Emergency Preparedness: Emergency Prepping Supplies for Dogs
by Lynn Stacy-Smith
June kicks off Pet Preparedness Month, a month dedicated to helping pet owners make sure that they have a plan of action for all of the types of emergency situations that could arise and how to include pets and other animals in those plans. Of course I kicked this blog series off with a look at the fictional world of The Walking Dead, but although that scenario is more than unlikely, a show like that makes you think about how you would act if you had to either hunker down in your home without the day-to-day services of everyday civilization or evacuate and leave your house in a hurry.
In the most recent blog we covered what to include in your dog first aid kit, so let’s take at dog related supplies that you should consider in order to be self-reliant in your home for a long period of time or on the road and away from your home. I suggest creating your kit in a water tight bin like a Rubbermaid container that you can easily load into your car should you need to evacuate.
Food: I like to keep two extra bags of food on hand in addition to the one that I am currently using. With large dogs like Labrador Retrievers, I purchase 23 pound bags of food. I feed Canine Caviar, which is in a bag designed specifically to keep the food fresh, so I keep the food in the bag and then put the bag itself inside a plastic bin on wh
Water: Dogs can pick up germs from contaminated water just like humans, so plan on one gallon of water per dog per day. You can purchase gallons from the grocery store and use them for daily use before the expiration date and then replace them, or purchase emergency water options that have a thirty or fifty year shelf life, like these options from Amazon: Blue Can Premium Emergency Drinking Water or Mainstay Emergency Drinking Water.
Harness and extra leash: I cannot stress it enough that I prefer a harness for emergencies and just everyday use over a regular collar. I have had multiple dogs slip backwards out of a correctly sized collar, including my Babe when I foolishly took her to a parade right as the marching band was starting, and Tinkerbell when she was a young puppy. Extra leashes are inexpensive and easy to store.
First Aid Kit for Dogs: If you do not have one already, check out my post about putting together a first aid kit specifically for your dog or adding dog specific items to your human first aid kit.
Crate: Even if your dog is not crated at home, I recommend having a crate of some sort for an emergency situation. If you used a plastic travel crate in your bedroom for puppy rearing, you can stash it aside for emergencies if your dog is no longer using it. If you are going to an emergency shelter, you may be required to keep your dog crated while at the shelter. If you are evacuating to a hotel or friend’s home it might be a handy “just in case” option. If it turns out you don’t need it, you can stash your supplies in it.
Plastic travel crate: A hard plastic travel crate is my personal preference for emergencies. If you transport your dog in your car using a harness and canine seat belt, you can easily take the crate apart and then store supplies in it or leave it together and stash supplies in it if you are evacuating somewhere so that the space is not wasted. You may need or want the crate when you get to your destination to keep your dog contained and safe and you can put your supplies in the crate, roll it along on a hand truck or dolly and walk your dog next to you, which I found to be a handy method of transporting his crate and all of our things when Jackson was competing in conformation shows. In an emergency where you had to walk instead of drive, you could also move an injured or exhausted dog in it by rolling it on a dolly or folding hand truck.
Wire crate: While this is the type of crate I prefer for everyday use when the dogs are home alone, this would not be my first choice for emergencies because they just don’t seem as durable as the very hard plastic airline approved options. Most do fold completely flat, so depending on your vehicle this might be your best option. These crates also have better airflow and visibility for your dog to see what is going on around him versus the plastic options that are more den-like.
Treats: If your dog is food motivated like mine, you are going to want extra dog training treats in your emergency supplies. Make sure they are your normal brand and variety so that you are not introducing new foods into your dog’s diet at a time of stress. I know you might think I am nuts, that you’re going to train your dog in the middle of a hurricane or while you’re waiting out a tornado watch in your basement, but whether you are reviewing existing knowledge or training them to do a new trick, working on something like this is a great way to get your dog’s mind off of the strange noises and smells, even if it’s as simple as sit-down-sit or to make eye contact with you when you say their name.
Toys and antlers: These are the dog version of the coloring book, fidget spinner or iPod. Toss a moose antler and some durable US made dog toys like those from West Paw Design or Planet Dog into your emergency box. If you are evacuated for several days in an unfamiliar place, your dog may be elated to have something to chew on or play with even if it’s an indoor game of hotel room fetch.
Indoor potty grass or piddle pads: During house-training I am a firm believer in showing your dog that potty activities all occur outdoors and as a result, I have never used either of these products. However, I have also never lived in a high-rise or in a neighborhood that would make night-time potty breaks undesirable.
If you anticipate not being able to go outside for more than your dog’s usual bladder and bowel time limits, you could consider purchasing something like this as a “just in case” option. If you’ve taught your dog “good dog, go potty” you can try to use that during your time inside to show them that these are an ok indoor alternative. Personally, this would be an absolute last resort for extreme situations like if you were stranded indoors due to flooding, civil unrest, a curfew or military/police instructions, or basically something as bad as a zombie apocalypse, because otherwise I would not encourage a house trained dog to go potty inside. I wouldn’t get upset with them if it happened, but I wouldn’t encourage it.
Dog Poop Bags: Unless it really is a zombie apocalypse, toss a few extra rolls of dog poop bags in your emergency supplies. Dog poop carries germs, something that you want to minimize in emergency situations when stress, lack of food and nutrition and other factors can reduce a human’s or a dog’s immune system.
Extra bowls: If you need to get out-of-town, make sure you have an extra water bowl and food bowl for your dog in your emergency supplies so that you don’t have to stop to grab their regular bowls.
Information about your pet: Print or photocopy your essential veterinary information, microchip number and health information in case someone else would need to take care of your pet. I recommend including a copy of the dog care binder that I have at the house for pet sitters. Also include a printed photo of your pet and put all of these items in a large Ziploc bag. Although the last thing you want to happen is to be separated from your pet, these are items that would be critical if you were.
Evacuation information: As much as we rely on our phones for information, in an emergency you might not have access to WiFi or cellular towers. Print out information on pet friendly hotels, shelters that allow pets, maps, and phone numbers and address of friends and family and put in a separate Ziploc baggie from your dog care information.
Medications and heartworm pills: Keep your pet’s daily medications and heartworm pills in a place where you can grab them easily or set aside one or two heart worm pills and a week or two supply of your pet’s essential medications. Just make sure you rotate them out and replace with new medicines so that they do not expire. You do not want them to go to waste if you never need to use your dog emergency kit.
Blanket or kennel pad: This gives your dog a spot to go to, a comfortable place to rest, and something that smells of home.
Dog life-preserver: 
Protective booties: Yes, your dog will forgive you for putting boots on her. All joking aside, though, include a set of protective dog boots in your emergency supplies for each dog to prevent burns and cuts if you have to walk over hot, bitterly cold, or rough surfaces or areas with substantial debris. You can practice putting these on in your home or yard from time to time and taking a walk around the block so that they are not completely foreign to your dog.
Winter coat: With big sturdy Labradors, I have only put coats on them a handful of times when the temperatures went down to thirty degrees below zero and even then they were in and out in record time to prevent frozen paws. Depending on the heartiness of your dog, a coat may be a regular part of winter. Either way, I suggest including this item in your emergency kit.
Safety vest: Brightly colored vests can offer visibility in the woods to make sure your dog is not mistaken for a deer, provide protection from insects and ticks, help keep grasses and thorns from penetrating their body, and are generally helpful in outdoor and emergency situations.
In a perfect world we would never need to use such an emergency kit, but that is the nature of planning for emergencies. Just like carrying insurance, we hope to never need it, but it is there if we do.
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