Top 5 Must Have Dog First Aid Products

April 1^st kicks off National Pet First Aid Awareness Month. In honor of this awareness month, we would like to take a few minutes to go over our top 5 must-have first aid products in every hunter’s gear bag.

Often times when hunting, you are a long distance from the nearest veterinarian office. Having the right first aid gear on hand could be the difference of life or death in some cases; or at the very least, it cut down on the bloody mess and gets your dog back in the field faster. Of course, the best recommendation we can offer sporting dog owners is carrying an all-encompassing first aid kit, which supplies everything that you would need for any scenario. We currently carry four different first aid kits, and they can be found on the First Aid Kit page. If you don’t want to carry a full first aid kit, we would recommend you still have the following 5 first aid items on hand when you’re out in the field. Best of all: These five products are under $16 each.

EMT First Aid Gel

While out hunting, there are several things that could cause cuts or puncture wounds. A bad tussle with objects like sticks, broken saplings, barbwire fences, and even game can all result in open wounds. These wounds not only can create a bloody mess, but it also opens up the possibility of infections. EMT First Aid Gel is a great product that is designed to quickly reduce bleeding while forming a protective barrier over open wounds to promote rapid healing. Before applying EMT Gel, we recommend washing the wound with water. After washing the wound, apply EMT Gel directly into the wound and onto the surrounding area. If needed, EMT Gel can be applied daily until the wound is healed.

Pad Heal by Cut-Heal

I’m willing to bet that every hunter has had their dog injure their paw pads at one point or another. Hunting terrain can be hard on your dog pads, especially when running on rock or sand. A cut pad not only reduces your dog’s hunting pace, but can also lead to possible infections. For pad injuries, we recommend using Pad Heal by Cut-Heal. It is a great solution that repairs, conditions, and strengthens damaged pads or webbing. It also creates a germ and water-resistant barrier that penetrates into the pad that doesn’t wash off if water. Pad Heal is applied with a paint brush like applicator and should be applied daily to injured pads and continued once to twice a week after healed to condition the pad to reduce the chance of future injuries.

For a full review on Pad Heal see our blog Pad Heal by Cut-Heal.

Eye Wash

Hunting dogs are literally running head first into cover. In fall, this could mean seeds, pollen, and other debris hitting or entering the eye. Vetericyn Plus Eye Wash is specially formulated to help rinse foreign dirt and debris from your dog’s eyes. To rinse your dog’s eyes, simply remove the dropper nozzle and flush the affected eye gently with the Vetericyn eye wash. Repeat 3-4 times per day until condition is no longer visible and bothersome to the dog.

First Aid Wrap

With any open wound, if possible, it is good to cover the wound with first aid wrap.This will assist in stopping any bleeding, as well as reduce exposure to bacteria and viruses. Always clean the wound before adding any first aid wrap. The addition of gauze pads, towels, or pillow cases can be used for deep torso wounds. It is also important not to apply the first aid wrap too tight. Applying the wrap too tight will lead to discomfort, which can cause the dog to chew at the wrap, become restless, and whine.

Kwick Stop Stypic Powder

For bleeding wounds, Kwick Stop Stypic Powder is the best product for reducing bleeding and providing a numbing affect to make your dog more comfortable. Kwick Stop is easy to use and can be used on any wound. Simply apply Kwick Stop to the wound and apply moderate pressure of 5 to 10 seconds. This is also a great product to have around for those mishaps when trimming your dog’s nails.

Conclusion

Whether you choose to carry a first aid kit or at least some of our above suggestions, it is always better to have it and not need it than need it and not have it. For more information on dog first aid, we recommend the Field Guide to Emergency Care for the Outdoor Dog book. It’s a great book that covers a broad range of ailments you might expect your dog to confront in the field and offers a quick, clear explanation on how to treat each scenario. It is a great resource to include with your first aid kit.

Thank you for reading; hopefully you won’t need to use any of the above products. Happy hunting!

• Michael Cassatt, LCS Director of Marketing