(Grassroots Newswire)-- Petland recommends that one way pet owners can help make certain they are ready for any pet first aid situation is to always have an easily-accessible and fully-equipped first aid kit for pets. According to Petland™s corporate veterinarian, Dennis McDonald, DVM, of North Fork Animal Clinic in Chillicothe, Ohio, the kit should contain items such as your veterinarian™s telephone number; gauze for wrapping wounds; gauze sponges; adhesive tape for bandages; non-stick bandages to protect wounds or control bleeding; a towel or blanket for wrapping the pet and keeping it warm; hydrogen peroxide; milk of magnesia or activated charcoal to help absorb poisons; an eyedropper or a syringe without a needle for oral treatments; a muzzle; a thermometer; tweezers; Q-tips; antibiotic ointment; an instant cold pack and Benadryl.

For a small cut, a pet owner should clean the wound with warm, soapy water and peroxide. For a bite wound, a pet owner should first thoroughly clean it and then scrub it with iodine soap.

In a situation where the pet is stung by a bee, Benadryl is the best thing to use. A small dog should be given half of a

tablet and a large dog can take a full tablet, said McDonald. If the pet exhibits symptoms such as swelling of the lips, eyes or tongue, it needs to be seen by a veterinarian on an emergency basis.

A pet that has been hit by a car should immediately be stabilized and further blood loss prevented by wrapping the area.

If a pet has fallen and the pet owner cannot determine whether anything is broken, McDonald recommends giving the pet Motrin, Advil or ibuprofen. Pet owners should never give a pet Tylenol, which is toxic, or aspirin, which is a bloodthinner.

Petland recommends pet owners immediately call their veterinarian for any emergency situation and always follow up with a visit after attempting to administer first aid care themselves.

Summertime dangers to pets

• Fleas and ticks
• Heatstroke
• Pesticides, insecticides and fertilizers
• Swimming pools
• Fireworks
• Mowing grass and trimming hedges