Skip to content
Summertime is vacation time again this year! And this time we've really earned it. Of course, our four-legged friends are not to be missed. We'll tell you what's essential in your dog's first-aid kit and how you can provide first aid for your dog in an emergency. So you'll be really well prepared and your vacation will be a great experience for you and your four-legged friend!
Traveling with a dog: How to prepare yourself
So that you can travel with complete peace of mind, take care of the following documents and vaccinations in good time, which you should have with you on your trip, as well as a first-aid kit:
- EU pet passport
- Copy of the dog's liability insurance
- Address tag for the collar with your telephone number + name of the dog
- Vaccination certificate with all necessary vaccinations for the vacation destination (rabies vaccination is mandatory throughout Europe)
- Your dog should ideally be chipped
- Telephone number of your vet for consultation in an emergency
Checklist for your first-aid kit for your dog
If your four-legged friend gets injured on vacation, you can provide first aid for minor injuries yourself with a well-stocked first-aid kit. You should therefore think about the following before you travel so that you can react quickly and provide your four-legged friend with the best possible care:
- Gauze compresses & gauze bandages
- Self-adhesive, flexible bandages for wound care and support bandages
- clinical thermometer
- Disposable gloves
- Disposable syringes (5 - 10 ml depending on the size of the dog) for administering medication if necessary
- Absorbent cotton rolls, e.g. for paw bandages - Franzi shows you how to apply a paw bandage correctly in our video.
- Calming agent(Bach flowers or Calm & Relax herbs)
- tweezers
- blunt scissors
- flea comb
- Mild shampoo, e.g. Fur Harmony Shampoo with coconut oil
- Tick tweezers or tick hook
- Tick protection(tick shield, tick spray and spot-on for dogs)
- Environmental cleaning spray(vermin EX)
- Moist baby wipes for cleaning
- Mild wound and healing ointment for small wounds or skin abrasions
- cooling pads
- Disinfectant spray for small wounds
- flashlight (has always proved its worth in an emergency)
- Eye drops(gentle eye care)
- Ear cleaner for dogs with camomile
- Medication for stomach upset, diarrhea, vomiting or nausea: e.g. natural intestinal regulator or elm bark
The right behavior in an emergency
If an emergency does occur and your dog is injured, take care of yourself and other people involved. Depending on the degree of injury, an injured four-legged friend will often defend itself out of fear or pain against people who want to provide first aid. In the worst case scenario, it will bite.
Therefore, observe your pet closely in such situations; your four-legged friend may react differently than usual. It is also advisable to tie the dog's muzzle with a muzzle loop or, if possible, put on a muzzle. Leashing can also help if the injury is serious. Then go to the nearest vet or clinic, as your first-aid kit won't get you very far.
First treatment for your dog in the event of illness
More likely than serious accidents are the minor but annoying illnesses your dog may suffer when traveling. With our first-aid kit checklist, you'll be prepared for emergencies and can administer first aid yourself before you take your pet to the doctor or veterinary practitioner later on.
Minor wounds and injuries
Your dog will hardly be able to avoid minor injuries while on vacation, as he usually runs and plays a lot during this time. This can lead to cuts or lacerations. The edges of cuts are usually smooth, while the edges of lacerations tend to be frayed.
Injuries to the paws, whether claws or pads, always look dramatic because they are accompanied by heavy bleeding. However, they are rarely really threatening. You should clean and disinfect the wound and apply a paw bandage. If you are unsure about the depth of the injury, the wound should be checked by a vet or veterinary practitioner. This particularly applies to injuries in the leg area to rule out serious damage to ligaments and tendons. Abrasions should be cleaned and disinfected.
If the dog licks the wound more often, a loose bandage can help during rest periods. Otherwise, the wound should be exposed to the air. If the wound dries, you can use a cod liver oil zinc ointment to improve wound healing, which you should always have in your first-aid kit.
If your dog gets into a fight with bite injuries while on vacation, the extent of the wounds must first be assessed. If the outcome is still minor, you can rinse, clean and then disinfect the wounds. It is often the bruising of the tissue around the bite wound that hurts. You can provide your pet with relief by cooling it well. However, if the bite injuries are serious, you should take your pet to a veterinary clinic or vet.
Insect bites
Bee or wasp stings are very common on vacation. Experience has shown that dogs cope well with insect bites and a slight swelling of the bite site should not be too worrying. However, you can provide your dog with additional cooling by wrapping a cooling pad in a damp towel and placing it on the bite.
