A walk in the park might not call for having a first-aid kit at the ready, but if you travel with Fido or spend much time adventuring together in the outdoors, you should know how to treat common ailments and stabilize your pet in the event of an emergency. Dog First Aid, a manual published by the American Red Cross, deserves a place in every dog lover's glove compartment. The organization also offers pet first-aid and disaster classes in many California communities, as do many county humane societies.
When it comes to assembling first-aid kits, you have three basic choices: do it yourself, buy a pre-assembled kit or augment one with the other. One useful item you probably won't find in a standard supply list: duct tape, which can come in handy for everything from taping wounds to making emergency booties.
Last but not least, check out the Pet First Aid smartphone app developed by Jive Media and available on the iPhone app store or the Google Play for Android. You might not have time to watch a video while your dog is being swept down a runoff-swollen stream, but it's nice to know that illustrations have been bundled for wilderness access.
