Disaster Prep For Pets

National Animal Disaster Preparedness Day is May 14th! Things like tornadoes, floods, major storms, and wildfires are becoming both stronger and more frequent these days. While hopefully, you’ll never be faced with a disaster situation, it’s definitely best to be prepared, just in case. A Spring Hill, TN veterinarian offers some advice on pet preparedness below. 

Prepare A Kit 

We strongly recommend having an emergency kit ready to go. (This can also double as a travel bag for more pleasant excursions.) In addition to basic supplies, such as food, water, and medication, you’ll want to include a first-aid kit, a leash and collar, and, if your pet eats wet food, a can opener. Dogs should have a muzzle, as some shelters require them. Kitties will need litter and litter pan. Include some comfort items as well, such as toys and blankets, and maybe some calming pheromones.

Research 

While many hotels and shelters do allow pets, this is by no means universal. For instance, Red Cross shelters do not allow pets, due to concerns about health, safety, and hygiene. Do some research, and find out what shelters and hotels within a few hours’ drive allow pets. Also, ask what their policies are. If you have a German Shepherd or a Great Dane, it won’t do you any good to book a room at a hotel that only allows small dogs!

Veterinary Care

Speaking of shelters, many of those that do allow pets require proof that they are up to date on vaccines and parasite control. This is something to consider with vaccines. Some, such as bordetella, are not considered core, but are still highly recommended and still may be required by kennels and shelters. Keep those records in an easily-accessible spot. You can put them in a ziplock freezer bag and put that in the kit, or keep hard copies in your glove. Another option is to store digital copies online. Email them to yourself, or upload them to a private cloud drive.

Identification 

Making sure your pet is wearing ID tags is always important, but can become absolutely critical in emergency situations. Things can get extremely hectic and chaotic in disasters. If you and your pet are ever separated, that identification may be the only link between you!  

Please contact us, your Spring Hill, TN pet hospital, for your pet’s care needs. We’re here to help!