However, if your dog shows allergic symptoms, such as shortness of breath, accelerated heartbeat and pulse, vomiting, staggering or swollen lymph nodes, you should go to the clinic immediately. Many pet owners are already aware of their dog's allergic reactions and have appropriate antihistamine tablets to hand or in their first-aid kit.
If your dog has swallowed a stinging insect, it is important to keep a cool head, as the dog will tend to panic. It is important to check which insect it is. A bee only stings once, but a wasp stings several times and must be removed immediately. Stings in the mouth/throat area can cause the mucous membranes to swell and block the airways. As an immediate aid, you can use ice cubes for cooling. You should then consult a doctor or veterinary practitioner as soon as possible.
Overheating / sunstroke
As dogs cannot sweat like humans, they are more sensitive to heat. Heat regulation is mainly achieved through panting, but also through the pads of the paws. Warm air is exhaled through the snout and cold air is inhaled through the nose. Unfortunately, this method of cooling is less effective than in humans, which is why dogs are much more prone to overheating.
Sunstroke occurs when your dog has been exposed to the sun for too long. As a result of sunstroke, your four-legged friend will pant heavily with rapid, shallow breathing or start to stagger. Dogs often simply lie down and refuse to continue walking until they become unconscious. First of all, find a shady spot and cool down with a wet towel, which you place over your pet and another one under his head to draw the heat out of his head. Remember to re-moisten the towels regularly.
The symptoms of overheating or heatstroke are similar. However, while sunstroke affects the head, heatstroke affects the entire cardiovascular system and the whole body radiates intense heat. In addition to panting and a rapid pulse, there is usually a glazed look, vomiting and a deep red to bluish tongue. In such a case, your pet's circulation can also fail. Wet towels can also help here, but try not to overstrain the circulation. It is best to cool the paws first, then the stomach area, the body and finally the head. You should repeat this procedure more often and let your dog rest in the shade.
To avoid this kind of overheating, choose a route with shady areas, woods or lakes on your outings so that the dog can seek appropriate cooling. It is also advisable to adjust your pace to the local temperatures. A place in the shade on the beach or lake is also the right choice for your four-legged friend. At bathing spots, make sure that your pet doesn't overexert itself when splashing around in the water. Just like us humans, dogs should also avoid swimming on a full stomach.
Vomiting and diarrhea
Vomiting and diarrhea can have a variety of causes. Excitement, stress or simply travel fever, even a change of diet to new food, can all trigger an upset stomach in your dog. The animal may also have ingested leftover food, waste, poisonous plants or unclean water. Especially if you are on vacation at a lake, many dogs take the opportunity to quench their thirst in dirty water. This usually leads to thin stools. But dogs should not drink large amounts of salty seawater either, as it can lead to vomiting, diarrhea and poisoning.
Regardless of the cause, your dog should fast for 24 hours in the event of severe diarrhea and only drink fresh water to avoid dehydration of the body. You must refrain from strenuous exercise on this day. Once the stomach has calmed down, you can start with a small meal and feed elm bark to calm the dog. For a small, light meal, boiled beef or chicken with moro soup, for example, have proven to be effective. You can also feed freshly cooked broth to compensate for the loss of water. A balanced herbal mixture to calm the stomach can also be a useful food supplement over the next few days. Oils or similar should be avoided on this day. It is best to rebuild the intestinal flora afterwards with a natural intestinal regulator.
If the diarrhea persists despite these measures and you continue to notice mushy, soft to liquid excretions in your dog, this may indicate a loss of fluids. Encourage him to drink to counteract this. Sufficient fresh water is a basic requirement for your pet's recovery, especially on a lake vacation. However, if fever, fatigue and apathy are additional symptoms, you should consult a vet or veterinary practitioner.
Grooming
During a vacation at the beach, sand and salt water will dry out your dog's coat and skin over time. Longer coats in particular tend to become matted. Shower your furry friend daily with fresh water. At home at the latest, a proper coat care with a thorough bath and a mild shampoo should not be missing. You can also use a natural conditioner for your four-legged friend's dull coat. This gives the skin and coat an extra portion of care. Then give it a good comb through - your dog's shiny and soft coat will show that he's had a relaxing vacation.
What do you always have in your first-aid kit? And has your dog already had to deal with illnesses on vacation? Tell us about your vacation experiences with your four-legged friend in the comments.
