the animal was in desperate need like the kitten I found in the grocery store parking lot trying to eat a piece of mulch she was so starved at that point. This was 20 years ago but I remember it well:

I was new to animal rescue, and unprepared because I'd gone to buy my weekly groceries not rescue cats!  It was 40 degrees out, she was weak with hunger. I had a friend with me who I sent into the store to buy a can of kitten food and a plastic bowl. I opened it and she ate the whole thing in seconds. I sent him back into the store for more cans, while I stayed with her to ensure she didn't run off. I opened the next can, while he went back into the store and came back with a laundry basket with a lid (thankfully it was a grocery store that had more than milk and dry goods!) and a large dishtowel. We turned the laundry basket into a cat carrier, abandoned the weekly grocery shopping, and took her home. We paid for her vaccinations and tests, and the local Shelter put her into their adoption program and two weeks later she had a forever home.  

After that, I began keeping things in my car in case I encountered a situation like that again. Here's what you'll need to build an emergency rescue kit: 

• Cat carrier 
• Pop up kennel or pet playpen (that has a zipper in floor and roof)  
• Pet First Aid Kit
• Dog leash with adjustable harnesses in small, medium, and large
• Plastic bowls or those waterproof fabric collapsible pet water bowls 
• Cans of dog and cat food 
• Bottles of water 
• Heavy gloves or oven mitts
• Potty pads 
• Paper towel roll  
• Bath towels 
• Rubbing alcohol wipes 
• Vet wrap 
• Universal Microchip scanner 
• List of phone numbers for all local shelters and rescues within an hour radius 
• List of 24 hour Emergency Animal Hospitals within region 

Remember to always use caution and common sense. You may need to call for help. The animal may not have had a Rabies vaccination; if you get bit, go to the ER so they can administer any necessary shots. 

Every pet is different on the temperature they can endure. ​Older or overweight dogs, and brachycephalic (short nosed dogs such as bulldogs) are at greater risk for heat stroke and heat exhaustion which are life threatening. Dogs that are recently moved to a different climate and were previously  not acclimated to heat will struggle and may always be  more sensitive to high temperatures. The thickness of the coat doesn't necessarily matter. Even those with short, thin coats can become overheated.

MYTHBUSTER: Cats do NOT tolerate heat! They are just as susceptible to heat stroke as dogs and people.
 

Signs of heat exhaustion in cats are rapid breathing, redness of the tongue, vomiting, lethargy, stumbling, staggering gait. As their body temperature rises, the cat will collapse and have seizures or slip into a coma.
 

​Vigorous exercise in high temperatures can bring on heat exhaustion or stroke especially when the dog is not used to vigorous exercise or the temperatures have suddenly changed from cold or cool to very warm.
 

​Always bring plenty of water along for the dog when you go to a park or take the dog for a walk on a hot day.  Pet stores have refillable drinking bottles for dogs. Dehydration can add to the danger of heat exhaustion and stroke.
 

In warm weather, their water bowl will need to be filled more often as they will go through their water much faster than previously and running out of water in warm temperatures can be life threatening.

Symptoms of heat exhaustion are lethargy and listlessness, excessive panting, and anxiety followed by diarrhea and vomiting which is followed by going into shock. Do NOT put cold water or ice packs on the animal because it makes it harder for them to cool off. Dogs cool themselves through shade, drinking water, and panting. 

Normal Heart and Respiratory Rates for Cats and Dogs

CPR for Cats and Dogs