Our furry friends become so much part of our family that it is crazy to realise how much joy an animal can give us. Pets are amazing, they love us and are committed to being with us. The sense of unconditional love that they express is amazing. Regardless of our mood, or whether we have been grumpy or sad, they love us and want to be with us nonetheless. But things can always go wrong and when they do, we want to be as prepared for that moment as possible. Even though we don’t want to live in fear that it could and would happen, we need to be wise about how we prepare. Here are some ways that you can be prepared for emergencies.
Make sure you can cover the costs
When things that we are afraid of happening, like if your cat is hit by a car, or your dog gets cancer or your rat has a tumour, you want to be able to afford the fees and not have to make decisions based on budget. Vet and hospital fees can quickly and easily become exorbitant and so pet insurance is a good option to take. But do this from a young age of your pet to ensure maximum coverage. You may not be able to insure an old pet that has years of issues, and if you do, the insurance companies will likely charge you quite a lot to cover their risk. For more information, check out this great article from Bivvy, which highlights the main benefits of having pet coverage.
Have an emergency kit on hand
Just in case your dog eats rat poison or swallows some household detergents or somehow gets into your pillbox, it is good to have stuff that can help at the moment and buy you time to get to the hospital. It might be charcoal that you need or some stomach absorbent medicine that will limit the amount of poison that gets absorbed into the bloodstream. You will want to keep some pet-friendly painkillers and anti-inflammatories just in case your dog injures itself or pushes himself during a big long country walk. Another good item to have in your emergency kit is antihistamines. You never know when your pet might suddenly have an allergic reaction to a bee, frog or sometimes even grass. This kit should be clearly labelled and kept in the same place so that it isn’t hard to find when the moment arises.
Keep a list of emergency contact numbers
When the emergency happens, you don’t want to be googling or asking where the nearest 24hr animal clinic is on Facebook and be waiting for a quick response when time is precious. You will want to have these numbers kept on your phone or somewhere that you will remember. If you ever have people come house sit and look after your animals, leave them a list of who they can call. This could be a trusted neighbour or family member in incidences that aren’t as urgent but still important.