Many dogs and cats require medication on a daily basis. For many pets with conditions such as Addison’s Disease, Cushing’s Disease, epilepsy and diabetes, these daily doses of pet medications are life-saving and without these drugs, the pet will become seriously ill. Missed medication doses can be deadly for these cats and dogs.
So what would happen if one of these cats or dogs got lost? What would happen if they landed in the city pound, an animal shelter or in the home of a well-meaning animal lover who found the pet. Without their life-saving medication, the pet will become increasingly ill and depending on the pet’s precise condition or disease, things could turn critical in a matter of hours.
What’s more, some of the early warning signs and the more subtle signs of a problem, such as depression or decreased activity levels will not be obvious to shelter staff or the person who finds the pet. A person who doesn’t know the pet’s baseline — how the pet normally looks and acts — won’t be as adept at determining when the animal is starting to become unwell.
Medical Alert Tags for Pets and Medication Vials
To ensure a pet gets life-saving medications, even if he’s lost or somehow separated from his owner, add a couple very important items to your pet’s tags.
Firstly, create a medical alert tag for your dog or cat. Visit your local pet store and use the tag-maker kiosk to create a tag (or tags) with the following info:
- Name of the pet’s condition or disease
- Name of the pet’s medication
- Dosing information (milligrams and frequency)
- Also, if you have room, indicate that the dog or cat needs this drug to survive.
If your dog or cat takes pills, purchase a small stainless steel keychain-mounted vial. Opt for a waterproof vial, so the vial’s contents will remain dry, even if your pet goes swimming or gets caught in the rain. These small vials are available at virtually any hardware store.
Remove the vial from the keychain and mount it on the dog’s collar. Wrap several pills in plastic wrap or sandwich bag (simply trim off the excess). Place 48 to 72 hours worth of medication in the vial and include a note, indicating the medication type, its purpose and dosing instructions. Also, include your name and home phone number.
Place the medical alert tag(s) and medication vial on your pet’s collar and ensure your pet wears it at all times. If your pet is prone to running away and they require life-saving medication on a daily basis, you may consider purchasing a GPS device for your pet’s collar. Pet GPS tags will enable you to track your pet’s location online using a computer or smart phone. This will enable you to find your pet in fairly short order, even if they run off.
For more pet care tips, check out PetLvr’s archives.
Photo Source: Maria Kaloudi on Sxc.hu
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