Boston West Veterinary Emergency & Specialty
  • Phone: 508-319-2117
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    • Emergency Care
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Boston West Veterinary Emergency & Specialty
  • Our Services
    • Compounding Pharmacy
    • Diagnostic Imaging
    • Emergency Care
    • Surgery
  • For Your Pet
    • Client Registration Form
    • Emergencies + Appointments
    • When Your Pet is a Patient
    • Client Portal
    • Pet Insurance
    • Payment Options
    • End of Life Arrangements
    • Clinical Studies
    • Refill a Compounded Medication
  • For Veterinary Teams
    • Referral Forms and Portal
    • At a Glance
    • Ethos Materials for Clinics
    • Continuing Education
    • VetBloom CE
    • Clinical Studies
    • Compounding Pharmacy
  • About Us
    • Our Hospital
    • Our Team
    • Why Ethos
    • Ethos Discovery
    • Contact Us
  • Blogs & Videos
    • Our Blogs
    • PAWEDcasts
  • We’re Hiring!
    • Apply Today
    • Ethos Job Fairs
    • Benefits and Perks
    • Veterinary Training Programs
  • Phone: 508-319-2117

Our Blogs

Pet First Aid Kits

March 9, 2022

Every pet parent’s worst fear is having something bad happen to their beloved friend. No matter how calm, cool, and collected I think I am, if my dog gets injured, I am a blubbering lunatic. It can be a cut on his paw pad from hiking or a broken toe nail. I know these are not life threatening injuries, but we naturally want to take the pain away and fix them.

One very helpful tool in case of emergency is having your own first aid kit designed for your cat or dog. Now, this doesn’t replace a trip to the ER or an urgent care necessarily, but it can prevent the injury from getting worse, until you get there. It is also important to mention that unless instructed by a doctor, you should never keep a wrap or bandage on your pet for very long. Swelling, infection, or serious damage could happen if it is not wrapped appropriately. You never know what could happen on hikes in the woods, swimming in the lake, or even in your own home. So let’s get our kit prepared. Printable First Aid Kit Checklist

What You’ll Need for a Pet First Aid Kit:

Phone numbers: Your regular veterinarian, the closest emergency room and veterinary urgent care,
poison control (888) 426-4435
A spare leash
Self-cling bandage (or vetwrap): Bandage that stretches and sticks to itself
Muzzle or long piece of cloth to prevent biting
When pets are badly injured it won’t matter that you are their best friend. If they are in enough pain, they will want to protect their injury.
Gauze pads
Bandage tape
Ice pack
Cotton balls
Scissors
Saline solution
Tweezers
Rectal thermometer
Temperatures should not rise above 103˚F or below 99˚F
Disposable gloves
Blanket
Diphenhydramine (Benadryl) if approved by a veterinarian
You can ask your veterinarian for your pet’s dosage and write it on the notecard with your phone numbers
Styptic powder (Kwik stop)
Nail clippers
Flashlight
Rubbing alcohol (to clean the thermometer)
Your pet’s paperwork
Rabies certificate, important medical records

Another reason to keep a first aid kit in your car is to help someone else who is need. Not everyone is as prepared as you are (or soon will be), but their pets shouldn’t suffer! Good luck, and like all emergency or urgent care services and first aid kits, we hope you’ll never need it.


Written by LAUREN PARECE, BS, DMCA, OMCP

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Resources

  • Printable First Aid Checklist
  • Video: Building Your Pet First Aid Kit

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Boston West Veterinary Emergency & Specialty
508-319-2117 | 5 Strathmore Road Natick, MA 01760
  • Phone: 508-319-2117
  • Our Services
    • Compounding Pharmacy
    • Diagnostic Imaging
    • Emergency Care
    • Surgery
  • For Your Pet
    • Client Registration Form
    • Emergencies + Appointments
    • When Your Pet is a Patient
    • Client Portal
    • Pet Insurance
    • Payment Options
    • End of Life Arrangements
    • Clinical Studies
    • Refill a Compounded Medication
  • For Veterinary Teams
    • Referral Forms and Portal
    • At a Glance
    • Ethos Materials for Clinics
    • Continuing Education
    • VetBloom CE
    • Clinical Studies
    • Compounding Pharmacy
  • About Us
    • Our Hospital
    • Our Team
    • Why Ethos
    • Ethos Discovery
    • Contact Us
  • Blogs & Videos
    • Our Blogs
    • PAWEDcasts
  • We’re Hiring!
    • Apply Today
    • Ethos Job Fairs
    • Benefits and Perks
    • Veterinary Training Programs
© 2022 Boston West Veterinary Emergency & Specialty
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Boston West is Closed on Saturdays

We are working hard to hire more team members and we will return to 24/7/365 as soon as we can. Please click the link to see a list of nearby veterinary emergency hospitals.

Our Hours

Monday: Open 24 hours
Tuesday: Open 24 hours
Wednesday: Open 24 hours
Thursday: Open 24 hours
Fridays: Open until 10 p.m.
Saturday: Closed
Sunday: Open from 7 a.m. onward.

Thank you for your kindness and understanding.

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