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Be Prepared… It’s not just for Boy Scouts

Be Prepared… It’s not just for Boy Scouts

“The #1 Golden Rule at Blue Bridge Dog Training is “You are your dog’s protector,” against other dogs, against people, against cars, against cold and heat, and whatever else might harm your dog. This is a big responsibility for us and for any dog owner, and it should not be taken lightly. But when something does happen, are you prepared?

An important and sometimes overlooked “tool box” for a dog owner is a first aid kit made specifically for animals, or in this case, dogs. Because it is not something you use, daily, weekly, or even monthly, it is easy to forget that dogs can get injured. They play hard. They get into stuff that may cause them harm. And, of course, there are ticks.

Here are two examples where the first aid kit was helpful:

Example 1: We had a puppy here for a private lesson program and noticed that there was a small, dark bump on his ear under the fur. Upon closer examination, we discovered that it was a tick. There was a tick removal tool in the first aid kit that worked perfectly (once we were able to get the pup to stop squirming). The disinfectant wipes in the kit were used for the ear, the tick removal tool, and hands.

Example 2: Several weeks ago, I came home to find a few drops of blood on the floor near the front door. I was pretty sure that no actual crime was committed, because my wife was not home at the time. But with three dogs in the house, I needed to determine which one was bleeding and from where. Using my super-sleuth and CSI capabilities, I saw that the oldest and largest dog was bleeding from the ear (outside, not inside the ear). I cleaned the wounds (several moderately deep scrapes) with water first, then disinfectant wipes from the first aid kit. I applied some pressure with a folded-up paper towel to stop the bleeding, but it did not work after several attempts. The blood flow was not gushing, but it was also not stopping. I went to retrieve some powdered coagulant for dogs (not in the first aid kit), which did work. After this incident, I purchased another bottle of coagulant that now stays in the first aid kit.

Here's part of the crime scene...

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Front and back of the injured ear....

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There are a wide variety of first aid kits available, and they all contain different components (the one I purchased did not come with coagulant). You might consider buying a basic kit and then supplementing it with additional items, such as a strip of cloth for use as a make-shift muzzle.

You don’t have to be a Boy Scout, but it’s always a good idea to be prepared. Hopefully, you will never have to use any item in your first aid kit.


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Breaking Through Barriers, Transforming Lives...

Jeff

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