muzzle
logo

How to Put Together a Dog First Aid Kit

By Alina Jumabhoy

How to Put Together a Dog First Aid Kit

Photo by Show 131/ CC

No matter how careful you may be with your dog, accidents and emergencies can always happen. This is why it is always best to be prepared with a well-stocked dog first aid kit.

Don't have one yet?

Here is everything you will need to put one together.

A Sturdy Box or Bag

Before you begin to put your dog first aid kit together, you will need a container to hold all of the items. A plastic or metal box should be strong enough, and will be easy to pack.

Alternatively, go for a bag, especially if you and your dog frequently travel. You could also purchase a pre-made human first aid kit. Then, simply add your dog first aid kit items to this.

Bandages, Tape, Scissors and Rubber Gloves

If your pet is ever injured and starts to bleed, bandages are a must. These may be enough to stop the bleeding completely. If not, it will still slow the bleeding down enough to buy you some time to take your pooch to the vet.

Many different items can be used as a bandage, whether this may be a roll of gauze, a strip of cloth, or even some socks. Whichever you choose to include in your dog first aid kit, make sure that the bandage material is clean.

The tape is necessary to enable you to hold the bandage in place, while the scissors mean that you can cut the bandage and tape down to the perfect size.

Why do you need rubber gloves?

Because it is always best, for both you and your dog, for you to be wearing rubber gloves when handling blood. It will help to keep the wound cleaner, preventing an infection from setting in.

Medications

If your pet is already taking medication for an illness, make sure that you have some spares in your dog first aid kit.

Even if your pet is currently medication-free, there are a few over-the-counter drugs that may be worth including. Here are a few ideas:

  • Antihistamines for an allergic reactions

  • Antacids for stomach irritations

  • Approved sedatives for travel

  • Approved pain relief medications

  • Sugar tablets for low blood sugar

A Gallon of Water

Water is always so important in a medical emergency. You can use water to clean a wound, flush out the eyes, calm a burn, wash off allergens, and so much more.

A gallon of water should be more than enough for a dog first aid kit, but make sure that you also include a collapsible dish that you can pour the water into.

A Tick Remover

While ticks aren't necessarily an emergency, these pests are easy enough to remove on your own, saving you from having to make a trip to the vet.

Many of the home remedies you read about online when it comes to tick removal can actually be quite dangerous. For example, smothering a tick in Vaseline to suffocate it can sometimes cause the tick to regurgitate its contents back into your dog. This can lead to even more problems. Similarly, pulling a tick straight out can result in the head being left in your dog.

This is where a tick remover tool comes in...

These are so easy to use. You simply place the small tool over the tick and twist the tick out. Try to get a small and a large size to ensure that you are covered for all tick types.

A Dog First Aid Book

Do you know how to administer CPR on your dog? Or how about stopping a strong bleed?

Even if you already know all of this, a serious emergency can cause you to panic, resulting in your mind going blank.

This is why it is always handy to keep a dog first aid book in your dog first aid kit. This way, if there is ever an emergency that you aren't quite sure how to deal with, you will always have something reliable to refer to. It also wouldn't hurt to read this book in advance, just to brush up on your general dog first aid knowledge.

A Muzzle, Leash and Blanket

Your dog may be the tamest and friendliest pooch you know, but an injured animal can be so unpredictable.

For this reason, it is always advisable to make sure that your dog first aid kit contains a few restraints. A muzzle and a lead will give you some extra control over your dog if he becomes aggressive from pain. A blanket is also useful. You can use this to wrap your dog up, making transportation so much easier.

Treats and Home Comforts

While you will always want to tend to a medical emergency as quickly as possible, it is also important to take the steps necessary to ensure that your dog is feeling as comfortable as possible throughout all of this.

Treats are a good way to relax a food-motivated dog, and to encourage them to focus on you. They can also be used as an intermittent reward while you are performing first aid on your dog.

Other home comforts, such as a toy or your dog's favorite blanket, will also help to keep your dog calm and happy.

Paperwork

There are a few different pieces of paperwork that you should include in your dog first aid kit.

The first is your dog's medical history and vaccination records. These may not seem important right now, but if your dog has a serious medical emergency, it always helps to have these easily to hand.

A list of emergency phone numbers can also be useful.

Whose phone numbers should you write on the list?

Your vet's number is crucial, along with the number of an emergency vet if your regular vet doesn't provide this service. Animal poison control numbers, along with animal control, should also be listed.

When a dog is hurt or injured, this can be frightening, not only for your dog but also for yourself. In order to prevent more damage, it always helps to deal with the problem as quickly as possible, which is why a dog first aid kit is essential for every dog owner out there.

