I want to hear everyone's recommendation on what needs to be included in a glider first aid kit

I don't know about what needs to be in an emergency kit - but this is what I have in my kit.

Glider Emergency Kit
* Saucer/snap e-collar – for use with heavier gliders and non-cloacal/tail SM.
* Shot glass e-collar - for use with normal sized gliders and/or cloacal/tail SM.
* Large straws – to cover tail in case of injury/SM.
* 0.9 Sterile Saline – for flushing wounds. This is different than Saline flushes you get from the vet, it is only to be used topically.
* Alcohol wipes – for wound/hand cleaning.
* Baby wipes, fragrance/alcohol free – for fur/hand cleaning.
* Neosporin – for topical use on non-emergency, small wounds.
* Cotton swabs – wound care, applying topical medications.
* Sterile gauze pads – wound cover/wound care.
* Small waterproof adhesive tape – to secure e-collar, and/or secure a splint.
* 1 inch self stick wrap – for use in bandaging/covering wounds, use with splint or protecting an injured tail.
* Styptic powder or stick – to stop minor bleeding caused by toe nails trimmed too short.
* KY jelly – to keep male genitalia moist if not retracting.
* Side edge cut clippers – nail trimming.
* Small scissors – to clip loose threads or free little feet/nails in an emergency.
* 1cc sterile slip tip syringes – for use with oral medications and/or force feeding.
* 5cc sterile slip tip syringes – for oral use or sub-cutaneous fluids.
* 12cc sterile screw on syringes – for oral use or sub-cutaneous fluids.
* #5 French Catheter – for use when force feeding if you cannot get the glider to open his/her mouth. Used with an oral/slip tip syringe.
* Chicken baby food – can be used to force feed or as emergency/evacuation needs.
* Mixed Veggies baby food – can be used to force feed or as emergency/evacuation needs.
* Baby apple juice – can be used for minor dehydration (pushing fluids) or emergency/evacuation needs.
* Pedialyte – can be used for minor dehydration (pushing fluids) or emergency/evacuation needs.
* Bottle of water – for emergency/evacuation needs.
* Hand Warmer – in case of emergency travel in cold weather or to help warm a sick glider (always use a towel or fleece between the glider and hot pack).
* Instant heat pack – in case of emergency travel in cold weather or to help warm a sick glider (always use a towel or fleece between the glider and hot pack).
* Instant ice pack – in case of emergency travel in hot weather (always use a towel or fleece between the glider and the cold pack).
* Large fleece blankets – for handling gliders in an emergency or to burrito a glider in case of SM/feeding medications/force feeding.
* Plastic bowls – for isolation/separation or evacuation needs.
* Bird feeder dispensers – for feeding/watering a glider in an e-collar.
* Foaming hand sanitizer – for hand cleaning. NOT to be used on glider.
* Hospital/Isolation cage
* Human heating pad with thermostat - for use with heating hospital cage.
* Tweezers
* Tissues
* Cotton pads
* bonding pouches with windows (one for each cage)
* Lactacted Ringers Solution - subcutaneous fluids. You can ONLY get this from a vet and must be trained on how to properly administer sub-Q fluids to a small animal. Sub-Q fluids are ONLY temporary supportive care until such time as you can get your glider to a vet (ASAP).
* Needles to administer sub-Q fluids. You MUST speak with your veterinarian to determine the proper gauge of needle to use and how to properly administer sub-Q fluids. Sub-Q fluids are ONLY temporary supportive care until such time as you can get your glider to a vet (ASAP).
* Emergency contact information (vet, Emergency vet, Animal Poison Control, Secondary Contact for glider care)
* List of perishables and expiration dates. Check frequently and replace items as needed.
* Veterinary records, any other health records and weight charts.

Thanks Gretchen! thats swell!

Whew! I'm not sure there's anthing left to add, except I threw in mine a travel pack of Clorox wipes that can be found in the travel product aisle in Walmart....good job Gretchen!

Preperation H (hemmoroid ointment) to put on a males penis when it won't retract. It helps bring down swelling. (Only use if glider is in an ecollar)

Oragel for pain relief (ONLY use if glider is in an ecollar)


Also a must have for me is Vetericyn VF for wound care.

