Please Let’s All Send Our Prays to Japan
If you have to evacuate from your home with your dog, will you know what to do? Do you have an evacuation plan?
It wasn’t until the earthquake of 1994 that I learned the hard way to be prepared. As with most animals, when the earthquake hit at 4:00 AM we were safe. The dogs knew ahead of time and had run out of the bedroom before the earthquake hit. They were hiding under the table so they knew before we were woken up what had happened. We did not have power or water for three days, but lucky for me, there was a small local market next to my house. But I learned a great lesson: be ready at all times—and I have had my emergency kit from that time on. I hope this helps you to recognize the need to be prepared, and not to learn the way I did.
With what has happened in japan in the last 2 days I have received more email and personal phone calls with Pet Loving people needing to know what to do in case we have an emergency, earthquake or major Fire & Floods! I too have gone to look at my disaster kit and found it to be in need of new fresh supplies , batters and other things which should be up dated at least once a year. I have let life happen and keep saying I will fix this next weekend! Next weekend is here and God Bless the people of japan, if ever there was a Country well prepared it is the Japanese they had learned a lot from the 1995 quake in Kobe This is our wakeup call big time and if you are like me on a very tight budget then we must be creative to be sure we are including everything we will need to survive at least two weeks on our own. With our pets in tow I learned from the 1994 Quake here in Los Angeles (Northridge to be exact) my dogs were well out of the bedroom in a safe place all three of them! By the time my Husband had gotten me out from where the things fell in our bedroom we ran to find our dogs to our amazement they were safe under the huge farm table in the living room even though the huge sliding glass doors shattered all of them were safe from any harm. What I learned is our Pets are pretty smart and have the advantage of knowing something’s before us humans.
The Gang wanted to take this time to talk about a topic that they believe we all may have talked about in the past, but think this is so important; we should update this and go over how and why we need to be prepared all the time for an emergency evacuation with our pets the message of being ready is one that is so important lets go over what to do and what you need to have on hand. I always talk about the important of having a first aid kit in your home and car. It is also a good idea of you are a camper or go boating to have a first aid kit in the camper and on the boat, which should also have a “doggie” life vest if Fido goes boating with you. When it comes to evacuating there are different things you will need to take with you, which is why a plan is so very important, because God forbid if your home is damaged you could lose some very important papers you many never be able to get back. For example you may not be able to recover your dog’s registration papers if you have an AKC registered dog. The same can be true if you adopted your dog, you may not be able to get papers replaced from the ASPCA or a place you can retrieve the information back from. Here is what you need to do when it is calm, and there is not an emergency going on, in order to always be prepared. If you live as I do in the earthquake and fire country then you want to have an earthquake box filled and ready to be used at a moment’s notice. Remember to always have plenty of food and water, not only for you but for Fido also as a dog can go two weeks with little to no food but they cannot go for more than twenty-four hours without water, as they will die. So water is very, very important to have stored, and always have extra water to any vehicles you are driving. Another important item to always have copies of is your dog’s shot records. In case you have to evacuate and travel to another place due to a hurricane or flood, and then they will ask for a health certificate for your dog. You may not have that as they are usually only good for thirty days. However, a current shot record will help a new vet know exactly what inoculations your dog has had, and what they may need in order to get to another place or stay in a kennel if the emergency calls for that.
