Jun 05 2008
How to Make a Canine First Aid Kit

When you hit the road with your furry friend, it’s important to have a first aid kit handy for minor emergencies.
Gather the following items together and store them in a lunch box or any other durable container you’d like. Toss it in your car, and whola!
You’ll need:
A muzzle (or a 2-foot-long strip of cloth)
Latex gloves
Tweezers
Tick removal tweezers
Cotton balls
Gauze pads, squares and rolls
Disinfectant (Hibitane works, but might be hard to find, so ask your vet for a product recommendation)
Wound cream (try CanineAid)
Saline solution
Bulb syringe or small turkey baster
Antibacterial wipes
Paw cream (Bag Balm is wonderful)
Also keep your vet’s phone number handy, as well as the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Hotline at (888) 426-4435.
Other items that might come in handy include an old blanket or a few old towels, an extra leash, a rectal thermometer and petroleum jelly, hydrogen peroxide and antihistamine.
(Be sure to consult a veterinarian before giving your dog any medications such as antihistamines or using hydrogen peroxide to induce vomiting–and don’t use hydrogen peroxide to clean Fido’s wounds).
The American Mutt-i-grees Club, founded by Pet Savers Foundation, wants to spread the word that mutts are people dogs too!
The American Mutt-i-grees Club is all about change and choice:
Changing how mixed-breed dogs are regarded, by celebrating the unique
characteristics of each one of them, and helping people make the right
choice - the choice to adopt mixed-breed puppies and [...]
The pills you pop may make you feel better, but they could be fatal to your pet. Just last year, the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center (APCC) handled 89,000 cases of pets exposed to human medications.
Here’s what to watch out for:
NSAIDs
According to the APCC, NSAIDs (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs) like ibuprofen or naproxen are the most [...]
My distaste for puppy mills notwithstanding, I’m pleased to report that, stepping away from its reputation as “The Puppy Mill Capital of the East,” the Pennsylvania Legislature passed HB 2525 on October 8, a bill that will improve the lives of tens of thousands of dogs living in Pennsylvania’s puppy mills.
HB 2525 doubles the cage [...]
Two years ago today, my husband and I rescued Greta, and our lives have never been the same since. Sure, it was hard in the beginning–after all, she was a puppy with no experiences outside of living in a wire crate 23 hours a day.
Slowly, she learned how to relax and live in a home. [...]
October is Adopt-A-Dog month, a celebration established by the American Humane Association to promote dog adoptions from animal shelters and educate people about responsible pet care. Learn more about events in your area here.
And just in time for Adopt-A-Dog month, Disney’s new film, Beverly Hills Chihuahua hits theaters October 3. The film is about Chloe, [...]