Related Articles

Popular Articles

How to Groom an Aggressive Dog

By Alina Jumabhoy

How to Groom an Aggressive Dog

Photo by Show 131/ CC

Image courtesy of Oritslama @ Pixabay

While some dog breeds barely require any grooming at all, others need this very regularly, and they don't all enjoy having this done.

So, how do you groom an aggressive dog?

Here are a few tips to keep in mind...

Learn the Dog's Triggers

Dogs are aggressive for different reasons.

For most dogs, the reason behind their aggression will be fear. This means that it is up to you to eliminate that fear if you want to groom an aggressive dog.

How do you remove that fear?

You need to take things slow.

Begin by giving the dog time to get used to you, as well as your touch. You can do this by slowly running your hands over their body, paying particular attention to sensitive areas.

Once the dog is happy with you touching him, you can then start to introduce some of your grooming tools. Let the dog have a good sniff of these first. Then, run them gently over the dog's body, making sure that the tools are turned off.

Use these tools to pet the dog, and give the dog a treat each time he does not react. Ideally, you should be treating the dog throughout the whole process.

What should you do if the dog is still uncomfortable?

Stop, and take a step back.

This whole process of acclimatizing a dog to being groomed can take weeks. This can seem frustrating, but it is so much better to spend this time encouraging the dog's comfort, rather than forcing the dog into a negative situation.

Restraints, Muzzles and Medication

You are probably thinking...

What if I don't have weeks to acclimatize a dog to the grooming process?

This is common, especially when it comes to rescue dogs who are in a bad way with their coats.

Well, in these cases, you will need to use restraints and muzzles.

Now, most groomers already use restraints on their grooming tables. These help to keep dogs still while they are being groomed, ensuring that the result is neat and even and that the dog doesn't run the risk of being cut by the clippers or scissors.

However, when trying to groom an aggressive dog, you will likely need a few extra restraints, as well as a muzzle.

You should always be careful when muzzling an aggressive dog, once again taking this as slow as possible. The muzzle you use is important too – it should be one that still allows the dog to pant, drink and accept treats, but should not enable the dog to bite. The muzzle should also be the right size for the dog – a muzzle that is too big or too small can result in even more discomfort and injury for the dog, which will only make him act more aggressively.

Try not to leave the muzzle on for too long. After all, you want to try to build up positive associations with the grooming process as much as possible.

Is the muzzle not helping you to groom an aggressive dog?

In very serious cases, you may need to turn to medication, usually in the form of a sedative.

However, this is something that should only be done under the advice of a vet.

Long-Handled Grooming Tools

Grooming tools are available in so many different shapes and sizes, with many of these featuring long handles. These are most commonly found in the form of combs and brushes.

These long-handled tools are perfect when trying to groom an aggressive dog. They allow you to reach those sensitive spots while keeping your hand far enough away to ensure that you don't end up bitten.

Don't forget...

You will still need to spend some time at the beginning allowing the dog to sniff your long-handled tools. This will make him much more receptive to the tools touching his body.

Short Grooming Sessions

Trying to groom an aggressive dog can be difficult, especially since you need to try to keep the experience as positive as possible.

One way to do this is by keeping the grooming sessions short and sweet.

You don't need to do a full groom the first time around – instead, pick an area of the dog and focus on getting that part groomed. This could be the face, the paws, the stomach, or anywhere else.

Make sure that you end each grooming session on a positive note. This usually involves plenty of praise and treats.

The more you do this, the more you will notice that the dog becomes increasingly receptive to the grooming process with each session.

Enlist the Help of an Assistant

You don't have to do it alone when trying to groom an aggressive dog.

In fact, finding someone to help you can make the whole process so much easier.

Your best bet would be finding someone who has experience in handling aggressive dogs. There are certain ways in which an aggressive dog can be held by your assistant, so that you can carry out the groom without having to worry about being bitten.

However, as you can imagine, this can be dangerous unless your assistant is well-experienced in this.

Stay Firm and Calm

Dogs quickly pick up on the emotions of the people around them.

If you are feeling nervous or unsure, an aggressive dog will take advantage of this, and will likely intimidate you even more.

While it may be difficult, it is so important that you remain firm and calm throughout the whole process.

What should you do if you are feeling nervous?

Take yourself out of the situation and give yourself a few minutes to calm down. Only return to the dog once you are feeling confident again.

If you can't seem to find that confidence, you may need someone else to do the grooming for you.

It can definitely be difficult to try to groom an aggressive dog, but it can be done. It does require plenty of behavioral knowledge, along with patience and determination, but, so long as you take things slow, it won't be long before the dog soon becomes accustomed to the grooming process.

