Ranch First Aid Kit

First aid kits are nice to have until you have someone bleeding or broken and then they are indispensable! I like to be optimistic that injuries will remain rare on the farm. We rarely have them, so it is not at the top of my "to do" list to plan for them. Most of what happens around here involves the bumps and scrapes known to most mothers of five year olds. Sad to say, the bumps and scrapes are mine!

After attending a first aid class for alpacas, I got to thinking about the things I use or might need in case of an injury. I put together a kit from what the vets recommended plus a bunch of stuff that I use.

Needles and syringes. I stock 1/2 inch 20 gauge and 1 inch 18 gauge needles with 3cc syringes.

Stethoscope. I bought a Littmanns because I can't hear a thing out of the cheap ones.



Thermometer. I like the bendable ones, never can tell when the alpaca will jump around.

Gloves



Garbage bags. These are great for transporting a placenta or heating up a cria in the bath. Put cria in the bag - head out- immerse in warm water until temp comes up. Also good for a prolapse.

Lubricating gel. Goes with the thermometer or if you need to help a cria being born.

Chlorhexidine (Novalson) scrub and solution. Cleaning wounds or disinfecting navels.

Gauze sponges. Looks like a small gauze square, but really soaks up liquid.



Telfa. This is a non-adherent dressing. Put on raw spots that you don't want the bandages to stick to.



Cotton rolls. Used for bandaging.



Cling. Used for the outside of a stiff bandage.



Vet wrap. Used for bandaging or wrapping tail when breeding. This stuff can be wrapped too tight. Practice on yourself to get a feel on how tight is tight enough.



Towels and blankets. Many uses: wrapping up wounds, breaks, cleaning wounds, drying off crias.

A sheet, preferably waterproof, that has emergency info on it: Vet name, phone number, address, and normal info. Think of your ranch sitters when making this out. They may not know what is normal.

Any medications that your vet feels is good to have on hand. Check to make sure that it has
not expired and that you are storing it porperly.

Bandage scissors. Can trim bangs as well as cut off bandages. These are the ones with the rounded ends.



Paper and pen to write down the info for the vet.

Human first aid kit. I use a Red Cross one.

Duct tape. Can use for a great variety of things, but it wraps nicely around a towel if you need a third hand on something, it can hold bandaging in place if you can't get the hang of vet wrap or cling. Don't wrap too tight!

Paper tape, or white tape. The stuff the hospitals use to tape everything down.



Cell phone

Waterproof container to put everything in. This keeps the dirt as well as water out of your supplies.

I bought most of my supplies at Valley Vet, but I am sure there are many other places to get these things.