The core kit
- Sterile gauze pads and a roll of gauze — for covering wounds and applying pressure.
- Self-adhesive bandage wrap (the kind that does not stick to fur) plus adhesive tape.
- Non-stick wound pads — ordinary plasters stick to fur and skin.
- Blunt-tipped scissors for cutting bandages and trimming fur around a wound.
- Tweezers and a tick removal tool.
- Digital thermometer plus lubricant — pet temperature is taken rectally.
- Saline solution for flushing eyes and wounds.
- Antiseptic wipes or solution that is safe for animals.
- Disposable gloves.
- A clean towel and a blanket — for warmth, restraint and carrying.
- A muzzle or a soft cloth to make one — even a gentle dog may bite when in pain. Never muzzle a vomiting or struggling-to-breathe animal.
- Spare leash and slip lead.
- A carrier or a rigid board for a cat, small dog or an animal that cannot walk.
- Syringe without a needle for flushing or giving fluids if instructed.
- Small torch and a space blanket.
The information half of the kit
This is the part most kits are missing, and the part that changes outcomes:
- Your vet's phone number and address, and your nearest 24-hour emergency clinic.
- An animal poison control number for your country.
- Your pet's current medications and doses, allergies, chronic conditions and microchip number.
- Recent weight — many emergency drug doses are weight-based.
- A copy of vaccination records.
Keep this on paper in the kit and somewhere on your phone that works without you being calm enough to search for it.
Do not put these in the kit
- Human painkillers. Ibuprofen, paracetamol and aspirin can be seriously toxic to dogs and cats. Never give them without explicit veterinary instruction.
- Hydrogen peroxide to induce vomiting. Once standard advice, now discouraged without veterinary direction — it can cause serious damage, and vomiting is dangerous after some poisons.
- Human antiseptic creams and ointments, which pets lick off.
- Tea tree or essential oils — toxic to cats in particular.
- Expired anything. Check the kit twice a year.
Before you call, gather three things
- What happened and when — including the amount, if something was eaten, and the packaging if you have it.
- How your pet is right now — breathing, gums colour, alert or not, bleeding, able to stand.
- Your pet's weight, medications and known conditions.
Then call. Do not drive to a clinic without ringing first — they may direct you elsewhere or start advice on the phone.
Go straight to a vet, do not wait, if you see
- Difficulty breathing, choking, or blue, white or very pale gums.
- Collapse, seizure, or unresponsiveness.
- Bleeding that does not slow with pressure.
- Suspected poisoning, including chocolate, xylitol, grapes, raisins, onion, lilies, antifreeze or human medication.
- Repeated unproductive retching or a swollen, hard abdomen — in dogs this can be bloat, which is minutes-critical.
- A male cat straining to urinate without producing anything — a blocked bladder is an emergency.
- Heatstroke signs, a bite wound, or trauma from a car or a fall, even with no visible injury.
Where to keep it
Two kits: a full one at home where everyone in the household knows to find it, and a smaller one in the car with a lead, a towel, water and the contact list. If you travel or hike, that second kit does the real work.
Have the record ready, not just the kit
In an emergency you will be asked for medications, weight and allergies while you are least able to recall them. Pettioe keeps a per-pet emergency card at a scannable QR code — contact details, allergies, current medications and your vet's number — so a stranger, a sitter or an out-of-hours clinic can see the essentials instantly.
This guide is general information and not veterinary advice. Your vet always overrides it.