Pet Emergency Kit
Having a pet emergency kit is an essential part of your emergency plan. Here are items you should include in your kit, which you should periodically check and update.
- Current copies of vaccination records for pets. Most shelters and boarding facilities require this information.
- Emergency contact information including microchip information.
- Be sure every cat and dog have an ID tag on their collar and are microchipped.
- Current photos and brief descriptions for each pet to help others identify them in case you and your pets become separated.
- Food 5-7 days for each pet!
- At least seven days’ worth of bottled water for each person and pet (store in a cool, dry place and replace every two months)
- Bowls for food and water
- Crates, carriers and leashes and collars readily accessible
- Any medications for each pet.
- Sanitation items such as a litter box or disposable litter trays and litter or puppy pads
- Newspaper or bedding for smaller, caged animals
- Garbage bags
- Paper towels
- Flashlight with charged batteries
- Liquid soap
- A Pet First Aid Kit (see below)
Pet First Aid Kit
- First aid book for pets. You may also want to download an emergency app.
- Phone numbers: your veterinarian, the nearest emergency-veterinary clinic (along with directions!) and a poison-control center or hotline (such as the ASPCA poison-control center, which can be reached at 1-800-426-4435).
- Paperwork for your pet (in a waterproof container or bag), especially proof of rabies-vaccination status
- Any medications for your pet and dosage instructions
- Self-cling bandage (bandage that stretches and sticks to itself but not to fur—available at pet stores and from pet-supply catalogs)
- Muzzle or strips of cloth to prevent biting (don’t use this if your pet is vomiting, choking, coughing or otherwise having difficulty breathing)
- Absorbent gauze pads
- Adhesive tape
- Antiseptic wipes, lotion, powder or spray
- Blanket (a foil emergency blanket)
- Cotton balls or swabs
- Gauze rolls
- Hydrogen peroxide (to induce vomiting—do this only when directed by a veterinarian or a poison-control expert)
- Ice pack
- Non-latex disposable gloves
- Petroleum jelly (to lubricate the thermometer)
- Rectal thermometer (your pet’s temperature should not rise above 103°F or fall below 100°F)
- Scissors (with blunt ends)
- Sterile non-stick gauze pads for bandages
- Sterile saline solution (sold at pharmacies)
- Tweezers
- A pillowcase to confine your cat for treatment
- A pet carrier
- An extra leash
- Plastic eyedropper or syringe
