What Do You Feed Dogs In An Emergency? Many people have asked what they should do if their dog gets into an emergency situation, such as being locked outside or inside of a house or car for a long time, where food is available.
Sadly, there are no hard and fast rules when it comes to how to help your dog during these situations. It depends upon several factors, including the breed of dog and nutritional needs of each individual animal.
Some dogs’ coats will suffer more from heat than others, so knowing which foods are heat-stable is important. For example, many veterinarians recommend feeding chocolate milk to overheated dogs because it is high in potassium and glucose.
This article will go over some general tips that can be helpful for anyone with a pet looking for advice during an unexpected crisis. If you would like more detailed information about any specific topic, leave a comment below and I will add them!
Disclaimer: The content of this article should not be taken as medical advice since every animal is different and requires its own personal nutritionist check.
General Tips
1. Check to see if your dog has access to water at all times. If he does, make sure it is safe to drink by testing it with a litmus paper or saliva test.
2. Try to get his dry body weight (weight without air space) measured before thinking about giving him food. This way, you know how much food he needs to eat to stay alive.
Scratching post
If you find yourself with no accessible furniture, try to scrape together some of your belongings or use cardboard boxes as a scratching post for your dog.
Many dogs that need urgent grooming or medical attention have dry skin so they love to scratch and lick themselves. Providing them with adequate rubbing material can help calm their nervous system and promote wound healing.
They will also enjoy it by observing how animals at the animal shelter are provided with such materials. Sometimes volunteer helpers come across old towels or blankets that are still good enough to do this work.
You could make your own scratching post out of thin wooden boards or even plastic sheeting.
Medical supplies
Another thing you will need to make sure your dog has is medical supplies. These include any type of bandage or wrap, ointments, medicine, and if necessary, a syringe or needle!
You should also have at least one plastic bag per foot (to keep their paws dry) for any wound that may require cleaning.
These bags can be found anywhere stores such as pet supply stores sell them. Luckily, most places either give away or charge very little money for them.
If your dog gets injured outside, take care of it as quickly as possible! Make sure to use appropriate medical supplies so that your dog’s wounds are properly treated and healed.
First aid kit
Having a ready supply of food for your dog is one of the most important things you can do if he gets injured or needs to be rescued.
If his owner cannot take care of him, you will! Luckily, we have some great tips here for what to include in a first aid kit for dogs.
You’ll want to make sure it has enough food for at least two weeks – that’s our recommendation. We also recommend including the following in the first aid kit:
> Tableware (bowl, plate)
> Utensils
> Tongue depressor
> Sturdy plastic baggies
These can be used to collect urine or vomit.
We also suggest including the following items:
> Newspaper to wrap wounds
> Bandages (roll up ones are best)
> Non-poisonous tape
> Pet leash (if possible)
> Plastic spoon
> Water bowl
It’s helpful to know how to perform basic veterinary procedures like bandaging cuts and putting drops in their eyes, but only if you’re trained in them. Some schools require students to learn this as part of their education.
Plastic bags
One of the most common things that get left behind after a house fire is all of the plastic you use to put groceries away or hang up clothes afterward. These are often discarded as garbage, which can have disastrous effects on our environment.
Many dogs find themselves without food and shelter when their owners leave home during a disaster. If you happen to be walking your dog at this time, there’s no need to worry about taking care of him/her while you go looking for help!
Some local animal shelters will accept dry foods as donations if they don’t have enough supplies of their own. They also appreciate it if you can donate fresh water in bottles so that they don’t have to scour the area for those.
You may want to bring these items along with you when you eventually return so that your pooch has something to eat and drink.
Shout for help
If your dog is choking, start by shouting at them to try to dislodge their mouth! Most dogs are very motivated to remove things from their mouths so if you can get someone else to do it for you, then try that first before trying yourself.
If there’s no one around or they cannot perform this, then use your hands as well as any of your belongings (like a spoon) to pry open their jaws. This could save your dog’s life!
Never pull on a dog’s face muscles as this could cause permanent damage or death. Only push with soft, even pressure to prevent more air from being pulled into the lungs and tissue becoming compressed.