5 Ways to Prepare for a Pet Emergency

April is National Pet First Aid Awareness Month, and DoveLewis encourages pet owners to honor the occasion by being as informed and proactive as possible.

“Every year, DoveLewis provides emergency veterinary care to more than 14,000 patients,” said Dr. Christy Michael. “No one expects or hopes to deal with a pet emergency, but it’s important to be prepared so you can remain calm and focused in any type of situation.”

1. Take a free pet first aid workshop. DoveLewis is proud to offer free pet first aid workshops taught by leading veterinary professionals. Workshops are held at least once a quarter and fill up quickly. Sign up for the DoveList email newsletter to be notified of upcoming workshops. All workshops are held in the DoveLewis Community Room at 1945 NW Pettygrove Street in Portland, Oregon.

2. Pack a pet first aid kit. Keep a first aid safety kit at home and in your car. Not sure what to include? Check out our full list of supplies needed. Make sure to include essential medical record information, including your pet’s name, age, breed, gender, microchip number, vaccine history, and any pre-exiting health problems with any kit. This will make it easier to relay this information to a veterinarian if you call for assistance.

3. Keep important phone numbers on hand. It’s a good idea to keep key resources at your fingertips so you can act quickly in an emergency situation. Add the following organizations’ phone numbers to your phone contacts, post on your fridge and include in your pet first aid kit: DoveLewis Emergency Animal Hospital (503-228-7281), Animal Poison Control Center (888-426-4435) and Pet Poison Help Line (800-213-6680).

4. Know where you can take your pet for emergency veterinary care. Often times, your regular veterinarian may be equipped to handle a pet emergency. But many general practice veterinary clinics are not open in the evenings or on the weekends. DoveLewis is open 24/7 every day of the year (even major holidays). DoveLewis also accepts referrals. So if your pet requires emergency care that is beyond the scope of your regular veterinarian, the staff at DoveLewis is here to help.

5. Consider pet insurance or set aside emergency funds. Just like emergency care for humans, emergency care can be expensive depending on the kind of treatment your animal needs. If you’re on the fence about pet insurance, read this article by Canine Journal and then do some of your own research to determine what’s best for you and your pet. If pet insurance is not right for you, set aside a bit of money every month so you’ll have funds to draw from if an emergency situation arises.