Doggy Home Care Medicine Chest

While your veterinarian diagnoses and prescribes for your dog's health issues, canine first aid, as well as minor problems, may benefit from human medicines. Let's face it, Fido rarely tears a claw or eats something iffy during regular clinic hours, so it's helpful to know how to use your pantry supplies and human medicine chest to help your dog. Some people prescriptions can be dangerous (especially for cats!) so it's a good idea to have a handy list.

First aid and home remedies don't replace proper veterinary care, but they can keep dogs more comfy until medical care is available. And sometimes a home remedy is all that's needed. Even if human meds work on dogs, the doses usually are lower due to the smaller size of the dog. Your vet can tell you the exact dose needed for your specific pet but here are some common human medicines that benefit dogs.

30 Common Human Medicines for Dogs

• Lanacane: topical anesthetic

• Massengill Disposable Douche: body odor/skunk spray
• Metamucil (unflavored): for constipation
• Mylanta Liquid: for digestive problems and/or gas
• Neosporin: to help prevent wound infection
• Pedialyte: counteracts dehydration
• Pepcid AC: to control vomiting
• Pepto-Bismol: for diarrhea, nausea, vomiting
• Phillips' Milk of Magnesia: for constipation
• Preparation H: soothes sore bottom
• Robitussin Pediatric Cough Formula: cough suppressant
• Solarcaine: topical anesthetic, helpful for sunburn
• Vicks VapoRub: for congestion
• Witch hazel: topical antiseptic

23 Helpful Household Items

In the best of all possible worlds, emergencies never happen or if they do, dog owners have a professional medical kit handy. These should be stocked with sterile gauze pads in different sizes, elastic Ace bandages, needle-less syringes and eye droppers for medication and even stretchers. You can buy commercial kits from pet supply stores and catalogues or put together your own, and it's very helpful to have a handy pet first aid how-to guide handy.

But all too often pet owners don't think about being prepared until after the first emergency. If you find yourself faced with a doggy health crises you may be surprised how many everyday items around the house or in your pantry can be helpful.

• Blanket/cookie sheet/ironing board: stretcher
• Bubble Wrap: stabilize leg fracture/injury
• Canned Pumpkin: for constipation or diarrhea
• Condoms: to cover injured/bleeding paw
• Dawn Dishwashing Soap: decontaminate fur
• Heat pad: for arthritis/aches
• Hose/sink spray: flushing wounds
• Hydrogen peroxide (3%): given orally to prompt vomiting
• Ice bag/frozen peas: topical pain control
• Karo syrup/honey: for shock
• KY Jelly: lubricant such as for eye out of socket
• Olive oil: to suffocate/kill ear mites
• Pliers: remove porcupine quills/foreign object in mouth
• Pantyhose/necktie: muzzle
• Mustache trimmer: clip fur around wounds
• Teabags, soaked and cooled: to treat hot spots
• Turkey baster: flush wounds, give liquid medicine
• Rectal thermometer
• Saran Wrap: seals wounds, holds bandage together without sticking to fur
• Sterile Saline Solution: flush wounds, eye injuries
• Squirt gun, squeeze bottle: give liquid medicine/flush wounds
• Yogurt: settle digestion, control gas

This information is from “The First Aid Companion for Dogs & Cats” by Amy D. Shojai, a certified animal behavior consultant and the award-winning author of 23 pet care books. The Companion Guide is over 400 pages of home first aide and supplies and sells for $21.95.