Frequently occurring injuries that puppies and dogs encounter are choking on swallowed objects; electrical shocks; being poisoned by household chemicals, cuts and punctures, and bone fractures. These can be, to a large extent, prevented by taking some common-sense precautions and being proactive.

First of all, I need to remind you that when your dog appears to be injured or facing a health risk, it`s important to contact your veteranarian and get your pooch checked out to be sure no problem goes unnoticed. And of course some injuries and health risks may not be symptomatic or readily apparent so you should take your dog for its yearly checkup whether it is exhibiting symptoms or not.

Electrical Shocks

Puppies are curious creatures and like snooping around the house for things to play with, and they also like to chew. That makes chewing on electrical wires an important danger to puppies and dogs. It is common for dogs to encounter burns to their mouths or electrical shocks due to chewing through wires. Try to keep all wires out of the dog`s sight or reach, and cover any exposed segments with duct tape.

Diet and Exercise

This is more of an issue of general health than of safety, but it relates to home life so we will address it here. Too many dog owners have the tendency to feed table scraps to their dogs, but dogs have specific dietary needs that can be easily violated by eating table scraps. The best food for dogs is homemade foods that conform to the guidelines of your veterinarian or a well-known dog diet; or commercial high-quality dog foods, whether canned or dried. It`s also important to always leave the dog`s bowl filled with water, and change the water frequently to make sure it doesn`t get dirty or tainted.

As for exercise, a daily walk should most certainly be part of your dog`s routine. The length of time depends on the breed, but it can be as little as 15 minutes a day so you don`t have any excuse for missing your loyal pooch`s daily exercise. After eating, your dog should have at least one hour to digest before exercising.

This list tells you some of the foods that you should never feed to your dog:

1)    Alcoholic beverages or caffeinated drinks, as well as caffeinated foods like chocolate.

2)    Milk, cheese, and other dairy products.

3)    Raw eggs, and raw fish.

4)    Grapes or raisins.

5)    Vitamins for humans that contain iron.

6)    Vegetables like mushrooms, onions, potatoes, and garlic.

Household Chemicals and Other Potentially Poisonous Substances

It`s important to keep your dog away from a lot of different household substances like bleach, cleaners, detergent, polishing substances, and others. Plants should also generally be kept out of your dog`s range since some plants can make them sick or cause indigestion and upset stomach, or a worse illness depending on the type of plant. Of course, you should also take that no medicines or drugs fall to the floor within reach of your dog, and don`t leave them on tables or other surfaces like your sofa where your dog may be able to reach.

Other things to note:

Garbage – Make sure that your garbage is tightly closed both outside and inside your home, so that your dog can`t get into it.

Keeping your dog restrained – Maybe it goes without saying, but you should always keep your dog on a leesh when walking him outside your home.

Car Travel – Get a pet carrier or kennel and fasten it securely inside the car. Leaving your dog unrestrained in the back of a pickup truck, or letting him ride with his head out the window is bad news, an accident waiting to happen.

When most people think of first aid kits, they think of a box of supplies for humans to use, not pets. But your dog is part of your family and deserves to be protected and kept safe just like every other member of your family. And since local emergency services are unlikely to help your dog, you need to be prepared and equipped to give your dog first aid on your own until you can get him to a vet. If you are camping or travelling, the nearest veternarian office might be far away!

So let’s outline the items that would be a good idea to keep in dog first aid kits.

First of all, keep a list of important telephone numbers. These include:

-Your veteranarian’s number

-The number of an emergency pet clinic in your area or the area you’ll be visiting

-Poison control phone number

The next items to include are for nutritional aid:

-a rehydrating liquid like Pedialyte. Even Gatorade is useful.

-a nutritional supplement like Nutri-Cal, in case you dog can’t get suitable food to consume.

-a source of concentrated sugar for immediate energy. For example, Karo syrup.

Next on the list for our first aid kit are some medicines:

-disinfectant for cleaning wounds. For example Betadine or Nolvasan.

-Triple antibiotic cream, for application to skin.

-Antibiotic opthalmic cream for eyes. For example, Terramycin.

-Antidiarrheal medicine like Pet Pectate

-Canine Aspirin

-Benadryl for allergies

-Itch Stop or another cortisone product to treat itches and rashes.

-Hydrogen peroxide. This can be used to make a dog vomit if it ingests something dangerous.

-Activated charcoal. This can help absorb poisons consumed by the dog. Ask your vet for detailed information.

The last category of items to consider is equipment to aid in treatment:

-a muzzle, or guaze for making an impromptu muzzle.

-a magnifying glass

-tweezers

-scissors

-a penlight for darkness

-an eye dropper / oral syringe

-cotton swabs and cotton balls

-a rectal thermometer

-Bitter Apple or another item that discourages licking an biting of a wounded or treated area

-cold packs and heat packs

-a stethoscope

Obviously you may not bring all of these items if you don’t know how to use them or how to carry out thorough first aid for your dog, but these are all ideas to consider, and some may be more practical for you than others. The point is to keep your dog as safe and stable as possible until you can get him to a proper veteranarian for thorough treatment.