Pet First Aid Can Help Save Your Pet's Life

ByShaun Petntek Lawrence

Pet first aid can help save your dog, cat, puppy or kitten. As with some things, you may not think you need it, until you're actually without it. It can be a very traumatic event to find your pet choking on some food, your cat overheated on a hot summer day, or a newborn puppy having a seizure. Sometimes these events take place away from the home like when taking your dog for a walk or when you're in the airport with your cat.

A few important things you can have in your pet first aid kit are:

• Muzzle - even the best behaved dogs can bite out of fear and stress
• Scissors - used to cut any foreign object that may be lodged in the fur
• Tweezers - people are not the only ones prone to the occasional splinter
• Gloves - used to protect yourself from both receiving or transmitting germs
• Towels - multiple uses
• Medical tape and gauge - in case you need to bandage a wound or cut

One of the most important parts of your pet first aid kit is the contact number of your veterinarian. You should also have the contact number of an emergency veterinarian as well as an after-hours contact number for your veterinarian.

You should also be prepared for any natural disasters that may happen. This can include disasters such as flood, fire, earthquake, tornado or even a tsunami. Things you can do to prepare is make sure you have a pre-determined plan in place, communicate and cooperate with emergency personnel and have a disaster recovery plan in place. Another good idea is to make sure your pet has a collar tag that will help identify them if they become lost.

It is also important to pack a simplified pet first aid kit when you travel with your pet. A key item of this would be medication to help with stress and diarrhea. Traveling can be hard on your pet which can lead to stress and diarrhea. Make sure you also have your veterinarian contact information in a safe place in case you need to contact them. You can also call the national animal poison control hot-line at 888-426-4235 if you can't contact your veterinarian.

The items above can be put to even better use if you have participated in a pet first aid course. These courses typically will prepare you for how to handle an emergency with your pet. Your local red cross will be able to assist you in finding a pet first aid course.

With the ever increasing popularity of smart phones, there are even pet first aid apps now that you can download right to your iPhone or Android. These pet apps very in design and style, but they all offer vital information on what to do when your pet is in need of some medical help. Of course, these apps are to be used as a tool and you should contact your veterinarian immediately.

If you are interested in learning more about pet first aid apps, please check out Petnek at http://petntek.com/2012/01/10/pet-first-aid/ the leading social media news site for pet related apps, gadgets, innovations and technology.

Custom Ceramic Pet Urns - Ideas to Celebrate Your Pet's Life

When your beloved family pet passes away, the grief that you feel will likely be just as powerful as you feel when you lose any of your human friends. After all, your pets are furry friends. They stick with you through thick and thin. They're always there for you when you need someone to cuddle and they'll never judge you when you make a mistake. It makes complete sense, then, that you would want to have a memorial to them after their death and ceramic pet urns are a great way to honor your pet after they die. There are many ways to incorporate their urn into a bigger memorial and here are a couple of suggestions for pet memorials.

Pet Garden
If you had an outdoor pet, you'll understand the value of planting a memorial garden for your beloved family friend. Pick durable, hearty plants that would withstand your pet's "love" and then you can have a memorial stone created for the garden. The beautiful thing about ceramic pet urns is that they are biodegradable, so you can either fully bury the urn or set it in the garden to break down naturally. The ceramics won't add any harmful chemicals to the soil and your pet will be returned to the earth in their very own garden.

Plant a Tree
Along the lines of a garden, you can also plant a tree in your pet's honor. The shade that the tree will provide for future pets will be a reminder to you of the companionship that your old pet offered you and now they are watching over your new pets. Again, the ceramic pet urn will biodegrade into the soil and leave no trace.

Memory Shadow Box
To create a complete indoor memorial for your pet, you can get a large shadow box and fill it with all of their favorite things. Perhaps a piece of their favorite blanket or their most cherished toy. You can put their favorite treat in there as well. Arrange the items in a neat fashion and then place your ceramic pet urn in the center and close the box. Everything will be well-preserved and displayed in a unique fashion.

Donation to a Pet Charity
Animal hospitals and shelters are always in need of donations in order to provide care and a home to animals that have not found their new owner. A donation made to one of these charities on behalf of your pet t is a great way to honor their memory. If you can, get a certificate for the donation, frame it and set it next to your ceramic pet urn on a shelf.

Melody Jamali is the Founder and President of ( Une Belle Vie ), a Colorado company dedicated to bringing choice of cremation to public light. Their company offers the widest selection in decorative urns for cremation and includes a wide collection of resources designed to help families and friends in their time of need. From tool for the grieving to informative articles about planning, support and other uplifting thoughts, Une Belle Vie is a company dedicated to helping your celebrate the life of the one you love - on your terms.