doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com First Aid Kit

For removing cholla (choy'-ya) cactus tines from my dog, I've found that a small set of needlenose plier work well. You just can't pull many of them out by hand. Cholla is the nastiest cactus I've encountered. The tines are about 1 1/2"-2" long and are microscopically barbed. I've decided I won't hunt in the stuff with or without my dog. I've ridden horses thru forests of the stuff and pulled out literally thousands of the tines from dozens of horses. My lab took a half hour to remove the tines from one encounter. No more.

The term "cone of shame" comes from that computer-animated movie "Up", where the inventor makes the collar box that translates dog language into human. One of the dogs winds up wearing a cone for some reason and all the other dogs are then heard snickering at and making fun of him having to wear the "Cone of Shame".

I hadn't seen the movie when, walking my dog during recovery from something or other that necessitated the cone, a toddler out with his mom said "Mommy, that dog's wearing the cone of shame!" The kid's mom explained it to me.

Moving on to ChuckH's post on avoiding cholla cactus, that might state the core principle of any first aid kit - insofar as possible avoid the places and situations that would require actual medical/first aid treatment.

Thanks. Very helpful information.

One note. My vet says only use buffered asprin as unbuffered is very hard on the dog.

I'd agree with others above about having a muzzle in there. The nicest pet can snap when hurt badly. I watched two instances that started out trying to help a dog in distress and ended with the dog being ignored and all the attention focused on the human bite victim. One was a bite high on the cheek just under someones eye that needed a bunch of stitches and the other a piece of someones ear was loped off. Both times the people were leaning over hurt dogs to pick them up.

Regarding a dog sling, I think my bird vest will work well for the task. Anyone try it?

One of my setters had trouble with exertional hypoglycemia; he'd run until he would collapse. I carried a couple of peanut butter granola bars and would give him 1/3 every 20-30 minutes. He was smart enough (always a dog training problem for me when they are smarter than me) that he'd come in and look at my vest pocket if he needed a boost. I also carried a Glucose Gel tube and used it a couple of times.

Pointing the wiley winged Missouri squirrel, much to the enjoyment of the hunting party

That's not half as embarrassing as my first Brittany that would catch and retrieve carp from the shallow streams where we hunted in Nebraska along the sandy bottom land in the Platte river valley.

Moving on to ChuckH's post on avoiding cholla cactus, that might state the core principle of any first aid kit - insofar as possible avoid the places and situations that would require actual medical/first aid treatment. [/quote]

That would be a difficult advice to follow. I would have to avoid a large percentage of the places I hunt. I think rather than avoid plan for an encounter and how to fix that whether it is from your first aid box or something the dog is already prepared for i.e. skid plate, neoprene vest, doggy boots, carry a water tray, etc.

I should have emphasized the "insofar as possible". If you don't have to go through the cholla (or whatever), don't.

Chuck,
Great topic. My understanding is that Benedryl is useful for venonomous snakebites to prevent suffocation due to the airway closing because of swelling and to buy time on the way to a vet for antivenom treatment if necessary.
Is there a topical ointment that tastes awful to dogs? I put some on my Britt today on a small abdominal wound and it might as well have been peanut butter the way she licked it off. I considered the "Cone of Shame" but she hates my guts for days when I put it on her.
Dave, It's my understanding that snakebite suction kits are no longer recommended for humans or animals.
Gil