As the Hurricane season begins, we must not only prepare ourselves but our four-legged companions. Here are a couple things you need to do to get your pet prepared. First is getting a complete medical history of your dog. Then you need to have an emergency kit ready for your four-legged kid, and last but any less important is making sure you have your dog’s microchip, and Collar ID up to date. Read on to learn more about these key things to have ready before a Hurricane could happen.

 

One of the most important things you can have is a complete medical history of your dog. If you must evacuate and your dog needs to see a vet somewhere else, Having the history of your dog allows the vet to not only understand your dog and how their body works but also can save their lives if they have any allergies, or have issues under anesthesia. Now what are you looking for in a complete medica history?  Well first you want the vaccines, all blood work that has been done, any surgeries you want the notes the tech and doctor make As well as Medication history from what your dog is currently on to what your dog has taken in the past. And known allergies your do has represented from allergic reactions to shots all the way to allergic reactions to latex. There is never too much information you can have when it comes to the file of your dogs’ medical records. You also want to make sure you have something that is waterproof to put these records in for safe keeping not just a folder because you never know what kind of weather you may experience if you stay or if you evacuate.

 

The next thing you need to get together is an emergency kit for your four-legged kid. What should you include in this kit, you ask? Well, there are many important things that you need to include. Let’s start with the big stuff first. The first, if not most important is a pet carrier If your dog is too big for a carrier then you need to have a crate broken down and ready to be easily put together in a vehicle/truck so your four-legged friend can get to the destination safely. “Well, my pets are good in the car, they don’t need a carrier”. Many people will say this but remember this is a a serious situation, you may run into storms on your way out, the energy your dog is feeling is also off, they are going to be more in a fight or flight mode, so by having a crate/carrier it gives them not only a safe place to be but also gives them their own area which will bring them comfort in this time. Next you need to have a first aid kit together. In this kit you should include some gauze pads, antiseptic solution, some hydrogen peroxide, a cool pack, a thermometer, blunt end scissors just in case you have to cut anything like the gauze pads, Saline solution, tweezers, oral syringe just incase you have to give medicine as well as antibiotic ointment, gloves, cotton balls, diphenhydramine just incase your four-legged guy or gal gets an allergic reaction. Pet safe soap, a pet first aid booklet and a soft muzzle should also be included.  If you’re like me, you hear muzzle and you are already thinking, nope my baby doesn’t need that they would never bite me. Remember in this case your baby is in pain and is hurt, they can’t say ow that hurts please stop, the only way they must tell you is to bite, so please make sure you get a muzzle for your safety and theirs. The last thing you need to have in your evacuation kit for your four-legged companion is Food and water for at least 5 days for each four-legged kid you have. You will also need bowls for water and food. I’d recommends getting a set of collapsible bowls for they are easy to store. Also do not forget a food scooper if the dry food isn’t individually bagged and a can opener if they use wet food in a can.

 

The final thing you want to make sure you have together is an updated Microchip and Id collar. This is one of the reasons why having your dog microchipped is important, because If your dog were to get lost and lose his collar this will allow those who find them to be able to reunite you. If your dog is Microchipped but you don’t want to pay for the membership of it being active with a company you can go to http://www.freepetchipregistry.com. This website will allow you to get your dog in the system and be able to be looked up if something were to happen. Now even if you have a microchipped dog you also want an ID on their collar. Now adays you can go as simple as just a bone shaped ID with your dogs name and the number to call you at. But you can also get these QR code ID tags on Amazon https://www.amazon.com/s?k=qr+code+dog+tag+gps. The cool things about these ID tags is you can also leave a little information on your dogs behavior, and notes about allergies that will come up when scanned. You can also get a more expensive ID tag like https://tryfi.com/. These ID tags also have GPS compatibility so if your dog gets lost you can pin point exactly where they are. Remember in this situation everyone will be on edge including your dog and they may try to get out and run not because they don’t love you but instincts telling them to get out of the area, So make sure everything is updated on whatever tag you use, Update phone number and address as well as emergency numbers just in case they can’t get in contact with you.

 

After reading this I hope this helps you get your four-legged companion ready for a hurricane if its evacuation or if you are riding out of the storm, make sure you have a complete medical history, an emergency kit together for your four-legged companion and an update ID tag and Microchip. Once you have all of that together you will be ready for this Hurricane season for your four-legged friend and remember to always stay calm, your dog can feel your energy if you are prepared and calm it will help them be prepared and calm.