HERE IS WHAT TO HAVE READY IN CASE YOU HAVE TO LEAVE YOUR HOME
Pictures – this is something you cannot replace for you, your family and for Fido. So if you need to evacuate it is a good idea to try to keep your photo albums in one place; in case you need to go, you can grab all of them place them in a box and off you go with your memories and your loved ones with you. The material things can always be replaced, but the things you cannot replace; these are what you need to be known: where they are and are able to get them packed quickly. Shots records Leashes collars with up to date tags Extra stainless steel bowls food and water Towels for the car Dog bed Food – Kibble and canned enough for two weeks is what the Red Cross recommends to keep on hand. They also recommend rotating the food and water every year to make sure it stays fresh and is still usable. It is a good idea to always keep your car with if not a full tank of gas, at least half a tank. I play this game with myself especially because gas is so very expensive I cannot always afford to fill my car. I fill up my car to full then when I get to the half tank I let myself know we are almost out of gas and then if I can only do $15 dollars on that day I still am more on the full side versus being on the empty side, in case we have to drive and leave I know I have enough gas to get a good 200 miles away until I have to stop for fuel. Try this game I can promise you that it will come handy for you even if you never have to evacuate. You will never run out of gas at the wrong time and if you are a woman driving at night alone, again this is just a great safety measure to remember. Another good idea is to have a plan practice fire drills with your family and be ready if it is just you and your dog/dogs like it is with me. We have a plan and we practice this once a month, not to make some big deal but once a month I make sure I know where everything important is and I make sure when I call the boys they come right away! This is on-going training and dogs love to keep their minds active as well as their bodies. So what I do is practice a game with the boys, as each dog is well-trained alone. It is when all three get on leashes that I need them to be calm and not going wild with excitement, because they think they are off to the beach, or swimming, to a pool or park. I need them to be trained and calm at all times so we practice getting all our leashes on and staying calm. Sometimes we do not go out, sometimes we do; the simple fact is now the boys are trained to know when I call for a walk or anything that involves getting ready to go out with leashes on they have learned to all sit and wait their turn to have their leashes put on. If they get all hyper we start all over again until all four of us get it right. This is why I say practice this is a training tool that I promise you will come in very handy. You may say my dog heels beautiful or my dog is calm, when I say let’s go for a walk; but if you know your dog can easily get nervous or excited then you want to start to train him/her to be calm when it comes time to go out or into the car. This way in case of an emergency you will always have full control of Fido and the both of you can get into the car calmly and move to a safe area never having to worry about the safety of your dog. Trust me; my boys can be a wild PACK. Yes I said pack, this is what it is called when you own more than one dog and with three dogs I do have a pack and if one dog get excited then all three start so I must be the leader of my pack and I must practice all the time to make sure my pack is listening and ready to go. I do have a release word for the boys it is “OK”, and when they all hear the release word in the happy tone I use, then and only then do they know “OK it is time to play and we are released from the working mind set we are in at that time”. This is one of the best tools you can teach, to have ready in case you do have to ever leave your home in an emergency. I hope you never have to evacuate, but in case you do the best plan is to be ready and to always remember no matter how prepared we sometimes are, things can and will go wrong, so by not stressing out too much, the best one can do is to try to be prepared and have a sense of humor. As they say “We make plans and then God breaks them”. If that is the case, know you have trained your dog and you have practice for an emergency. No matter what you can take with you or have to leave behind, what you do know is you both are ready and well trained. See training never ends, it just becomes different and you can always find a new idea to train your dog. You can never have too many tools and you can never train your dog too much. Remember, just never do it for more than a few minutes a few times a day. Do not try to train your dog in one day with an eight hour session, as this will not work for either of you. Start off with five minutes a day, work it up to ten minutes a day and then maybe add another session so you have training time twice a day with your dog, but please, as with everything else go slowly and know you are both learning to be prepared.
How To Create Your Own First-Aid Kit
I have also put links this so you may know where to but them
1. Adhesive tape (several widths is a good idea) 2. Your pet's medication if they take any. You want to have at least two weeks extra, in case of emergency. 3. Scissors
4. Cotton Balls
5. Gauze pads & squares
6. Disinfectant (like Hydrogen Peroxide)
7. Rope (for an emergency if you have to tie up your pet) 8. Strips of cotton to stop bleeding
9. Tweezers (Flat slant tip, instead of rounded variety) 10. Neosporin, Bacitracin or any antibiotic ointment 11. Ice packs
12. Thermometer, rectal
13. Bottle water
14. Several sheets or one large towel
