First Aid Box for Small Animals

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OK, I've done a few of these but we have some new piggies on the block so time for a new one .

I know nought about rabbits so I'm making no recs .

Most things are available on line or cheaply enough .
We have a lidded box that stays in a corner , we go through the dates every now an then, and things are put back after use.

Clippers for nails . Need to be sharp , you need to cut clean not crush the nail. I got some nice ones that look like scissors bit theirs a round 'notch' so its like a guillotene rather than sliding blades.

Cornflour and a small tub, styptic in case you catch the quick (they bleed spectacularly well, make you feel really guilty and then will be judgey for hours.

Non-fluffy gauze and salt - to cleanse wounds or get bits of hay out of eyes. Boil water , dissolve salt to go a bit cloudy, cool it . Wipe . If its a hay poke the eye can go cloudy . If its a rogue piece in the eye they scrunch the eye up and it waters. You can often ease it out with the gauze/saline. Eye injuries can be serious.so consult your vet if worried . When pigs clean their eyes you sometimes see a white milky 'cleansing tears' fluid .

Critical Care or equivilant. Fine grind is easiest. Pellets mashed in water as an emergency. Syringe to feed it ( from the vet or amazon or calpol syringe)

Probiotic powder - if they are ill or have antibiotics they need their guts re settled

Vit C tablets - I don't put them in the water but if my pigs are ill I crush them in water and syringe .

If you do syringe feed , you need to hold the pig securely , pop the nozzle just behind the front teeth and put a tiny bit in the mouth. They will chew which means they'll swallow it , not have it go into their windpipe . It is time consuming and messy , they don't like it . A very ill pig is really hard to feed/water

Some blunt end 'safe' scissors in case you have to trim fur , round a wound or to keep the longer furs tidy .

Shampoo for guineas

Mite treatment - I use Xeno 450. Covers mites and worms ( who knows what has been on that grass)

Scales ( not in the guineas box , but I use a big plastic bowl, set to "0" , weigh and DH has a spreadsheet) Weigh once a week or so. Weight loss is a good indiicator of ill heath

You can get RearGuard - pigs are at risk of fly strike but it contains Ivermectin which is in mite treatments so don;t double dose. Main prevention of flystrike is keep bedding clean, check bottoms for loose dirty pooh, be aware of older , overweight animals that can't groom.
Mesh over the cage or run can keep the pesky flies out too.

Tweezers - the number of times I seen my guineas gagging and spluttering and pulled a huge bit of hay stuck in their teeth!

Something for any little dry patches or wounds like Calendula cream to heal and Coconut oil for dry bits .

Your vets phone number and a bar of chocolate for you when they are ill, it is stressful ,

That's very comprehensive . For buns, it's pretty much the same except no need for Vit C.

I'd add Leucillin. It's been quite handy in our animal first aid kit.

Great list though OP!

I have eye gel. Have a bunny with head tilt atm and it's to protect his eye that's nearest ground or it can sooth an eye after foreign body removed.

I have some medicine pots from human medicine bottles, handy to mix or dilute medications. Current sick bunny has antibiotics need be given with water at twice the medication amount.

I also have mini electric clippers to shave near wounds...use scissors sometimes but nervous of nicking skin, I am better with that than scissors
cling bandages are soft and accomodating to moving furries... one piggie has a wound that needed packing and it's on his back. No plaster would accommadate that lol. Vetwrap is good as sticks to itself and great for places where cling bandages slip. Only drawback is it's easy to put it on too tight.

Every time I have a sick furry it challenges me to add yet more items lol. I've picked up a few from you ..thank you.

Oooh - there is a human's bandage similar to Vetwrap I have seen at work (only when brought by a Rep) I remember thinking "this would be fantastic with little furries" but there is .......

<span class="italic">Sock-Pig</span> 

Childs sock with head hole/ leg holes cut out , customise to how Houdini~esque the animal is .

(SockPig was a MN thread where the poor soul had mites and only the protection of a childs sock body-wrap stopped him scratching himself to ribbons )

I'll add in fine plastic comb too,

We got something unpleasant from hay on my Himmy , I used a fine nit comb and some Lice'n'Easy , then followed up with combing to clear .
Good for little long haired too .