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K9 FIRST AID KIT

A good canine first aid kit is an absolute must.The following is a list of items that you might want to consider for your own first aid kit. Most can be found either in your neighborhood pharmacy or ordered from a number of different pet mail order catalogs.

A plastic fishing tackle box makes a great, portable kit. Don't buy it until you have assembled your contents so you don't end up with a box that is too small.

Consider keeping a second kit in your car.

Tape an index card inside the lid with telephone numbers and open hours of your regular veterinarian, emergency clinic and Poison Control Center. Keep an up-to-date list of your dog's medications.

Clearly LABEL all medications and supplies with their name and expiration date.

Go through your kit TWICE a year (at a minimum), replacing expired medications, replenishing used supplies, checking for broken or leaking containers etc. Replace as needed.

MISC

Telephone numbers (regular veterinarian, emergency clinic and Poison Control Center)

Latex gloves

Zip lock bags (for specimens)

Penlight or flashlight

Blanket (to carry and wrap an injured dog)

Rubbing alcohol (use only for sterilizing objects)

Book on canine first aid
Read & be familiar with your manual. An emergency is NOT the time to begin reading the book! A good manual is published by the American Red Cross -- "Pet First Aid for Cats & Dogs"

TOOLS

Muzzle

Rectal thermometer

Scissors - blunt tip

Tweezers

Cotton swab sticks

Cotton balls or roll cotton

Instant ice pack

Nail clippers

Eye dropper

Magazine - for quick splint

Wooden paint mixing stick - for quick splint

Elizabethan collar

Magnifying glass

Oral dose syringes (You don't need the needles. Make sure you understand the volume markings. The syringe lets you administer fluids in specific volumes by squirting between the dog's teeth near the back of mouth.)

DRESSINGS

Sterile gauze (roll and pads 2" & 4" - no stick variety)
(rolls also can be used for an emergency muzzle)

Adhesive tape - 1"

Vetrap 2" or 4" wide (by the 3M company. These are self adhering bandage rolls, they come in great colors and can be wrapped around a limb. It sticks to itself without adhesive tape. Does not stick to the dog's hair so it is easy to remove. Be careful not to apply it too tightly - it is elasticized and will not loosen up once applied.)

Skin glue

MEDICATIONS

Buffered aspirin (NOT Tylenol which is toxic to dogs)

Sterile saline solution or eye wash (for cleaning wounds or rinsing eyes)

Neosporin

Hydrocortisone creme

Betadine

Iodine (to disinfect minor wounds)

Benadryl (an antihistamine to help if your dog has an allergic reaction or insect bites/stings.)

KY jelly (to lubricate thermometer, also use to cover an open sore or wound. Don't use vaseline, it is not water soluble but KY Jelly is.)

Hydrogen peroxide - 1% solution (can also induce vomiting)

Pedialyte

Rescue Remedy

Quick Stop for nails

Kaopectate - for diarrhea

Milk of Magnesia - for antacid, laxative

HOUSEHOLD ITEMS HANDY FOR FIRST AID

Empty plastic bucket for holding warm water

Paper cups for washing wounds

Sanitary napkins for compress to control bleeding

Table leaf as an emergency stretcher

EPILEPSY K9 EMERGENCY KIT

Keep an emergency kit in your house as well as in your car.

A small tool box or shoe box makes a handy kit.

Tape an index card inside the lid with telephone numbers and open hours of your regular veterinarian and emergency clinic. Keep an up-to-date list of your dog's medications.

Keep your dog's seizure log book handy.

Clearly label all medications and supplies with their name.

It is advisable for a second person in the household to know what to do in case you are unavailable. If you use a pet-sitter, make certain they are thoroughly educated on your dog's normal as well as emergency care needs.

Details: Written by Donna

SICKBOSTON1 Dear Friends and readers, we have some exciting news to share with you. First you need some background. We hope you will take a little time to read this short article first.

PART ONE: BACKGROUND

Past experiences of volunteering as a group foster home helping with a 501(c)(3) nonprofit rescue organization lead us to want to help develop a strategy that would make a positive impact on the care of long-term fosters, first by identifying a problem and then to find a way we could as a network provide a solution.

We decided to focus on the area of dogs in long-term foster care.

These are dogs who are either not available for adoption and will be long-term fostered for their entire lifetime, or they are special needs, have chronic medical problems, or recovering from a trauma, and may take longer than normal to find a forever-home. In some cases the dogs may never be adoptable.

When newly rescued Boston Terriers first come into a rescue, they are placed in foster homes and receive complete medical care. They are then placed on the available lists for adoption. They usually do not have to wait long to find their forever home.

Why is a dog in long-term foster care?

But there are many rescued dogs that are not so lucky. They are placed into long-term foster care, and not put up for adoption. This can be due to age, medical issues, abuse or behavioral problems. Many are in this category on a permanent basis.

