Prepare your pets for an emergency

Hello, Dallas Voice readers! I hope everyone is holding up as best as you can during these unprecedented times.
Welcome to my July column, which I am actually devoting to an important topic somewhat associated to crazy times like these. The month of June is our National Pet Preparedness Month, and I want to share some thoughts and ideas on what is needed to be prepared for emergencies as pet parents.

Whenever an emergency strikes, we may not always be prepared for everything that entails. But the more we do to address potential issues ahead of time, the better it will be for everyone involved when the time comes. These emergency disasters include tornadoes, storms, earthquakes and flooding, among others.

The most important things to have prepared and set aside are items to cover the basic needs of our furry friends: food and water. Make sure you have enough dog or cat food for at least several days stored in air tight containers, as well as drinking water. These stores need to be separate from what you use daily, and they need to be readily available in case you need to leave your home abruptly.

Make sure the stored food is the same food you feed daily to avoid any potential vomiting or diarrhea that could happen with some abrupt changes in diet. Also consider having ready treats and a toy or blanket that will make your baby feel safe when away from home. All of these items — as well as the others we will discuss here — can be kept in a backpack or duffle bag in a very accessible area, where you can easily just grab it and go so you can evacuate your home safely if necessary.

You also need to have at least a two-week supply of medications your baby may need for chronic conditions, as well as heartworm and flea/tick preventatives. It would also be beneficial to have vaccine records with you, since these are usually required when a pet is boarded.

Boarding facilities usually require the rabies and bordetella (kennel cough) vaccines, but each boarding facility has different requirements. Some may also require up-to-date fecal results, so make sure your baby routinely sees your veterinarian to have all the basic wellness care needs under control.

Consider having a first aid kit stored along with these items, and make sure you check the expiration dates of all of these at least every six months or so. You may also want to save the contact information for at least one emergency veterinary hospital on your phone.

It is important to make sure your baby has a collar with updated ID tags and an updated rabies tag. You can also consider having a copy of the rabies certificate given to you by your veterinarian in your files or saved on your phone.

If your baby is not microchipped, consider doing this, because sometimes dogs and cats can escape during an emergency situation, and if they do not have a collar, it would be even more challenging to get them safely back home.

A microchip is about the size of a grain of rice, and it is implanted underneath your baby’s skin, in between their shoulder blades. This microchip, unlike popular belief, does not have GPS. It would only be beneficial if your baby is taken to a shelter or a veterinary hospital to be scanned and only if you have registered the microchip with your contact information. You also have to make sure that if you move or change your phone number, you would have to contact the microchip company to update your contact information.

If possible, also consider having a carrier or portable crate handy. If you have a kitty, consider having a separate litter box and new litter on hand as well, along with sanitation products that you may need for the crate or carrier

or litter box.
We have had enough challenges and crazy things happen in 2020 already, so hopefully we don’t need to worry about any emergencies any time soon. But just in case we end up getting to a Jumanji level that requires us to abandon our home, we want to be as prepared as possible, especially for our little loved ones that depend on us!

To end on a positive note, it is already July!! Happy 4th of July, and try to have fun as safely as possible!! Abrazos, my friends!

Dr. Josh owns Isla Veterinary Boutique Hospital at 14380 Marsh Lane, Ste. 110, in Addison. 972-738-1111; IslaVet.com.