Shooting Times & Country Magazine
A first-aid kit for dogs
I have been asked to put together a basic first-aid kit for the dogs that work our shoot. Can you suggest what best to include, please?
It is certainly a good idea to carry a first-aid kit, but it is often difficult to decide what or, perhaps equally importantly, what not to include. My advice is that you recognise most injuries, unless relatively minor, are likely to require veterinary treatment and limit yourself to essential items that you know how to use.
I suggest that you have a small selection of plain cotton bandages to dress wounds, and adhesive bandage or Vetrap — a proprietary veterinary product that sticks to itself and can be easily removed and reapplied — to cover and protect dressings.
Along with those few bandages, some cotton wool and gauze pads, some antiseptic wound powder and/ or a small jar of Vaseline and some skin cleanser will allow you to deal with most superficial wounds and control any bleeding that might require further veterinary attention.
A pair of scissors and some tweezers are always useful. You will also need good light to examine injuries properly, so a small torch can be handy, especially if, for instance, you suspect your dog has picked up something in its foot and you are trying to find a thorn or small pieces of glass.
It’s a good idea to include some form of glucose (either as a powder or as a syrup). Occasionally, a dog on a shoot may become wobbly or even collapse during or immediately after strenuous exercise.
In these circumstances, it will most likely have become hypoglycaemic
— its blood sugar levels will have dropped. Such dogs have literally used up all their available energy and need an immediate source of sugar to boost blood glucose levels.
Finally, I suggest you seal the lid of the first-aid box with tape. This will not only help to keep the contents intact and clean, but also deter people from using these items for anything other than their intended purpose. TB