Get kitted out

I'm going away for a weekend away to Dorset with my dog in a couple of months and want to put together a doggie first aid kit. What items should I be including?
Emily Davies

A canine first aid kit is a very useful thing to have, not many commercial ones are available but we have our own made up by our supplier. They should contain: a small quantity of saline eye wash capsules for cleaning debris from eyes and wound cleaning, disposable gloves for prevention of disease transmission, conforming bandages of two or three different sizes, crepe bandages which can also be used as an improvised muzzle while treating a sick or injured dog, sterile wound pads in varying sizes and a roll of micro pore tape. Splints can be improvised from card board tubes from kitchen roll, rolled up newspapers or magazines and it's always a good idea to get training in how to use them.
You should always clean wounds thoroughly and apply a sterile dressing, when bandaging a leg always ensure that you include the foot whether it's injured or not as this prevents the foot swelling below the bandaged injury site. If a wound is in an area where it's impractical to apply a bandage keep direct pressure on the wound and use a sterile pad to begin the clotting process. If bleeding continues add more pads on top of each other, don't remove the soaked ones, again it helps the clotting process, then evacuate to a vet for advanced medical treatment.
Mike Jones, MJ First Aid Training and Canine Rehabilitation

I think it's a good idea to have a basic first aid kit on-hand in the home, as well as to take with you when you are out and about with your dog. There are a number of ready-made kits on the market, but it's relatively simple to put one together yourself.
My own DIY pack includes:
Dressing materials, such as bandages, cotton wool and adhesive tape
Latex gloves
Scissors
Tweezers
Antiseptic solution
Tea Towel
Tick remover
Treats
List of emergency contact numbers
If you are going away from your usual area on holiday or a day trip it is useful to do a bit of research and make a note of the local vets' details, just in case your pet needs emergency treatment.
Tell us your essential first aid items.
Julia Owen, Dogs Today

Very sensible to ‘Be Prepared’ and think about having a first aid kit specifically for your dog. It will be useful to have with you whenever you are out and about, near home or away on holiday.
Julia has covered most of the items I would consider essential. When it comes to scissors, sharp-ended are fine for cutting dressing materials, and better than no scissors at all, but I do like round-ended ‘curved on flat’ scissors which you may have seen your vet use when clipping away fur, because they minimise the chances of accidentally cutting the skin.
Additionally, I would suggest taking your dog’s vaccination certificate whenever you go away in case he has to be kennelled for some reason.
Is your dog currently on any medication? If so, then remember to take sufficient for while you are away, plus two or three days to cover all eventualities. It is a good idea to have a note of your usual veterinary practice’s name, address and telephone number with you; if you have to take your dog to a vet whilst you are away, then it will be easy for further information about your dog’s health such as previous history and medication to be obtained.
Is your dog micro-chipped? If not, then I would recommend it because he will be in a strange area. Should he stray and lose his way, he might also lose his collar with dog disc, or just the dog disc. A microchip registered with the national database is a form of permanent identification which is fine provided the details logged against it are kept up-to-date. You may be able to register temporary contact address details against his microchip for the period that you are away. Do check that any mobile telephone number recorded is still applicable.
If you plan ahead, then hopefully none of it will be needed! Have an enjoyable weekend in Dorset!
Alison Logan, Vet