Related Articles

Popular Articles

Muzzle Training Your Dog

By Alina Jumabhoy

Muzzle Training Your Dog

Photo by Show 131/ CC

Image courtesy of Pranidchakan @ Pexels

The majority of people out there who own a friendly, happy dog think that muzzle training is pointless, because muzzles tend to be associated with aggression. However, there are a number of reasons as to why your dog may need to wear a muzzle at some stage in his life, making muzzle training one of the best things that you can do for your pooch.

WHY WOULD MY DOG NEED TO WEAR A MUZZLE?

Even if your dog may not be aggressive, you may need to turn to a muzzle at some stage in your dog's life.

Reasons could include:

  • An injury – a dog may bite when in severe pain

  • Grooming – even if you desensitize your dog to the grooming process, he could still experience a negative situation at some point in his life that may require you to keep him muzzled when being groomed

  • Laws – these could be due to breed specific legislation, or even geographical location

  • Preventing unwanted eating while out – many dogs love to eat the strangest things while out on their walk, but this can often be dangerous. A muzzle prevents this from happening

If, for whatever reason, your dog does need to wear a muzzle, you want this to be something that your dog is happy to do.

Don't think that your dog would ever be happy wearing a muzzle?

Think again...

It all comes down to how you muzzle train your dog.

CHOOSING A MUZZLE

Before you begin muzzle training, you need to first choose a good muzzle for your dog.

There are several different types out there, but the best tends to be the basket muzzle. This is usually made from plastic or rubber, and fits like a basket over the dogs nose and mouth.

Why are these muzzles best?

Because not only can you easily slide treats through the gaps in the muzzle, but its shape and size enables your dog to drink and pant as well. Panting is extremely important, as this is how your dog cools down. 

Whichever type you choose, you need to make sure that the muzzle fits your dog properly. Check that it isn't rubbing against your dog's face anywhere, especially the nose and the eyes.

If you are buying the muzzle online...

Make sure that you take the time to properly measure your dog. The wrong size could lead to painful chafing.

GETTING STARTED WITH MUZZLE TRAINING

There are a few different stages involved when it comes to successfully muzzle training a dog.

Keep in mind that all dogs progress at different rates, so be patient and consistent in your methods.

Begin with Treats

High value treats are key when it comes to muzzle training. Make sure you have something that your dog absolutely loves, such as cheese or meat. This is important when it comes to helping your dog associate the muzzle with positive experiences.

Then, follow these steps:

  • Show your dog the muzzle and then immediately give him a few treats

  • Hide the muzzle behind your bag for a few seconds

  • Bring it back out, show it to your dog, and give him more treats. Verbal praise is also important. Repeat this a few more times

  • Place some treats inside the muzzle and allow your dog to eat them from within the muzzle

  • Once they are finished, repeat that step a few more times

Keep going over those steps over several different training sessions. This will really help to cement your dog's positive reaction to the muzzle.

Adding in Vocal Cues

As your dog slowly begins to learn that the muzzle leads to treats, you can begin to add in vocal cues.

Say the word “muzzle” when your dog is about to place his face into the muzzle. The more you do this, the quicker he will learn what you want him to do when you say the cue word. This will make it so much easier to place the muzzle onto your dog in the future.

Securing the Muzzle

Once your dog gets excited at the sight of the muzzle, you can then move on to the next stage.

After your dog has placed his face into the muzzle to eat the treat, gently fasten it behind his head, but then unfasten it and take it off straight away.

Repeat this a few times, making sure that you are still placing treats into the muzzle for your dog. It could be worth mixing up the treats that you are using at this point, adding in a few different high value treats to keep your dog interested.

As you continue on, slowly start leaving the muzzle on for longer periods of time. Begin with 15 seconds, then 30, then 45, and so on.

Aim to have your dog happily wearing the muzzle for around 15 minutes by the end of your training. However, make sure that you always do something fun with your dog, whether this may be a walk or play, while he is wearing the muzzle. This will help him to see the muzzle as a good thing.

SHORT BUT SUCCESSFUL TRAINING SESSIONS

Whether you are muzzle training your dog or trying to teach your dog anything else, it is important to keep your training sessions short and sweet.

Why?

Because you don't want your dog to get bored or frustrated. This will only bring negative connotations to whatever it is you are trying to teach.

You don't need to muzzle train for more than a few minutes at a time. You can then repeat these sessions several times throughout the day.

Don't forget...

Always set your dog up for success. If you don't think that he is progressing enough, start again and go back to basics. It is so important to make this fun for your dog throughout the whole process.

You never know what may happen in life, which is why it is always important to be as prepared as possible. Muzzle training your dog may not be something that you have considered, but could really make a huge difference in your dog's life further down the line. Muzzle training is easy, as well as fun, so go ahead and give it a try!

Related Articles

Popular Articles