15. A sheet with the poison hotline phone number 16. A sheet with your vet's phone numbers (both the regular office, & emergency number) 17. Scissors
18. Sewing needle, sterile if possible (to remove splinters and tick heads) 19. Turkey baster or bulb syringe (for flushing wounds and administering medications) 20. Eyedropper
21. Rubber gloves
22. Nail clippers
23. Styptic powder or styptic pencil (to stop bleeding of torn toenails, etc.) 24. Comb
25. Brush
26. Disposable safety razor (for shaving fur from around a wound) 27. Towels (at least two, bath towel size is good) 28. Paper towels
29. Blanket (a compact thermal blanket works well; uses include keeping an injured animal from going into shock.) 30. Bandana &/or nylon stocking (many uses, including and muzzling or securing a torn earflap. 31. Strips of cloth
32. Dog booties or little sock (to cover wounded paws or to protect paws, so you won't need to treat) 33. Flashlight
34. Matches (sterilizes needle for sliver removal 35. Sterile gauze pads (3" x 3" size)
36. Roll gauze (for bandaging, stabilizing joints, making a muzzle) 37. Adhesive first aids tape (in both narrow and wide widths) 38. Roll of cotton
39. Bandages (including self-clinging or Vet Wrap, and waterproof types) 40. Anti-bacterial wipes or pads
41. Q-Tips
42. Hot/Cold pack
43. Ice pack
44. Hydrogen Peroxide 3% UPS (to induce vomiting and to use on infected wounds; check the expiration date from time to time and keep only fresh solution in your kit) 45. Began charcoal tablets (effective in absorbing many toxins) 46. Syrup of Ipecac (to induce vomiting)
47. Betadine solution (a type of antiseptic iodine medication for wounds to deter infection) 48. Rubbing alcohol (apply on skin, as a body cooling agent to aid heat stroke or fever; helps break down oils; and acts as a drying agent between toes and skin folds. However do not use on wounds, as it can damage the skin and is not an appropriate antiseptic. 49. Bag Balm (especially useful for treating paw pads) 50. Petroleum jellies (helpful aid for taking temperature) 51. Sterile saline eyes solution (to flush out eye contaminants and wounds) 52. Artificial tear gels (to lubricate eyes after flushing) 53. Eye ointment without cortisone
54. Epsom salts (mix 2 tsp. in 2 cups of warm water for drawing out infection and bathing itchy paws and skin) 55. Baking soda (good for soothing skin conditions) 56. Milk of Magnesia (for stomach upset and certain types of poison ingestion) 57. Pepto-Bismol (for stomach upset and some types of poison ingestion; do not give to cats) 58. Kaopectate (OK for cats and dogs)
59. Benadryl (for bug bites and stings)
60. Gentle pet sedative such as Rescue Remedy (available at health food and some pet supply stores) 61. Aspirin (for dogs only, DO NOT USE acetaminophen or ibuprofen.) Do not give aspirin to cats; since aspirin and other pain relievers can be toxic to any pet; consult your veterinarian and first aid books. 62. Can of soft pet food (can help reduce the effect of a poisoning?) 63. Mild grease-cutting dishwashing liquid, such as Dawn® (to clean contaminated skin or sticky substances) 64. Plastic Baggies
65. Muzzle (an injured or scared animal may try to bite) 66. Nylon leashes
67. Pet crate or carrier (This is a safe, calming place for your pet and a safe way to transport them.) 68. Instructions for how to perform CPR
69. Fact sheets describing heat stroke and symptoms
The following items are good things to have in your car, if of emergency: 1. Bottle water
2. Bowl or other container to use for water 3. Spare leash
It is also important to know if you have poisonous plants in or outside your home. The following is a partial of plants that are toxic to pets: Cactus
Mistletoe
Tobacco
Poinsettia
Azalea bush
Daffodil flowers and buds
Wild mushrooms
You can get a more complete list of poisonous plants on the ASCAP's website: ASPCA.org
DOGS
Vital Statistics:
Take your dog's temperature under normal conditions to get a baseline temperature for comparison, if they get sick or become injured.
Pulse and Heart Rate, Normal resting rates:
Small dogs: 90-120 bpm
Medium dogs: 70-110 bpm
Large dogs: 60-90 bpm
Pulse should be strong, regular and easy to locate.
Temperature: Take your dog's temperature under normal conditions to get a baseline temperature for comparison, if they get sick or become injured.
Normal temperature for dogs ranges from: 98 to 102.5 degrees. Thermometer should be almost clean when removed. Abnormalities are showed by blood, diarrhea, or black, tarry stool.
* If you prefer to purchase a ready-made first aid kit, good choices include: • Medi+ Pet Deluxe First Aid Kit
http://www.naturespet.com/firstaidkit.html
• the Hiker First Aid Kit for Canines
http://www.ruffwear.com/products/first aid
* If someone is taking care of your pet while your away: show them where you keep the first aid kit and vet records, your vet and emergency animal hospital info, how to contact you, and the name and phone number of a friend or relative if you are unavailable. In addition, let your vet know in advance who you have authorized to take your pet to the vet in your absence, and that you will pay for any emergency visit.
Those who have faced emergencies can tell you it is essential to get your first aid kit together and get familiar with first aid measures BEFORE you are confronted with an accident, emergency or sudden illness. Many situations require fast and correct action to prevent further injury, infection or death. So assemble a first aid kit now, so that you'll be ready when your pet (or a human) needs immediate help.
I know this list looks overwhelming and to be honest quite expensive, remember these are just suggestions, so pick and choose what suits your financial budget and your family and pet's needs. The one thing I do know after being in the 1994 earthquake, you should at least have the most basic first aid ingredients in a plastic waterproof container.
