By Joe Spoo DVM

Traumatic injuries are the most common maladies to occur to hunting dogs. A good first aid kit is a necessity in order to properly care for these wounds, and to prevent further pain and injury. This allows the injury to remain stable until a more definitive treatment can be performed by a veterinarian. The following list is rather simplistic, but very effective in stabilizing most injuries encountered out in the field.

1.) Container (preferably water-tight) – this allows all the materials to be kept in one secure place.

2.) Cotton – one-half pound of rolled cotton, or cast padding. This can be used as a supportive wrap on leg wounds, or to temporarily splint a leg.

3.) Gauze – at least 2 rolls of 3” roller gauze, this can serve two roles, one to hold the cotton wrap in place, and two it can be used to make a muzzle to tie a dog’s mouth shut.

4.) Q-Tips – preferably ones with long sticks, these can be used to clean wounds, and also clean material out of the ear. Caution should be used not to lodge the material further down the ear though.

5.) 3 x 3 Gauze Sponges – these are used to blot up blood from wounds, and can be used with vaseline as a protective covering of various wounds.

6.) Vaseline – use this to cover some wounds in order to keep bandage material from adhering to the wound.

7.) 1” & 3” Tape – numerous uses, but primarily as a final covering to hold bandage material in place and to keep dirt and debris out of the wound.

8.) Vetwrap – can have various uses, but is a good choice for the final covering of a bandage.

9.) Saline Eye Wash – I keep 1-2 bottles of this handy at all times. It can be used to wash foreign material from the eye, but also doubles as an excellent choice to flush wounds.

10.) Antibiotic Eye Ointment – talk with your veterinarian about this one, but one without cortisone is the best choice.

11.) Bandage Scissors – get the heavy duty type, again this has multiple uses.

12.) Nail Trimmers – choose the heavy duty kind here too. These can be used for routine nail trimmings, and to remove broken and torn nails in the field.

13.) Thermometer – get the digital, easy to read ones available almost anywhere. A dog’s temperature is important in numerous situations, with normal ranging roughly from 101-102.5 °F

14.) Hemostats – can be used to stop major bleeding, although care should be given if unsure of where the blood is coming from, and also of grasping the wrong tissue. They also can be used to pull quills.

15.) Hydrogen Peroxide - this is not used as a wound cleaner. The bubbling that you see is actually causing small amounts of tissue damage. Instead use this to induce vomiting if your dog is accidentally poisoned. Consult your veterinarian about the correct dosing.

This is a fairly basic first aid kit, and most of the items can be obtained from your veterinarian, pharmacist, our your favorite bargain store. The biggest thing to remember is that most emergency situations have the potential to become worse if you don’t stop and think for a minute. It’s best to keep both the dog and yourself calm and make rational decisions. Stabilize the injury or wound, stop any bleeding, keep the dog calm, quiet and comfortable and seek veterinary care as quickly as possible.