Train My Pets

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Are you a hunter who takes his dog out onto the field? If so, you must carry first aid kits, not just for yourself but for your dog, as well. Injuries can occur at anytime, so you should be prepared to treat small injuries before they become very serious. The good news is that there are an abundance of great first aid kits for gun dogs that you can use at home or out on the field.

While there are many options to purchase a dog first aid kit, it’s up to you to make sure that it’s ‘up to par’ and sufficient to take care of your dogs needs whether you are at home or out hunting. It may be tempting to wrap a dogs wound in whatever happens to be available (a torn shirt, handkerchief, etc) but having a properly sanitary dressing could make a difference between a wound that heals properly and one that can become infected and potentially debilitating. Don’t be penny wise and pound foolish when it comes to preparing your first aid kit for you dog.

Here is what to look for in a good bird dogs first aid kit:

A First Aid Guide
This guide should cover the basics of first aid for dogs. It should show how to bandage wounds, do mouth-to-snout resuscitation, and use the other items contained in the first aid kit to help your dog. This is for emergencies and doesn’t replace normal veterinary care, of course. Read the guide before you go out so you are familiar with the information in it and will either know it or be better able to find it quickly.

Tweezers
You’d be amazed how convenient a pair of tweezers can be! Just think of all the opportunities your dog (and you) has to wind up with a sliver when you’re out hunting. It might be easy for you to remove a sliver from your finger, hand or arm when you’re out hunting but stop and think about the challenges of trying to remove a sliver from your dogs foot pad or anywhere on their fur covered body while you’re outside. Failure to remove a sliver can result in and abscess that winds up infected and can result in a systemic infection.

Good old Hydrogen Peroxide
This simple, cheap, and misunderstood liquid is the basis for any good first aid kit. It’s a sterilizer that can be used safely on animals and causes no discomfort. Use with a sterile gauze pad to clean a wound, prep a splinter site before removal and after you’re done, and so forth.

Remember Iodine?
Iodine is even better than peroxide for cleaning a wound before dressing it with gauze or bandages. The best course of action is to use the peroxide, then the iodine, to promote quicker healing of your dog’s wounds.

Antibiotic Ointment
This is helpful in easing the sting and preventing infection in cuts, scrapes, bee stings, rashes, and other minor injuries.

Eyewash
A simple saline solution for washing out the eyes can make your dog’s life much easier and save his vision in some cases. When your dog gets something in his eye that he can’t get rid of on his own, use this to clean them. A quick squirt into the eye and nature will do the rest in most cases.

Trauma Pad
A trauma pad is crucial if your dog is seriously injured; it will help minimize bleeding and help keep the wound bound as well as providing assistance in transporting your dog to emergency help. When shopping for a trauma pad watch out that the sizing is correct for your dogs needs.

Gauze, Tape, and Scissors
Simple tools that, when used correctly, can greatly help your dog in times of injury. If your dog is cut, scratched, or similarly hurt, you’ll want to bandage, gauze over, then tape the wound so it is protected from infection. These three tools can do that job quickly.

Don’t ruin a great hunting kit by not having a first aid kit for your dog! Not having one is irresponsible and dangerous, so make sure you have a nice, complete kit for your dog with all of the hunting dog supplies that you may need at all times, especially when you’re out on the field. Getting an extra one for home or other use is also a great idea.

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