Our first aid kit for dogs doubles as one for our dogs and us humans.  We have found with our research, and taking both in-class and online dog and human first aid trainings, that the first aid kit items are the same, except with the addition of a couple of other items for our dogs.

Our first aid kit for dogs always stays in a 50 liter backpack and is easily accessible.  That way, it is easy to grab, either if we need it to get to an injured dog somewhere on our property, or when we go on adventure trips with our dogs.

We also have a smaller kit inside the backpack that we can remove and take with us when going on hikes.  No way we need to lug the big 50 liter first aid kit backpack, just a few essential items.

Take A First Aid Class!

But a kit is only as effective as your ability and know-how to administer first aid. As a result, we highly recommend you attend a pet first aid class.

There are many online that you can take and some which offer lifetime subscriptions and are updated.   The course we use is here. You can probably find an in-person class-based one as well, which we have done.

We review our online course every year to stay up-to-date.

Where's Your Nearest Veterinary Hospital?

We also highly recommend you know where the closest veterinary hospital is to where you are at all times.  And that includes 24-hour veterinary hospitals, as many are only open during normal business hours.

Separate Cheat Sheet File

We have a google doc that we maintain with a lot of extra notes about administering first aid.  We add to it based on new things we learn.

We keep a digital copy of it handy in our mobile phones in case we need to access it.

But we also print a copy once per year and keep in the first aid kit for dogs so that we have a paper copy should the mobile phone not work

Maintaining Your First Aid Kit

We pull out every item in our first aid kit for dogs once per year and check to make sure everything is in working order.  Some items have expiration dates so an annual inspection allows us to replace those expired items.

What Is In Our Dog First Aid Kit

There are many kits available you can purchase.  Here's the basics that we have in our kit.

• Tweezers, scissors and surgical gloves
• Various size bandages, including quik clots and flex wraps;
• Cleansers, Topical Pain Relievers and Ointments and Ice Packs;
• Styptic powder;
• Supplements including quercetin and Benadryl as anti-histamines;
• Hydration tables or a flavorless Pedialyte might also work;
• Snake bite homeopathic remedies, but do your research first on how to use them;
• Flashlights, especially a headlamp;
• Field guides to first aid how-tos;
• Portable dog stretcher
• Dog N95 masks (if in an area with wildfires and smoke is heavy)