January is a good time to take inventory of your hiking first aid kit, so you’ll be prepared when adventure calls!  Whether it is a quick trip to the beach or a full day of hiking, we always bring our first aid kit to help with minor scrapes and issues with both us and the dogs, and to be ready in case something more serious happens.  It’s not just for us either, our first aid kit has come in handy helping other dogs and their owners that we’ve met along the trail.

We use a “molle type” medical bag, similar to this first aid kit.  The compact size makes it convenient to fit inside a backpack, or to attach to the outside of the backpack or a belt.  The trifold design also makes it easy to find things quickly in an emergency while keeping items orderly and neat.

Our first aid kit is filled with basic medical supplies for both us and the dogs:

1. Water Resistant Bandages 
2. Closures strips
3. Sterile dressing pads  
4. Gauze roll
5. Adhesive medical tape
6. Scissors – round tipped medical shears
7. Tick remover
8. Antiseptic/ Cleansing wipes
9. Antibiotic ointment
10. Latex free gloves
11. Safety Pins
12. Ibuprofen / Aspirin – This is for the humans only, NOT for dogs!

We’ve also added more specific items to help with dog emergencies:

1. Vet wrap – Holds better than gauze for active pups.
2. Duct tape – Let’s face it, medical tape is good, but if out on a rugged trail duct tape will do a better job holding a dog’s bandage in place until you can reach medical help.
3. Quick Clot – Only for emergencies that involve life threatening, excessive bleeding.  There are some wounds that typical bandages and gauze will not be able to handle.  Use quick clot only if there’s an emergency involving life threatening bleeding that has no other options other than to treat the wound right then and there.  Only use in extreme emergencies.
4. Muzzle – If our dog is biting at a serious wound to temporarily restrain him we carry a small strip of polar fleece that can be looped around the dog’s snout and tied behind his ears as a makeshift muzzle.

For long hikes or on rugged terrain, in addition to our first aid kit we also add to our backpack these items:

1. Small flashlight
2. Towel – Not just for wiping muddy paws, but big enough to wrap dog if needed for shock or transport.
3. Magazines – Ok, I bet you’re scratching your head on this one.  No, we’re not reading out on the trail! Magazines can be used as a splint to immobilize a dog’s leg.  Most magazines are a good length and thickness for a Golden Retriever’s leg, and are accessible rather than searching for the perfect stick or branch on a trail in an emergency.

We carry our first aid kit so that we are prepared for the initial response if one of our dogs is injured while hiking.  As always, we recommend seeking immediate medical help in the case of an emergency.  We also strongly urge all dog owners to take a Pet First Aid Class, such as the ones offered by Healthy Pets NH or Maine POM Project.