Since you never know when an accident will happen, keeping a pet emergency kit at your home is a good idea. You can put a first aid kit together yourself and buy the items separately, or buy one ready-made. If you make one yourself, use a small plastic tub with a tight fitting lid to store the following items:
| Important Phone Numbers |
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Veterinary clinic phone number and directions to the clinic |
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Emergency clinic phone number and directions |
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Poison control center phone numbers |
Equipment and Supplies |
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Magnifying glass |
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Scissors |
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Tweezers |
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Nail clippers and metal nail file |
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Styptic powder or sticks, Kwik Stop, or cornstarch |
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Penlight |
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Scalpel blades and handles |
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Turkey baster |
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Eye dropper |
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Syringes of various sizes |
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Feeding tubes of various sizes (if you are trained in how to use them) |
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Lubricant such as mineral oil or KY Jelly (without spermicide) |
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Cotton swabs |
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Clean cloths and/or paper toweling |
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Disposable gloves |
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Stethoscope |
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Gram scale |
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Needle-nose pliers or hemostats |
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Wire cutters |
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Net |
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Towels for restraint and/or to cover cage |
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Pet carrier |
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Heating pad or heat lamp to use at home |
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Home thermometer to measure temperature of bird's environment |
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Heat pack or hot water bottle (to keep the bird warm during transport; wrap the pack in a towel - do not apply directly to your bird, or burns may result) |
Bandaging Materials |
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Square gauze of various sizes - some sterile |
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Non-stick pads |
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First aid tape - both paper (easily comes off of skin and feathers, or use masking tape) and adhesive types |
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Bandage rolls - gauze and Vetwrap |
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Wooden sticks of various sizes for splints - tongue depressors, Popsicle sticks, toothpicks |
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Stockinette |
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Gel foam - stops bleeding from wounds (ask your avian veterinarian) |
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Band-Aids (for humans) |
Nutritional Support |
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Rehydrating solution such as Gatorade or Pedialyte |
Medicines* |
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Wound disinfectant such as Betadine or Nolvasan |
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Triple antibiotic ointment for skin |
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Antibiotic ophthalmic ointment for eyes, e.g., Terramycin |
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Eye wash solution |
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Sterile saline |
*Watch the expiration dates on any medication, and replace as needed. |
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