First aid kit for bird dogs

Even though the cupboard in our kennel office has shelves full of pills, bottles, solutions and salves, Jerry keeps his traveling first aid kit to about two dozen supplies. Whether he’s training, hunting or guiding, this red box (a fishing tackle box) is always handy. Over the years, Jerry has performed countless field dressing and stapling jobs which, not only help the dog in need, but speed recovery and reduce long-term complications.

Listed below are the general supplies and the field supplies Jerry considers essential for his traveling first aid kit.

General Supplies

• Amoxicillin:  general antibiotic
• Benadryl:  allergic reactions
• Buffered aspirin:  pain
• Duct tape (of course!)
• Metronidazole:  giardia
• Pepto Bismol:  diarrhea
• Q-tips
• Rimadyl:  anti-inflammatory (by vet prescription only)
• Thermometer
• Vaseline

Field Supplies

• Betadine:  liquid disinfectant
• Dog Booties:   protect pads
• EMT Gel:  use on cuts, tips of tails
• Eye wash (sterile):  flushes out seeds and other debris
• Gauze
• Nutri-cal:  quick supplement for low blood sugar, weakness
• Scissors
• Stapler
• Tape
• Triple antibiotic ointment:  prevents infection and provides temporary pain relief due to cuts, scraps and burns
• Triple antibiotic ophthalmic ointment (non-steroidal):  works for minor eye irritations but not scratches
• Tuf-Foot:  heals and toughens pads
• Vet wrap

Many of the supplies are the same that people use and so are easily purchased. We also buy certain supplies from our vet, including the prescription-only Rimadyl. Otherwise, we order from catalogs such as Lambert Vet Supply and Lion Country Supply.