What do you all do to make sure your dogs are safe and taken care of during storms or other disasters?

We have a major ice storm coming in tomorrow morning, which means I have been running around trying to get prepared all day. (one of these days I am going to have a day off that is actually a day off!!)

Last major storm I tried kitty litter and sand and it didn't work to keep the back porch and stairs from becoming a skating rink, this time I got some of the Eco melt.

I figure the risk of that is less then the risk of Nico falling on the stairs. I will still worry about them slipping on the icey yard but at least I can control the stairs!

Do I need to totally wash their feet and legs or will a wipe down with baby wipes be enough to keep it from hurting them?

I also bought water just in case, I figured three gallons per dog per day, is that enough? And one gallon for the cats per day, which seems like way too much

I always have extra food for everyone stashed.

The thing that has been worrying me the most is that if we ever had to evacuate I might have to leave one dog behind since they can't be in the same car together. I guess I will cross that bridge if we ever come to it.

Check out this thread (and how prescient much of it was before the full extent of Katrina's devastation was known) ....

http://leerburg.com/forums/ubbthreads.php/ubb/showflat/Number/83595/page/0/fpart/1


BTW, canned low-sodium soups with vegetables and chunky meats (mentioned by Will) are now always in my pantry as emergency food for humans as well as dogs --- also loaded with fluids against times of scarce potable water.

 Quote: connie sutherland

Check out this thread (and how prescient much of it was before the full extent of Katrina's devastation was known) ....

http://leerburg.com/forums/ubbthreads.php/ubb/showflat/Number/83595/page/0/fpart/1


BTW, canned low-sodium soups with vegetables and chunky meats (mentioned by Will) are now always in my pantry as emergency food for humans as well as dogs --- also loaded with fluids against times of scarce potable water.

How cool... one more thing to be added to our cache. The folks at Costco definitely give us the "strange people" look when we check out.

One thing that I've added to my lifestyle is having an empty crate in my bedroom large enough to stuff my cats into in case of a fire - it's a simple enough addition that I hope to never have to use, but it could make the difference between life and death for those fuzzy comedians.

The canned soup is a great idea!

I was also thinking THK would be a good thing to have in an emergency, just from a dry weight to wet weight ratio.

I went ahead and took the lizard to my folks house tonight, they have a generator and will be able to keep him warm enough and on some sort of cycle. The fish could potentially be a total loss between the cold and lack of oxygen.

The last Ice storm we had I had just brought Yote home and we spent two weeks at my parents with a brand new pup...that was a nightmare!

I live in an earthquake zone on an island of fairly minor population. Earthquakes and windstorms are our primary concern because if an earthquake of moderate level happens the bridge connecting this little rock to the outside world just isn't going to with stand the tremor. In the case of earthquake major population centers are the priority and we had it broken to us that frankly, we're not a priority over Seattle, Everett, and Whidbey Island. They said to not expect rescue in the span of days, but rather weeks to months.

Two years ago when we had a pretty horrid wind storm in this area we lost power for 3 weeks in December with over a foot of snow on the ground. While we're not Minnesota cold here it did get below freezing in my house and I learned some pretty vital lessons.

So I put a shed in my yard. It's a simple 10x12, insulated, independently heated, and full of stuff to live off of for 3 months assuming my home is unsafe to be in and the roads are impassible. For the dogs this means i keep 3 months worth of dog food on hand. I also store water in 55 gallon food grade barrels, every six months I empty and refill the barrels. I also keep spare folding crates and hurricane tie outs for the dogs "just in case" we need to bug out to a place where fences will be unavailable.

I guess my advice is to come up with a plan based upon what your natural disasters are in your area of the country. You need a strategy and timeline of duration, including disasters that you have get out of the way warning for, or disasters that require you to hunker down and survive on your own for a time. In the case of my state they have come up with some very specific disaster models in case of earthquake, volcano, tsunami, and severe wind damage events. These are available to the public to read normally.

You don't have to start huge like I did. Even a 3 day pack is a better start than most.

 Quote: melissa thom

So I put a shed in my yard. It's a simple 10x12, insulated, independently heated, and full of stuff to live off of for 3 months assuming my home is unsafe to be in and the roads are impassible. For the dogs this means i keep 3 months worth of dog food on hand. I also store water in 55 gallon food grade barrels, every six months I empty and refill the barrels. I also keep spare folding crates and hurricane tie outs for the dogs "just in case" we need to bug out to a place where fences will be unavailable.

This is beyond amazing! You're like the poster child for being prepared...I am so impressed.

leih

What about in your cars? I'm putting together something to throw back in the trunk in case of emergency. I used to have a kit set up with medical supplies, a blanket, etc especially for road-injured animals. It came in handy one night when I saw a cat get hit by a truck right in front of me. I wrapped him up in the blanket and brought him back to my house while my husband called the vet. Unfortunately he only survived a few minutes after I got home but at least he didn't have to die alone on the road where he'd potentially get repeatedly hit over and over again.

Do you keep emergency kits in your cars too? And what's in them? Food, water, first aid, blankets? Someone also suggested that you keep copies of vet records, rabies vacc., etc. in your kits as well.

I forgot about EMT gel, it is safe for puncture wounds and really does stop bleeding and pain associated with any sort of wound.
I have never had to use it on anything major, but I keep it on hand both in the car and at home.

Right now my major concern is keeping everyone warm. Nico really doesn't handle the cold well and it makes it hard for her to get around.

I am thinking of getting a couple of large cardboard boxes and covering them with blankets and beds inside the house, that way the two who don't have crates can curl up somewhere warm.

The "winter" rubbermaid tote in my truck has:
old cel phone with car charger (any phone that has ever been activated can dial 911)
wool blanket
First aid kit
1 gallon of water
two kennel slip leads
a cable tie
a couple cans of dog food
3 packets of freeze dried people food
2 lighters and a magnesium bar
8x10 tarp
a pocket knife
An extra jacket, gloves, and a pair of my old sneakers with socks
expired driver's license with my next of kin listed on the back.
my old backpack from high school
A flashlight
a cheap watch
Copy of my favorite book.

The "summer" tote isn't a whole lot different except that I add bug spray, sun screen, a hat, dry dog food instead of wet, and more water.

When you're making a kit for your car you still have to remember that the kit has to be able to survive the heat and cold within your car. Also I highly suggest switching out the water at least every six months. It starts to taste a little funky if you don't.