Pet Preparedness Month

June is Pet Preparedness Month! Unfortunately, disasters and emergencies can happen to anyone, and at any time. With some emergencies, like blizzards and wildfires, you have some sort of warning. Others, like tornadoes, give you very little time to prepare. That’s why it’s so important to be ready for anything. Here, a Tipp City, OH vet offers some advice on being ready for emergencies.

 Basic Precautions

Disaster or no, we recommend that all pets be fixed, and caught up on their vaccines and parasite control. Keep copies of your furry friend’s paperwork, so you can always access them. Email them to yourself, and save them in a folder, or keep some in cloud storage. You can also keep hard copies in the glove box of your car. This is very important! Many shelters and hotels only allow pets that have the required paperwork.

Emergency Kit

It’s a good idea to have an emergency bag ready for your pet. This should include essentials such as dishes, a leash and collar, a blanket, toys, treats, medicine, water, a tie-out line, food, and a pet first-aid kit. Cats also need litterboxes and litter. Keep this in or near your furry friend’s carrier, or somewhere it’s easy to grab on your way out the door.

ID

Pets should be wearing ID tags at all times. If your animal buddy hasn’t been microchipped, we strongly recommend getting this done. Remember to keep your records updated in the chipmaker’s database. Things can get pretty hectic in emergency situations, and it’s very easy for pets to get separated from their owners. Identification may be the only thing connecting you and your four-legged friend.

Planning

It’s always best to have a plan of action for emergencies, one that you will hopefully never need to use. Include your pet in these plans. We recommend printing out a list of all pet-friendly shelters and hotels within about a two-hour drive. If your emergency plan is to stay with friends, make sure your furry buddy is welcome too.

Training

With dogs, training is also a big part of preparedness. Teaching Fido basic commands, such as Sit, Stay, and Come can make all the difference. If your dog doesn’t have these basics down yet, finish his petucation.

Do you have any questions or concerns about your pet’s health or care? Contact us, your Tipp City, OH veterinary clinic, today!