Tanya Rabe Doggy First Aid Kits You have one for yourself and your crew so why not have a First Aid Kit for Fido? First Aid is help given to a sick or injured dog until full veterinarian treatment is available. On land, if our dog falls ill or is hurt, we have the luxury of jumping in the car and getting our dog to a vet relatively quickly. Our boats don’t travel as fast as a car and we may find ourselves hours, days, or even weeks from a veterinarian. I encourage all boating dog owners who may find themselves in remote areas to gain a knowledge of basic First Aid for your dog and yourselves before you embark on your journey. There are many courses to choose from or books to read. It is much better to be prepared before an emergency happens. In this article, I have prepared a list of items that we have used in our First Aid kit for our Cocker Spaniels Maxy and Mel. Our kit was put together with recommendations from local vets and our own research. Dogs Who Sail friend, Dr Sheridan Lathe from Vet Tails’ Sailing Chuffed has also taken a look over our kit and given it a thumbs up.
I am not a veterinarian and at no time am I giving you advice on what to medicate your dog with. It is your responsibility to visit your vet and have a lengthy conversation around such things as the health of your dog, what meds they will tolerate, when to use medications, dosage and for how long your canine friend should remain on them. Please don’t rely on Dr Google and social media to treat your best furry friend.
The Basics •
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Adhesive tapes A variety of bandages Cotton tips Cotton wool Eye wash Gauze and other wound dressings Glue Non-stick pads Scissors Thermometer
Anti-Diarrhoeal If you haven’t experienced doggy diarrhoea on a boat yet, let me tell you, be armed for it when it does strike. Generally, you will need something a little stronger than your broadspectrum antibiotics to target the SisterShip 51
