First Aid Kit Tips

I have been putting together my own equine first aid kit and with the help of some fellow horse professionals and vets, I have learned some interesting ideas. Speaking of costs of owning a horse....

What is most important is that your barn or riding facility has a first aid kit on hand. Not every person needs to own every one of these things, but they should all be availible at your facility...

Per Dr. Johnson: The most common mistake he sees is vet-wrap used to protect a wound without padding underneath it. The vet-wrap sticks to itself and often constricts, cutting off blood flow and making the problem worse. If you do not have gauze padding, you can use a clean diaper underneath the vet-wrap.

The best random tip I found was this: Make a ball out of your old socks (cleaned and bleached)....every time you need to clean a wound, apply a dressing, or even oil your tack, you can peel off a sock and dispose of it after you have used it. How neat!

As I have been looking around for materials for my first aid kit, the best places to find the necessary items have been:

TSC or Tack Shop (for equine-specific products)
Dollar Store or regular pharmacy (where you can find almost all of this stuff)
Medical Supply store or make friends with a nice nurse!

I am copying some information from the following website because I think that it is important to put it here. This is probably the best list I have found so far.

http://infohorse.com/equinefirstaid.asp

First Aid Kit for Horses should include the following:

Anyone who owns a horse should own a well-stocked First Aid Kit. Start by buying a plastic bucket that has a lid and place all of the first aid supplies in the tightly sealed container. The following are first-aid supplies that are essential to a well-stocked First Aid Kit. These supplies should be kept in all First Aid Kits...

Stethoscope
You should check and measure heart rate and gut sound when horse is well to make a comparison when the horse is ill. Normal rate for adult horse is around 30 to 40 beats a minute and significantly higher for a nursing Mare and a Foal is around 60 to 80 beats a minute.

Iodine Solution Diluted
An Iodine Solution that is properly diluted is Betadine. Any fresh wounds should be flushed out with this solution.

Hydrogen Peroxide
Only use Hydrogen Peroxide to flush deep wounds or punctures only.

Neosporin and Nolvasan
These are topical antiseptic ointments that fight bacteria and promote healing. These should be used twice daily after a veterinarian has seen the wound.

Saline
Use to flush wounds after using anti bacterial washes and before wrapping.

Sterile Gauze Sponges
Use these when cleaning the wounded area with a Diluted Iodine Solution.

Sterile Gauze Roll and Self-Adhesive Tape
The Self-Adhesive Tape holds the Gauze to the wound. The tape is easily applied and removed. A few good brands are: Kling, Elastikon, Flexus and Vet-Rap.

Blunt-tipped Bandage Scissors
These come in handy for removing bandages.

Topical Eye Ointment
Non-steroidal Eye Ointment comes in handy when a horse injures his eye, and a veterinarian is not immediately available.

Rectal Thermometer
Use with a string attached to prevent loss into the rectum or dropping and breaking it.
An adult horse's normal temperature is between 99.0 and 101 degrees F. A foal is usually between 100 and 102. You should have some alcohol in your first aid kit to disinfect the Thermometer.

Inject able Sedative and Pain Killer
Keep a small dose of each available. They come in handy in situations such as colic or for horses that are unwilling.

Electrolytes
For use if dehydration is suspected.

Other Supplies That Should be Included:

Cold packs instant type for first aid
Disposable diapers (2 or more for bleeding)
Knife is useful for many things including cutting rope and bandages etc.
Latex gloves
Lubricant like ky jelly to aid thermometer insertion.
Scissors
Tweezers
Twitch for distraction if necessary.
Digital thermometer
Duct tape Use on hoof
Easy-Boot Use on hoof
Stethoscope
Twitch
Hoof Pick
Fly Lotion
Wire cutters
Electrolytes
Flashlight