The reason I list food in a first aid container, is not only if you're in an earthquake or flood situation where you can't get to a store, but if your animal is dehydrated and lacks energy you want to get something into them, that will help perk them up and raise their blood sugar. "Better Safe Than Sorry"!
What to Do During an Earthquake
If you have to evacuate from your home with your dog, will you know what to do? Do you have an evacuation plan?
Here are some things to keep in yours Dog First Aid Kit
An extremely valuable part of your first aid kit is the container you keep your first aid supplies in. I suggest a container that is either waterproof or at least watertight. I recommend plastic over metal, as plastic won't rust like metal will. Another advantage to having a plastic container is that a plastic holder will not weigh as much as a metal case would.
Write on the container, in indelible ink, the phone numbers for your vet, the closest emergency animal hospital, and poison control hotlines. Be sure to remember to enter your own name, address and phone numbers.
1. Adhesive tape (various widths is an excellent idea)
2. Your pet's medication if they take any. You need to have at least two weeks extra, in case of emergency.
3. Scissors
4. Cotton Balls
5. Gauze pads
I always talk about the important of having a first aid kit in your home and car. It is also a good idea of you are a camper or go boating to have a first aid kit in the camper and on the boat, which should also have a “doggie” life vest if Fido goes boating with you. When it comes to evacuating there are different things you will need to take with you, which is why a plan is so very important, because God forbid if your home is damaged you could lose some very important papers you many never be able to get back.
For example you may not be able to recover your dog’s registration papers if you have an AKC registered dog. The same can be true if you adopted your dog, you may not be able to get papers replaced from the ASPCA or a place you can retrieve the information back from.
Here is what you need to do when it is calm, and there is not an emergency going on, in order to always be prepared. If you live as I do in the earthquake and fire country then you want to have an earthquake box filled and ready to be used at a moment’s notice. Remember to always have plenty of food and water, not only for you but for Fido also as a dog can go two weeks with little to no food but they cannot go for more than twenty-four hours without water, as they will die. So water is very, very important to have stored, and always have extra water to any vehicles you are driving.
Another important item to always have copies of is your dog’s shot records. In case you have to evacuate and travel to another place due to a hurricane or flood, and then they will ask for a health certificate for your dog. You may not have that as they are usually only good for thirty days. However, a current shot record will help a new vet know exactly what inoculations your dog has had, and what they may need in order to get to another place or stay in a kennel if the emergency calls for that.
HERE IS WHAT TO HAVE READY IN CASE YOU HAVE TO LEAVE YOUR HOME
Pictures – this is something you cannot replace for you, your family and for Fido. So if you need to evacuate it is a good idea to try to keep your photo albums in one place; in case you need to go, you can grab all of them place them in a box and off you go with your memories and your loved ones with you. The material things can always be replaced, but the things you cannot replace; these are what you need to be known: where they are and are able to get them packed quickly. Shots recordsLeashes collars with up to date tags
Extra stainless steel bowls food and water
Towels for the car
Dog bed
Food – Kibble and canned enough for two weeks is what the Red Cross recommends to keep on hand. They also recommend rotating the food and water every year to make sure it stays fresh and is still usable.
It is a good idea to always keep your car with if not a full tank of gas, at least half a tank. I play this game with myself especially because gas is so very expensive I cannot always afford to fill my car. I fill up my car to full then when I get to the half tank I let myself know we are almost out of gas and then if I can only do $15 dollars on that day I still am more on the full side versus being on the empty side, in case we have to drive and leave I know I have enough gas to get a good 200 miles away until I have to stop for fuel. Try this game I can promise you that it will come handy for you even if you never have to evacuate. You will never run out of gas at the wrong time and if you are a woman driving at night alone, again this is just a great safety measure to remember.
Another good idea is to have a plan practice fire drills with your family and be ready if it is just you and your dog/dogs like it is with me. We have a plan and we practice this once a month, not to make some big deal but once a month I make sure I know where everything important is and I make sure when I call the boys they come right away! This is on-going training and dogs love to keep their minds active as well as their bodies. So what I do is practice a game with the boys, as each dog is well-trained alone. It is when all three get on leashes that I need them to be calm and not going wild with excitement, because they think they are off to the beach, or swimming, to a pool or park.
I need them to be trained and calm at all times so we practice getting all our leashes on and staying clam. Sometimes we do not go out, sometimes we do; the simple fact is now the boys are trained to know when I call for a walk or anything that involves getting ready to go out with leashes on they have learned to all sit and wait their turn to have their leashes put on. If they get all hyper we start all over again until all four of us get it right. This is why I say practice this is a training tool that I promise you will come in very handy.
