Every pet owner, be it a reptile or mammal, should create and maintain a first-aid kit to deal with emergencies. Because of their unusual nature and captive environments, creating a first-aid kit may call for a little imagination and creativity. Once a first-aid kit has been created it is just as important to maintain your first-aid kit by assuring that any ointments or other drugs are kept within date. It also means having to increase or improve your first-aid kit with the addition of any new or different species to your collection, taking into account the size and species of each reptile.
It is very important to note and understand that a FIRST-AID kit is just that. It is intended to be used to provide immediate temporary treatment for injuries and illnesses and is not intended to replace proper diagnosis and treatment by a qualified reptile veterinarian.
The first step in setting up a first-aid kit is to select a container to house the kit itself. The container that works best is a hard plastic toolbox with a lid that allows the box to be LOCKED. It is important to remember that this box will contain some drugs and chemicals that you will want to keep out of the reach of children. The box should be clearly labeled for animal use only and have the words: KEEP OUT OF CHILD'S REACH, written in clear view. The box should contain have several compartments that will allow you to organize the contents for fast and easy access.
After you have selected the container for the kit, the next step is to place the contents into the box. The contents should consist of several different roles of medical and veterinary tapes of various sizes and materials. The kit should at a minimum contain at least one role of vet-wrap, one role of paper tape and one role of non-porous one inch white medical tape. These may all be obtained from your local drug store with the exception of the vet-wrap, which may be obtained from a veterinarian or a large animal co-op. Other bandaging material that should be included in the kit are square gauze pads, role gauze, finger cots and non-lubricated latex condoms, as stated earlier you will have to be creative in your first-aid treatment. The rubber finger cots and condoms may be used on snakes and the tails of lizards as a bandage by cutting off the end and rolling them over the wound. Most snakes will crawl out of a typical bandage and some tapes may cause damage to the scales when removed. A finger cot or condom will allow you to bandage a wound in a manner that will prevent a snake from crawling out of it or without damaging the scales.
As far as drugs are concerned the kit should contain a triple antibiotic ointment and either chlorhexadine scrub or betadine. The betadine may also be purchased in pre-packaged envelopes with either a gauze pad or a cotton tip applicator. It should also contain several plain cotton tipped applicators or q-tips. A bottle of alcohol and a bottle of vinegar should also be included. The alcohol may be used to clean closed wounds prior to treatment and the vinegar may be used to as a swab in the mouth to help change the acidity of the oral cavity when an oral infection may be involved.
The final additions in the kit are a rubber tipped cooking spatula to be used as a safe speculum for opening the mouth and a bottle of a liquid bandage. The liquid bandage may be used on small minor wounds in place of a large and bulky bandage. The last item to be added is a bottle of some type of blood clotting powder designed for use in pets. This product is for use only on claws that are clipped too close and begin to bleed. It should NEVER be used on an open wound. Once these items have all been added to the kit a diagram of the contents and their placement in the container should be placed inside the lid to allow for easy access at a glance.
