Emergency Preparedness: Planning Ahead for Your Pet in an Emergency

When an emergency arises, whether it’s a hurricane, tornado, wildfire, or even an injury or illness to your pet, having a pet emergency kit on hand can be an excellent resource.

Here are some important and relatively inexpensive items you can put in your emergency preparedness kit:

  • Crate and leash—Even the calmest animal can get excited or aggressive when he or she is stressed or afraid. Having a crate can give your pet the comfort of a more enclosed environment and it will give you greater ease in moving your pet. If you do not own a crate or your pet is too big for a crate, be sure you have a leash and/or harness that you can use.
    • Put your name and contact information as well as your pet’s name on a card and attach it to the crate for identification.
  • Copies of your pet’s most recent vaccinations and treatment records. Remember to update these regularly.
  • Contact information for your regular and on-call veterinarians.
  • Bandaging supplies
    • Gauze
    • Medical tape
    • Bandaging wrap—Some kinds are made to stick only to themselves, which can be handy for not sticking to pet fur
  • A large towel or blanket
    • For covering a crate to help calm your pet
    • For cases of shock
    • For warmth
  • Alcohol wipes
  • Baby wipes for cleaning
  • Dish detergent for cleaning
  • Tweezers
  • Scissors
  • Syringe—Can be filled with water to flush a wound
  • Hydrogen peroxide
  • Several bottles of bottled water with a bowl for your pet to drink from
  • Pet food—Especially if your pet is on medicated food
  • One-month supply of any medications your pet takes
  • One application of any flea or tick products used

In addition to having an emergency kit for your pet, every pet should have a form of identification. If your pet wears a collar, be sure he or she has an ID tag that will allow someone who finds your pet to contact you. You also may want to consider a microchip, which can provide your pet with identification that cannot be lost.

For more information about microchips for your pet, read this article from WebMD.