How does this affect the rescue organization?

The more dogs that get adopted and the faster safe loving homes are found, the more dogs can be rescued from horrible fates. We all understand that while in foster care, certain basic needs must be met by the rescue organization. And these organizations do this day in day out year after year…. And this takes many volunteers and a lot of money.

What is not generally recognized is long-term fosters are usually very expensive. They fill up slots in loving homes. Rescues have limited funding resources and foster homes. This makes for a very stressful situation. Not enough foster homes and not enough money…

What would you do in this case?

Example: Your organization can only safely foster 20 dogs. Yet there are 30 dogs that need your care? Not counting the numerous calls requesting you take in dogs from other overflowing rescues.

What do you do? Provide basic needed medical care to get a wonderful dog adopted and help it find its new home and not to bring in owner surrendered or dogs in kill shelters because there is not enough space for new dogs?
Your rescue just cannot take in another dog that needs extensive medical care until you find the money to ensure that everything possible is done for the dog.

How do you decide ?

Do you use your limited funds to help five new dogs basic required vaccinations and medical needs like deworming so that they are ready to adopt, so that they are ready to adopt? OR do you help one dog who needs an eye operation that will save the eye but may never find a forever home…. Talk about stressful… These are the kind of decisions that someone has to make at every rescue day in and day out..

Yes there are friends that donate money; yes the vets give you huge discounts. Unfortunately, that is not enough and the rescues usually end up borrowing money or their supporters keep digging into their own pockets to scrap up just a little more and squeeze in one more dog . You know that this cannot keep on occurring. Volunteers burn out and quit, overwhelmed and heartbroken.

And then there is the awful guilt and stress when a rescue just has to say NO MORE DOGS! because the vets can’t give any more discounts, the rescue owes the vets much already, and the volunteers are having problems with too many dogs in their homes…

These are the actualities that every rescue has to deal with; too many dogs, not enough funds and not enough fosters…. And a public that doesn’t understand what is happening to our beloved rescue volunteers.

So BOSTON TERRIER NETWORK wants to help and we have an idea we want to tell you about in our next article.... We hope you will be as excited as we are.....

Details: Written by Donna

bostonhistory2

It is time to introduce you to the additional vision we have for this BOSTON TERRIER NETWORK (BTN). We hope that not only will you enjoy BOSTON TERRIER NETWORK for the quality of the articles and topics on the NewsFeed your friends write,and the photos shared. We continue to be interested in articles and stories on topics and personal experiences.

BUT THERE IS MORE……

We want to do something else with the Network, which may surprise you.

1. Boston Terrier Network (BTN)is now a 501(c)(3)non profit.

2. We have opened our Secret Children's club on Facebook, for our friends and readers with young children who want to share their pets, stories and art work.

3. Our Squishy-face sponsor program to help fosters in long-term care is now in progress.

4. Our series on dogs with special talents including everything from the paranormal to agility demonstration Bulldogs, Boston therapy and Service dogs, with more to come on these amazing dogs.
5. The long promised BTN Shop, is in its final stage to open. Using the BTN SHOP; along with other funds we will use these funds to establish our Medical Fund Program.

6. Next we will establish a special “Helping a Boston” Medical Fund Program. The purpose is to provide yearly medical grants to a board-selected, rescued, adopted Boston Terrier, whose owner cannot provide all of the funding needed to support specific medical treatment. The funds would go direct to the vet not to the owner. We feel this is an area (BTN) can make a major impact in the lives of Boston Terriers and their owners. Fulfilling the implied promise “a rescued a Boston” Terrier remains part of the Rescue community even when adopted.
7. When and if we get the opportunity we hope to develop another special group of individuals: As we grow we will be adding several other major projects, one of which will be to develop our own lists of approved independent individuals willing to be certified through BTN to, on occasion, help with transportation, home visits, fostering short term (overnight emergency of Bostons in transport). Once developed we see this program ideal for those who do not or cannot stay committed to a rescue, but might on special occasions volunteer to assist a known rescue group.

8. Finally when we are ready, our pinnacle of achievements, one of our founding goals:
We see in our future is a goal that is very dear to both of BTN’s founders. Identifying rescued Boston Terriers that would make exemplary companion dogs, for first responders and military veterans. We would aim to not only identify these special dogs, but also providing full vetting, fostering, and training on a one at a time, one on one basis. Working with appropriate pre-existing support groups, this will be a very expensive project, but the rewards will be so great for all that help us with this… Along the way we might even be able to find Bostons suited for Therapy and paws crossed, a Service Dog or two.

There you have it our 5 year goals. This is where we are headed one step at a time. WE would love to have you join us… We need your love, passion, time, skills. Will you join us in our Adventure?

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