A small animal that is sick or injured is often in a frightened state, so if emergency small pet care is deemed necessary it is important to protect yourself – even if the small animal is your own pet – with protective hand covering, such as gloves.

If there is any question as to the seriousness of your pet’s condition, you should follow up your emergency small pet care with advice from your veterinarian. Of course, before an emergency should ever arise, it’s a good idea to familiarize yourself with emergency small pet care and first aidtechniques.

Never leave dangerous objects like pins, needles, nails or fish hooks within your small pet’s reach. And, be well aware of your pet’s normal behavior, so you can easily recognize when he is exhibiting signs of abnormal behavior. Remember, the objective is to relieve pain and suffering…perhaps even save the animal’s life. Emergency small pet care and first aid is always most effective when it is rendered quickly and calmly.

Small animals are at risk for numerous kinds of poisoning from a variety of sources i.e. snakes, plants, and literally hundreds of poisonous materials which are used around the home every day. Here’s what you can do if your pet is poisoned:

1. Keep the small animal warm and quiet
2. Attempt to determine the source of the poison, when it was ingested, and the amount swallowed
3. Call your veterinarian or nearest poison control center immediately

Should you determine it necessary to take your pet to your veterinarian, bring the container (or the label) of the suspected poison source with you. Keep poisonous elements out of reach, know what your pet is doing at all times, and keep emergency telephone numbers in a readily accessible location.

Since you never know when an accident will occur, having an emergency small pet care kit available is an excellent idea. You can assemble a first aid kit yourself and purchase the necessary items separately, or buy one which contains all the first aid items needed for emergency situations. If you make one yourself, use a small plastic container with a tight fitting lid to store the following items:

Important Phone Numbers

1. Veterinary clinic phone number and directions to the clinic
2. Poison control center phone numbers

Equipment and Supplies

1. Travel cage
2. Scissors
3. Tweezers
4. Nail clippers
5. Styptic powder or sticks
6. Cotton swabs and/or Q-Tips
7. Clean towels - cloth and paper
8. Disposable gloves
9. Wire cutters
10. Roll of gauze
11. Sterile gauze or telfa pads
12. Tape
13. Wound disinfectant
14. Triple antibiotic ointment

Taking precautionary measures to ensure that your small pet thrives in a safe and healthy environment is always encouraged – but should a situation occur where emergency small pet care is required – be prepared. Your pet’s well-being is of utmost importance.