I also added to my first aid kit:

*copy of permit (if needed in your state)
*fleece strips
*small (mini) and large Popsicle sticks
*A typed list of "Never do this" procedures (ie: clipping teeth, sewing cloaca shut)
*made 3 copies of vet consultation numbers and numbers of people on GC to call One copy stays in house, 2 copies in kit (one stays there, the other can be left with vet)
*copy of the blood work found here http://www.merckvetmanual.com/mvm/htm/bc/texl17.htm
*a list of "what to grab" in an emergency evacuation.
*small bottles for fecal and urine samples
*distraction toys (for my family that would be plastic chew rings and feathers)
*In large friendly letters on the top of the box a note that says "read this first! Stay calm. Do not panic"
*A sugar glider prayer that Liezl sent me


The "what to grab" and "never do" lists and prayer may sound silly. But in a rushed/panicky/stressful situation, things like this will give you a focus point and help you to remember things you need.

Glad you got the glider prayer

Quick question....what are the popsicle sticks for?

My best guess....a makeshift splint.

correct. I found tiny ones at the craft store. perfect size for legs.

Ok, gotcha.

If one cannot find saline wound wash, can you mix up your own? And what would be the percentage of salt to water?

JillMarie, I think it would be possible to mix, the problem comes in with keeping it sterile. Have you tried Walmart and Walgreens for Blairex wound wash? It's usually toward the bottom shelf.

Here's an online supplier for a different brand http://www.quickmedical.com/emergency_medical_supplies/bio-med-wash.html

I have individual sterile wrapped saline wash syringes on my site only $1 each.
http://www.kryskritters.com/Kits.html

The wound wash is sterile, that's one reason it can be so useful - you aren't adding any new buggies to a wound. You can also get sterile saline from your vet (IV bag) and use it as wound wash if needed.

The only saline wash I could find was a spray or foam.

So I wondered if in an emergency, could yoou boil water, add salt, let it cool, and use it. If so, how much salt to water?

thanks, will be looking at it!

I've got a question; how do you keep everything in date? Stuff like Prep H is kinda expensive just to be buying and pitching. I've had people tell me with canned food in ppl emergency kits to swap out sometimes as you buy new, but I don't eat much (really any) canned food. Even with my own antibiotic cream and rubbing alcohol I usually find that its expired on me when I get cut and need to find it. I have tried okay once a year I'll swap everything out, but nothing wants to expire at the same time either lol pouches and bandages don't go bad, but the hand sanitizers and KY, etc. do.

I found that if you get the single use items it is a lot cheaper and so don't waste as much. I see single use items on my site here.

http://sugarglidertoys.webs.com/firstaidkitsupplies.htm

You'd have to do research for each individual item, but I'm going to use Preparation H for example here.
Creams such as Prep. H will break down and separate as they age. They'll begin to look runny, excessively granular or even start to look separated. So if you pull out some Prep. H and it says it expired last month but looks just like it did when you bought it, it's still ok.

Like I said, you'd have to research each individual item.

Also, buy travel sizes where possible, and smaller options where travel sizes aren't possible.

Thanks.

If my bread was best by two days ago and it isn't moldy I don't give it a second thought. If my antibiotic is expired, well, there is no way I can know about it being effective by looking at it. I will check out the small/single sizes and see if I can get a better setup going. Thanks!

If I recall from nursing school properly, medications (OTC and/or prescription) are good for an additional 6 months after the noted expiration date. The teaching physician said 1 year, but it was cutting it, and 6 months was a better time to stick with.

I want to thank everyone that contributed to this thread.

NOW, I have another question. A fully stocked first aid kit can be a pretty big case. What about a small kit for "running around town"?

Lets say you are going to be traveling around town, shopping, visiting, that sort of thing. You may not want to keep throwing that huge first aid kit in the car. So what would you include in a downsized travel type kit?

They make such kits for humans, and I wondered what you would consider the bare necessities for a travel sized one for gliders.

Ideas?

