Dispatch #10: FIRST AID—The IFAK vs. The vehicle Kit (Gear List)
Over the last two dispatches, we’ve covered the harsh realities of First Aid. We looked at how to control massive hemorrhage and mapped out the playbook for the everyday minor injuries that inevitably strike working dogs.
But knowing what to do is only half the battle. If you don’t have the right gear staged in the right locations, your knowledge won’t get you the desired results.
One of the most common mistakes I see handlers make (including myself as a young MWD handler) is building one massive, overstuffed medical bag that will prepare you for everything. The reality is, it’ll be too heavy to carry in the field, so it gets left in the truck, because “ I wont go that far for that long”. Then, when a dog gets tangled up in barbed wire and almost disembowels itself while panicking and trying to struggle itself free, and you’re “just” mile into the brush, you’ll regret not having had an IFAK on you for the rest of your life.
You need two distinct kits, built for two entirely different missions: The IFAK (Individual First Aid Kit) and the Vehicle Kit. Here is the data-driven packing list for both.
The IFAK: The "Oh Sh*t" Kit
The Mission: Keep the dog alive long enough to get back to the truck. The Location: On your person at all times (hunting vest, chest rig, or day pack or even on your belt).
Your IFAK must be lightweight, compact, and strictly limited to life-saving interventions and mobility fixes. Do not pack, thermometers, or antibiotic sprays or ointments in here. If an item doesn't stop massive bleeding, seal a chest, or allow a dog with a torn pad to walk out of the woods, it does not belong in your IFAK.
The IFAK Packing List:
1x K9-Approved Tourniquet: Elastic stretch models only (SWAT-T or RATS). Windlass tourniquets fail on tapered canine limbs.
2x Z-packed Compressed Gauze or Hemostatic Gauze: (e.g., Combat Gauze or ChitoGauze). For packing deep punctures gashes or junctional wounds.
1x Cohesive Bandage (Vetrap): 2-inch width minimum. For pressure bandages or wrapping torn pads. It sticks to itself, not the fur. Can also be used to wrap a paw so the dog can walk back to the vehicle without grinding dirt into the wound.
1x Chest Seal: (e.g., HyFin Twin Pack). To seal sucking chest wounds from impalements.
2x Packets or a small tube of Water-Based Lubricant: To coat severe injuries before bandaging so the gauze doesn't rip the clot off later.
1x Trauma Shears: Small size. To quickly cut away gear, collars, or thick fur to access a wound.
1x Wire Cutters rated to cut snare wire: Multitool wire snips CANNOT CUT SNARE WIRE. If your dog gets a snare around its neck every second matters, without thesecutters there’s little you can do in a timely fashion.
Sterile Saline Flush: 1 4oz bottle. Essential for aggressively flushing debris out of eyes, deep lacerations, and pad tears. This is not a necessity in an IFAK but I use this more frequently than anything else
The Truck Kit: The Basecamp
The Mission: Stabilize the dog for emergency transport, treat and clean minor injuries, and resupply your IFAK. The Location: Secured in your vehicle or at basecamp.
This is where your bulk lives. If your dog sustains a major injury, your IFAK keeps them breathing until you reach the truck, and the Truck Kit allows you to properly stabilize them for the drive to the emergency vet. It also handles all the minor, non-life-threatening nuisances (scratches, hot spots, quills) that happen during a tailgate check after a long run.
The Truck Kit Packing List:
Massive Hemorrhage Resupply: 2x extra elastic tourniquets, 4x extra compressed gauze, 4x rolls of Vetrap.
Sterile Saline Flushes: 3 to 4 pressurized cans or large bottles. Essential for aggressively flushing debris out of eyes, deep lacerations, and pad tears.
Chlorhexidine Solution (2% to 4%): The gold standard for disinfecting minor scrapes and hot spots. (Throw your hydrogen peroxide away—it kills healthy tissue).
Veterinary Hydrocortisone Spray: For drying out and treating acute moist dermatitis (hot spots) or severe insect stings.
SAM Splint: A moldable aluminum/foam splint to immobilize suspected fractures or severe sprains during transport.
Heavy-Duty Tweezers & Hemostats: For pulling porcupine quills, embedded thorns, or cactus spines.
Digital Rectal Thermometer & Lube: A dog's normal temp is 101°F to 102.5°F. If they cross 108°F in the field, you are entering the heat stroke danger zone and need to initiate rapid cooling.
Benadryl (Diphenhydramine): 25mg tablets. Crucial for severe allergic reactions or (consult your vet beforehand for your dog's exact dosage).
Emergency Mylar Blankets: To wrap a dog going into hemorrhagic shock or suffering from hypothermia.
Closing Note: Gear is useless without the training to deploy it under stress. Buy the kits, know where every item is located, and mentally run through your response scenarios. When the worst happens, you won't rise to the occasion, you will default to your most comfortable level of training and preparation. So be ready!