It’s a new year and just like changing the batteries in your smoke detector, it’s time to pull out your pet’s go-bag to make sure you have everything you need and check the expiration dates.
I don’t know about you but I often get into my pet’s go-bag to pull something out. Like a travel bowl when I can’t find the one I keep in my car or something from the first aid kit because my dog got a cut on his paw and I needed the wound cream.
While we always encourage people to make sure it’s a dedicated bag so if you have to bug out it’s complete. Not to worry everything can be replaced and now is a good time to make sure it’s not only complete but that the expiration dates have not expired.
Water is king in any emergency go-bag. Your pet can only survive about 72 hours without water before its body starts to shut down so make sure you have plenty. Plastic bottles come with a one-year shelf life from the date of manufacturing. The plastic will start to deteriorate and you never want to drink it or give it to your pet once it passes that expiration date. Emergency drinking water like our Mayday is packaged in a foil-sealed pouch and has a 5-year shelf life.
Dry kibble dog food can start to go rancid within 2 to 3 weeks once a bag is opened, so never try to repackage your pet’s food. Buy a smaller bag and rotate it based on the expiration date on the bag. Most dry pet food has an expiration date of 6 to 18 months from the date of manufacturing. Another option is our Mayday pet food. It comes in an 8-ounce foil-sealed pouch and has a 5-year shelf life from the date of manufacturing.
To make sure it’s complete here is a list of everything you should have in your pet’s emergency pack.
- Food and water
- Bowls for food and water
- First aid supplies
- Slip lead
- Led light
- Mylar blanket
- Printed first aid brochure
- Pet ID Card
- Toy
- Medications
- Shot records
- Waterproof pouch or bag for the medications and documentation
- Poo bags
- Cats – Litterbox, litter and scoop
- Photo with you and your pet for identification
We did a cost comparison earlier this year to help guide you with your purchasing decisions. We compared our Big Dog Pak which we sell for $89.99 and if purchased separately was over $130.00.
It’s time, now let’s pull out these bags and make sure they are up to date! If you have not put one together yet, for your convenience we have our pre-made paks in different options and different sizes for cats and dogs. We also have a custom build-your-own kit page for those of us who have multiple pets.
