Being prepared for a disaster - have you thought about your pets?
Article donated by Dr. Paula Short, Tasman Bay Vets, Mapua
It is good to be back in the country after a couple of months tripping around overseas. I managed to time it well though, arriving back just in time for the wintry blast that swept over the country a few weeks ago, leaving large parts of the South Island blanketed in snow, housebound and without power.
Although our region luckily escaped most of the snow it has certainly made me think about how I would cope in similar circumstances. Indeed, even the advertisements on TV at the moment about preparing for a major disaster, are providing food for thought. While Saatchi or some other big advertising agency are obviously about to instruct us on how to look after ourselves should disaster hit, we also need to think about our pets.
The recommendation for people is that we have at least 3 days worth of bottled water and non perishable food available and this is probably a good rule of thumb to follow for your pets as well. The average dog or cat will drink up to 60-100ml of water per kg of body weight per day. So an average 5 kg cat might require 300-500ml per day and a 35 kg dog (Labrador size) may require 2-3.5 litres per day.
You should have a first aid kit sorted out for your family. Adding a few extra bandages for the family pet is a good idea. Also if your pet is on any medications, particularly those treating severe conditions such as seizures or heart disease, then make sure you have at least 1 weeks supply of medication at all times.
During the recent flooding in New Orleans many pets were separated from their owners, eventually ending up in animal rescue shelters. Without good identification it would be challenging to reunite all lost pets with their owners. A collar and ID tag are a good start, but can be lost, so microchipping is definitely a better option. And, if you need to evacuate you may be able to take your pet with you, so you will need a collar and leash for your dog and a cage for your cat or any other small pet.
For many people their pet is an important part of their family and so putting a little bit of extra thought into disaster planning now may save a lot of anguish at some point in the future.