Greenbriar Animal Hospital

You should be prepared for several different scenarios! See our handout on “Disaster Preparedness”. Each pet should have it’s own “Disaster kit” in it’s own carry bag, and the kits should include:

A regular 4-6 foot leash (NOT retractable) attached to the outside of the kit. If your pet does not normally wear a collar, attach one to the disaster kit leash. Make sure to have rabies & county license tags for dogs and name tag for cats.

Paperwork (best kept inside a waterproof bag or container - heavy plastic ziplock bag), including a copy of the pet’s current vaccination certificate. If your pet takes medications or has medical issues, have a copy of recent medical records with medical problems, medication dosages, and directions. Make sure the medical records and vaccine certificate have your pet’s name, description, current weight, and microchip # on them.

Any maintenance prescription medications, plus one dose of Heartgard or other heartworm preventative (dogs) and one dose of Frontline (everyone). Fleas and ticks can be a real problem in a disaster and you need to be prepared for prevention and treatment. Any medications that your pet needs on an ongoing basis (other than Heartworm prevention) need to be in original pharmacy containers with original prescription labels (otherwise it will not be given to your pet if you are not there, and is likely to be discarded). Keep medications together in a second ziplock bag. Include emergency/non-maintenance medications that your pet may need for frequent or recurring problems that can flare up with stress (ear meds, diarrhea meds, hot spot meds, etc.). Check expiration dates every 6 months on all medications. Also pack one small comb or brush if your pet has thick or long hair, and a tick remover.

One small dish for food and/or water, non-breakable. Camping supply stores & pet stores have fold-up, soft dishes that take less room (but make sure your pet will not chew up the dish if it is left with him)!

Food for 7 days (but feed ¼ to ½ as much as usual). If your pet only eats wet food, get small pop-top cans or packets. You can’t count on refrigeration, or can openers. Pre-measure dry into ziplock bags, one per meal. Dry food can be crushed to take up less room. Label each can/pouch & bag with your pet’s name. Replace food every 6 months. Make sure the food you have is what your pet is eating now – a sudden switch will cause vomiting and/or diarrhea!

Bottled water for 3 days, for drinking. Don’t use this water for any cleanup until you know you’ll be able to get more. Get multiple small bottles in case one breaks, with screw-on tops. For dogs, 1oz per pound per day (a 20# dog should have about 60oz for 3-days). Dogs over 10 and those with kidney disease or diabetes should have 3 times as much. Cats need 10 oz per day, or 30oz for 3 days (cats over 10 and those with kidney disease or diabetes should have twice this much). Don’t throw away empty bottles unless the emergency is over. You may need them to hold water that needs to be purified – get some water purification tablets that do not contain iodine. The tablets are a form of bleach; follow directions carefully.

Nalgene bottle with 1-2 oz concentrated Dawn dish detergent (in emergencies, pets can get exposed to nasty stuff and may need a decontamination bath). Also, a thin plastic dropcloth for rain and wind protection, 6 Ziplock bags (various sizes), 6 garbage bags, and a few dozen poop bags (cats AND dogs)! If your dog uses pee pads, have a 7 day supply. If your pet has special needs (incontinent, blind, deaf, can’t walk well, etc.), add any gear that is needed for these needs.

Optional but highly recommended items include:

Baby wipes for emergency cleanup, a box of human REFRESH or generic single-use vials of eye wash (don’t use eye drops with any medication in them, like Visine). An extra piece of polar fleece, a small roll of strong, thin nylon string, disposable exam gloves (rubber or nitrile), 3 lightsticks, duct tape, a small first aid kit for pets, and a small toy or two. Also, compressed towels and/or washcloths (these store in a pellets), and a camping towel with super absorbency; the kind that dries things even when it is wet. There are several varieties of these special towels.