You may say my dog heels beautiful or my dog is calm, when I say let’s go for a walk; but if you know your dog can easily get nervous or excited then you want to start to train him/her to be calm when it comes time to go out or into the car. This way in case of an emergency you will always have full control of Fido and the both of you can get into the car calmly and move to a safe area never having to worry about the safety of your dog.
Trust me; my boys can be a wild PACK. Yes I said pack, this is what it is called when you own more than one dog and with four dogs I do have a pack and if one dog get excited then all four start so I must be the leader of my pack and I must practice all the time to make sure my pack is listening and ready to go. I do have a release word for the boys it is “OK”, and when they all hear the release word in the happy tone I use, then and only then do they know “OK it is time to play and we are released from the working mind set we are in at that time”. This is one of the best tools you can teach, to have ready in case you do have to ever leave your home in an emergency.
I hope you never have to evacuate, but in case you do the best plan is to be ready and to always remember no matter how prepared we sometimes are, things can and will go wrong, so by not stressing out too much, the best one can do is to try to be prepared and have a sense of humor. As they say “We make plans and then God breaks them”. If that is the case, know you have trained your dog and you have practice for an emergency. No matter what you can take with you or have to leave behind, what you do know is you both are ready and well trained.
Are you ready in case of an emergency? What happens if Mother Nature hits and you have to leave? Or if a something like a gas leak, an extended power outage, or a nuclear leak hits, do you have a plan? No matter where you live it is always best to have a plan and know what to do in an emergency.
Here is a list of things you should have on hand in case you have to leave. Or in case, as here in California we have an earthquake, you should have at least seven days of supplies and food for you and your pets. Given recent events around the country, some of my sources even suggest a two to three week supply.
Make sure your dog has a collar and an identification tag that has their name, your name and phone number on it. Include the phone number of a relative who is out-of-state, who can be contacted in case your phone line is out. Consider having your pet permanently identified with a tattoo or microchip. If your pet becomes lost, periodically check with your out-of-state relative in case they get any news from authorities who may have found your pet. If your pet is lost, post pictures and/or flyers and constantly check with all shelters within a twenty mile radius.
Make sure to keep your gas tank at least half-full and remember to evacuate early and take your pets with you. If you have larger animals, make sure your trailer is in good condition and stocked with their appropriate food needs. After a rainstorm, make sure to empty all containers where water may have collected, so they don’t become stagnant and become a breeding place for mosquitoes or any bacteria or protozoa that could cause your pet to become ill.
Disaster Preparedness List
of Disaster Preparedness kit
As part of your overall family disaster plan, you should also include a disaster kit for your animals. Here is a list of what your kit should include: Leashes for all the family pets that can be leashed A health record for your pet, which should include: a) Your pet’s vaccination history
b) Your vet’s phone number and address
c) Any other pertinent information on any medical problems your pet may have d) Sufficient medications for your pet for at least a week, and make sure to rotate the medicine you use for them so it doesn’t expire from age. e) Depending on how long you will be gone, you may also consider getting a prescription for additional medicines, just in case you have to go to another town and cannot get to your vet’s office. You should also have enough food and water for seven days for your animals. Be sure to have a gallon of water per day for a medium-sized dog, and about a quart per day for small dogs. Food should be stored in watertight containers and should be rotated to keep it fresh. Make sure that the carriers for your animals are readily accessible. You should have recent photographs of all your pets in the kit. This helps shelters identify them if they become lost and happen to be picked up by animal control. Include a list of friends, veterinarians and kennels where your pets can stay during a disaster. Pack their first aid kit, blankets, towels, muzzles for an emergency, and a manual can opener. Food and water bowls for your pets.
A pooper scooper and plastic bags for pet waste A battery-operated radio, in case of a power outage, or you are somewhere without electricity. Batteries
Gloves: rubber and leather work gloves
Rope, waterproof nylon in 12 foot lengths
Bungee cords
Candles
Pet wipes
Liquid soap
Paper filter masks
Paper cups and plates
Disposable camera
Candles and matches in a zip-lock bag
Box of zip-lock bags
Tape, moving tape, electrical tape: in case you have to make posters Permanent marker
Silver thermal blanket (you can get at a camping store) Kaopectate
Roll of plastic for water barrier, in case of sleeping on ground I even have a battery powered television/radio for getting emergency information. All of the above items should be stored in a plastic tub, somewhere near your front door.
