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When I prepared my house for Hurricane Irene last year I gathered all of the essential supplies. I had a plan for how to evacuate with my pets in case it was necessary, although I really didn’t think the flooding would get that bad in my area. Still, I was prepared.
Another thing I did while I still had my power and access to the Internet was to make sure that I had the local emergency veterinary services number written down. We all know what number to dial when we have a human medical emergency, but do we have that information for pets? I didn’t in the first year I had my animals, but after I switched to my new vet they provided it as part of our initial packet of information.
We might be prepared for what to do with our pets in the face of a natural disaster, or have items around the house in case we need to administer pet first aid, but what about a pet emergency situation? If we’re lucky it happens at a time when we can go to our usual veterinarian, but what if the problem occurs after hours, or if time is a major concern? Here’s how to prepare.
The first thing to do, like I intimated above, is to find the number of your local emergency veterinary services. Most areas have a veterinary hospital somewhere that stays open overnight, on weekends, and on holidays. Ours is in the next county north and is open from 8 pm – 8 am on weekdays and has longer hours on weekends and holidays. Your regular vet should have the contact information for the emergency services, so ask them if you don’t know.
Your pet suddenly gets injured or ill and you’re starting to panic. If you have your plan prepared ahead of time, you should just be able to follow the steps and get your pet to help as soon as possible. Patch.com has some advice on what to do.
First make sure that your veterinary numbers are in an easy to access place. You can put them on speed dial, or in a folder in a drawer or on a shelf that you can grab quickly. First have your normal vet’s information, then the number of the vet closest to you; maybe they’re not your favorite vet, but if time is a concern just go to whichever’s closest. After that list the emergency veterinary services information.
Write down the contact numbers and services areas for each veterinary office, including that of the emergency veterinary information, so you know what to do if it’s late after normal business hours. Make sure you already know, in advance, how to get to each of these locations so you don’t have to waste time fumbling with directions.
Maintain a well-stocked first aid drawer. This is common sense for any household, and most remedies for pets are quite similar to those for humans. If your local humane society or other organization holds pet first aid classes, take those. It’s a terrible thought, but knowing how to do CPR on a cat or how to hold your pet with a broken bone can really come in handy.
It never hurts to consider pet insurance. If you care enough about your pet to panic if something happens to it, it’s worth it to at least take the time to see if there is a reasonable policy to which you want to subscribe.
With these tips you should be better prepared just in case anything happens to your pet.
Related Articles:
Planning for Pets When Emergencies Call You Away: A Checklist
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What to Do If Your Dog Eats Chocolate
How to Help Your Pet Lose Weight
Dog Days of Summer: Pets on Vacation
*(This image by Môsieur J. [version 3.98c] is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 2.5 License.)
