When disaster strikes, the last thing you want to do is to scramble for your pet’s food, medications, or leash in a panic. Whether it’s a sudden trip to the emergency vet or a natural disaster, like hurricanes, tornadoes, fire, flooding or bad wind storms, forcing you to evacuate, being prepared can make all the difference. Assembling a pet emergency kit in advance will help you stay calm, act quickly, and keep your pet safe. Here’s a pet emergency kit checklist of what to include.
What Goes in a Pet Emergency Kit?
The purpose of a pet emergency kit is to help your pet survive a disaster or a medical emergency. It will contain essential items like food and water, comfort items like a blanket or toys, and a copy of their vet records.
What else should you include? Keep in mind that you’ll need to tailor your pet’s emergency kit according to their specific needs. For example, a small dog will need different items than a large dog or a cat, and pets with illnesses will need several days’ worth of medications.
Pet Emergency Kit Checklist
Food and water: You will want to include enough for at least 3 days. Bottled water and shelf-stable food in unopened packaging will store best.
Collapsible dishes: These dishes allow for easy storage. You should have one for food and one for water.
Extra leash, collar, or harness: You never know if or when your current set may break, so it is best to have a spare.
Blanket or towel: For drying them off or holding pressure on wounds in emergencies.
First aid supplies: Your pet’s first aid kit should at least include gauze, tape, gloves, forceps, and antiseptic wipes. It should be in a separate “kit” so you can grab it quickly if needed.
Medications with dosage instructions: Include enough for at least 3 days with instructions on administering them, just in case you are injured.
Waste bags or litter supplies: No matter the situation, you will want to be able to clean up after your pet.
Flashlight and batteries: This way, you can see in the dark if the power goes out.
Comfort items: Include anxiety aids and comfort items like favorite toys and blankets with your pet’s smell on them, so they have something familiar.
Copy of vet records and ID info: Include a photo of your pet, a copy of their vaccination records, their microchip ID information, and anything else that’s important for pet identification. You should also include a copy of your pet insurance policy, if you have one. It is also good to write your pet’s name and your contact information with permanent marker on the belly if you are anticipating a bad storm and you become separated. Tags can be lost during the confusion.
Place the emergency kit items in waterproof bags and containers just in case, and check it every couple of months to replace perishable items like food and water. You may also want to include written care instructions for boarding or backup caregivers.
What Do I Need to Bring to an Emergency Vet?
When an emergency does happen, it is important that you have everything you need when you head to the vet. Keep the following items in a separate container in your pet emergency kit so they are easily accessible in case of emergency:
Medical and vaccination records
A list of medications and allergies
Photo of your pet and microchip ID code
Leash, harness, or crate
A list of emergency contacts
Pet insurance information
Emergency Vet Services in Harker Heights, TX
Knowing what to include in a pet emergency kit will help you prepare for any situation. We advise building a separate kit for each pet in your home. If your pet ever has an emergency, we’re here to help. If you live in the Harker Heights area, contact Aztec Pet Hospital right away.
Images used under creative commons license – commercial use (05/22/2025) Photo by Treddy Chen on Unsplash