Is Your Pet Disaster Prepared? Checklist.

As the threat of another hurricane barreling through South Florida looms and wildfires from a rainless summer in Texas escalate, we know we live in a world today, where pet disaster preparedness is more relevant than ever. September is National Disaster Preparedness Month. So, is your pet disaster prepared?

Here’s what you’ll need to be ready, with natural remedies included:

Checklist

 

• Plan – create a pet disaster preparedness plan. That means:

– Microchips – making sure your pet is microchipped and your up to date contact information is registered with one of the microchip registries.

–  wearing a collar that has a tag with your name, cell number on it in case you get separated from your pet and the person finding him or her can’t scan a microchip.

– have a back-up, a plan B. A neighbor with your key who knows your pet’s feeding and medication schedule; a pet sitter; someone you can reach out to in a pinch who is already onboard to be your number 2.

– Vaccines – While I’m not a vaccine type of person, and you may choose not to vaccinate or over-vaccinate your dog or cat, in a disaster, there will likely be shelters who accept pets, but only with updated vaccination records. Know this and weigh your choice against the dangers of vaccines. Getting out early increases your options, so please take that into consideration.

– Hotels/Motels – have a researched list prepared of hotels and motels outside your area that accept pets and find out what, if any, restrictions they have. I would do this in tiers, since in a disaster, you don’t know how wide you need to cast your net to be safely away from the incident. Have a couple of options just outside your area, then more in increasing increments of distance. Some things you could ask include if they require  vaccination records, is there a pet limit, do they accept cats, as well as dogs.

–  Veterinary Offices/Boarding Facilities – know where to find them; have their emergency numbers on hand.

• Food – if you feed fresh or frozen raw, buy bags of freeze-dried raw from a reputable brand to store for emergencies. You will still be feeding a healthy diet and it can travel anywhere with ease. Some brands to consider:

–  Steve’s Real Food

–  Vital Essentials

–  Northwest Naturals

–  Bones & Co

–  Include food and water bowls, at least five (5) days of water supply for each pet, extra water for rinsing each pet in case of exposure to chemicals or dank water.

• First Aid Kit – the usual suspects of gauze, bandages, non-stick tape, thermometer, pet shampoo, tweezers, antibiotic ointment, styptic powder for small wounds to stop bleeding, activated charcoal for poisoning to carry toxins out of the body. Also, any medications stored in a water proof packaging that is sealed tight and supplements also stored that way.
• Natural Medicine – include the small animal natural first aid book, Homeopathic First Aid for Animals by Kaetheryn Walker. It has been a huge help to me. Go through that book and compile the most common remedies for what you could encounter in a disaster. Some suggestions: Arnica Montana (in 30C potentcy) for bruises and pain; Aconite (30C) for anxiety;  Carbo veg (30C) for extreme trauma with collapse or loss of consciousness; Hypericum (30C) for injuries to tails or toes, obvious nerve pain; Symphytum (30C) injuries penetrating to bones or of sinews and tendons, acute pain, fractures; Phosphorus (30C) copious bleeding bright red, bleeding with shock or fear. There are others; I would go through her book and choose. You may want to get a homeopathic remedy kit. Here is where you can find a good one.
• Equipment – take sturdy harness, leashes, and secure carriers to transport pets. With carriers, make sure they are large enough so you pets an fully lie down and turn around. It may become home for hours at a time. Make sure your pet has an ID tag on his or her collar/harness.
• Proof of Ownership – I don’t like the word ownership and in this country, pets are property. If you and your pet get separated in a disaster, be prepared with photos of you with them so people can see they do belong to you.
• For Cat Parents – portable litter box. We used a brand for Suki when we drove from Florida to Texas that worked really well. Here it is.
• Comfort Toys/Blankets – if your dog or cat has their favorite toy they carry everywhere or play with often, take it. Same with a favorite blanket or bed. I wouldn’t try to buy a duplicate, unless you’ve done that before and they go for it. I’ve tried that with our dog, Sophie. Over the years, she wore down favorite toys to the point where they had to be thrown away. I would buy a double to have as a smooth transition, except she never wanted the duplicate toy. We had one toy sit in the toy box for six years! Then one day when it was already starting to decompose, she decided she wanted it and it became her favorite until we had to throw it away. They’re quirky, our pets!

Pet disaster preparedness is something you need to do in advance. When disaster strikes, there’s often no time to think through everything you’ll need for your animals. But, if you’re ready, you know exactly what you need, have as much of it stored in one place and can quickly respond to the situation. That is confidence and comfort.

To their best health ever!