Nikki makes an "on the go" kit:

http://sugarglidertoys.webs.com/glideronthegokits.htm

Why would a splint be necessary?
Although I did use a splint with Munch when he had a broken leg, I found out through discussions with other experienced owners (and rescuers) that splints aren't necessary with breaks, and that there has been no evidence that they help breaks heal with gliders. I passed this info on to my vet, and she just recently treated another break (not one of my gliders) without a splint -- treatment was successful.


Just trying to figure out if there is anything else that would require the use of a splint. Honestly, I think that an inexperienced owner (or even an experienced owner with lack of medical knowledge) could really injure a glider by trying to put a splint on them.

Jess, Thanks for the link, thats the kind of thing I was thinking of doing too (sheepish grin) Its a great idea!

As for the splint, was just thinking of those times when a glider may need to be immobilized until it sees a vet. Could be anything. Always be prepared. better to have it and never need it, then one day something freaky happens and you need it and dont have it. Like keeping a change of clothes in the car.

My first aid kit is also stocked for ANY animal emergency.

I think I would have the same worry as Sara. If a glider suffers a break and a glider owner tries to splint it, with how wiggly gliders can be and how much they'd fight the process, I would think that trying to splint it might do more harm than good...better in my opnion to burrito wrap the glider to keep him/her immobolized until you get to the vet than trying to get a splint on and maybe making the break/injury worse...

OK, back on topic...Jill Marie, so make a kit and sell it, just find a way to make it unique from Nikki's (maybe offer a different kind of bag thingy to put it all in). For example, there's now a bunch of vendors that have emergency kits, so I think you can safely sell an "On the Go" kit....

My kit is very small and easy for "on the go" travel.

thanks Jess, but that wasnt my goal, it was just to make one for me, but if YOU think I should...

I also want to reiterate that the inclusion of "splints" in MY kit doesnt advocate using a splint on a glider leg. It could be any leg. Any animal. Again, I just think of those freaky situations where you might say, "Oh wish we had a ____"

Well Jill Marie, aside from the new 6cc and 12cc syringes, extra vet tape, extra duct tape and new Saline Wash I just received from Nikki, I'm going to throw in a popsicle stick "splint" for, well, who knows WHAT reason lol ....I love ya Jill Marie, just kidding....I will actually put one in my kit, that I am NOT kidding about hahaha.....

And Krys, do you have travel kits or an e-kit that is small enough to function as a travel kit? Or both lol?....

I have everything listed with Gretchen's kit (minus the Ringers solution and needles for Sub-Q's), plus I added the following to mine:

* Sterile Saline WIPES
* No Sting Alcohol Free Sterile Wipes
* Burn Aid Gel (Natural - contains Tea Tree Oil, which DOES act as a local anesthetic beyond being a pain reliever and a burn gel, so only for use with an e-collar on)
* Burn Aid Dressing (again, for use in an e-collar because of the numbing properties of tea tree oil)
* A bunch of disposable thermometers that read temp. instantly

For My Car (for trips or on my way to my vet, who is one hour away and on a country state road - they're open 24/7, so I could be traveling at 3am to this office):

* Solar Blanket (in case my car breaks down on a cold night, it retains 90% body heat, which I know glider do not give much off, but if my car had previously had the heat on, hopefully it would lock that heat in the cage with the HUGE blanket wrapped tightly around it, plus of course I have the heat packs)
* LED 3-in-1: acts as a flashlight, lantern, and an emergency flashing device
* Mini LED flashlight/cell phone charger
* 12-hour safety glow sticks

I got all of this at a discount first aid supply website for about $40, not bad considering the QUANTITIES of each item I bought......

I am going to run the Burn Gel past by vet to be sure it's safe before I would ever use it, of course. I looked at their "Consumer Page" type thing with all the info on it and bookmarked it to bring with me. It's just water and the tea tree oil from what I can tell, so unless tea tree oil (which is FROM Australia and has a strong eucalyptus scent - I have read that some people even use a few drops to clean their gliders' cages) is toxic to gliders or my vet gives me another reason not to use it, I'm going to keep it in my kit just in case......

OK, don't think I am going to use the burn stuff anymore based on info from a very knowledgable member. I will keep it for the humans in the house .