Dog first aid kit: what to keep at home and in the car

This guide is general information only. First aid doesn't replace veterinary care. In an emergency, ring your vet (or your out-of-hours vet) straight away.

Out-of-hours emergencies in Liverpool: Medivet 24 Hour Alder, 410 Eaton Road, West Derby, L12 3HG, says it is open 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. Call 0151 220 4668 (Medivet, checked 18 Oct 2026). Vets Now Liverpool, based in the PDSA Pet Hospital on Woolfall Heath Avenue, Huyton, L36 3YD, opens from 6pm on weeknights, from noon on Saturdays, and all day on Sundays and bank holidays. Call 0151 271 5727 (Vets Now, checked 18 Oct 2026). Always ring before you set off, and ask your own vet which service covers their out-of-hours calls.

A first aid kit means you can deal with small injuries quickly, and keep your dog comfortable on the way to the vet. Here's what PDSA and Blue Cross say to pack. Their lists are a little different, so we've shown both.

PDSA says every dog owner should have a first aid kit at home. If you travel with your dog, keep a smaller kit in the car or your bag too (PDSA). Even after first aid, take your dog to the vet for a check-up as soon as you can (PDSA; PDSA first aid guide).

The home kit: PDSA's list

PDSA's first aid page lists (PDSA):

• bandages
• blunt-ended scissors
• wound wash
• cotton wool
• tweezers
• tick tweezers
• wound dressings
• self-adhesive tape
• vinyl gloves
• a foil blanket
• antiseptic wipes
• a blanket to use as a stretcher

PDSA's printable first aid guide adds sterile eye wash, a thick old towel, microporous tape, a spare lead, a muzzle and a copy of the first aid guide. It specifies pet-safe antiseptic wipes and pet-safe wound wash (PDSA first aid guide).

Blue Cross's list

Blue Cross suggests (Blue Cross):

• non-adhesive absorbent dressings (5cm x 5cm) and conforming or open-weave bandages (2.5cm wide) to cover open wounds
• sterile water, such as wound or eye wash, and cotton pads to clean cuts
• a box of sterile absorbent gauze
• blunt-ended scissors, ideally curved
• a thick towel
• an Elizabethan collar (cone)
• a pen and paper
• your vet's details, written on paper as well as saved in your phone

Tick remover

Both PDSA lists include a tick remover (PDSA; PDSA first aid guide). Blue Cross recommends taking a tick remover when you're away with your dog (Blue Cross). Tick twisters often come in packs of two or three sizes, so you can choose one that fits the tick (PDSA). Our cuts, bites and ticks guide explains how to use one.

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Notes on using the kit

• Antiseptics: PDSA lists antiseptic wipes, but its wound advice says not to clean a wound with anything except salt water unless your vet agrees, as even veterinary antiseptics can slow healing (PDSA). Vets Now says plain tap water is enough, and never to use hydrogen peroxide, alcohol, TCP or Dettol (Vets Now).
• Cotton wool: good for padding, but don't put it straight onto a bleeding wound, because it falls apart and leaves fibres behind (Vets Now).
• Bandages: never put them on tightly. PDSA says you should be able to fit at least two fingers comfortably underneath (PDSA first aid guide).
• Muzzle: useful if an injured dog might bite, but never use one on a dog who is struggling to breathe (Vets Now; PDSA).
• Cone: an Elizabethan collar stops a dog licking a wound or rubbing a sore eye (Blue Cross).
• Towel or blanket: a big one doubles as a stretcher for a large dog (PDSA first aid guide; Vets Now).
• No human medicines. Don't give your dog human medicines. Human medicines, including painkillers, can be highly toxic to dogs (Blue Cross). Only give medicines your vet has prescribed (PDSA).

The car and travel kit

PDSA suggests a smaller kit for the car or your bag (PDSA). When you're travelling, it says to take a mini first aid kit and find out the details of a local vet in case of emergencies (PDSA first aid guide). Blue Cross's advice for trips away adds:

• any medication your dog needs (Blue Cross)
• a tick remover, and a daily tick check, especially after walks (Blue Cross)
• the contact details of vets in the area you're visiting (Blue Cross)

In hot weather, PDSA suggests a cooling mat and drinking water if a car journey can't be avoided (PDSA). In cold weather, take a towel on walks so you can dry your dog off (PDSA).

Keep these details with your kit

• your vet's name, address and phone number, saved in your phone and kept somewhere safe at home (PDSA first aid guide; Blue Cross)
• your vet's out-of-hours number (PDSA; Vets Now)
• your insurance details, and your dog's medical history and current medication (Vets Now)
• Animal PoisonLine: 01202 509 000. It's open 24 hours a day and charges for each call, currently £35 from 8am to 8pm on weekdays and £45 at other times (Animal PoisonLine)

Find a vet in Liverpool

It's worth saving your own vet's number, and their out-of-hours number, in your phone before you ever need them (PDSA). Our Liverpool vets directory lists practices across the city.

In an emergency: Liverpool's two out-of-hours emergency vets, Medivet 24 Hour Alder (0151 220 4668) and Vets Now Liverpool (0151 271 5727), are listed with their addresses and opening times in the box at the top of this page (checked 18 Oct 2026).

More in our dog first aid series:

• Dog first aid: the basics
• Poisoning: what to do
• Heatstroke and cold
• Cuts, bites, wounds and ticks
• Stings, burns and eye injuries
• Choking, seizures and collapse

See all our dog health and first aid guides

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