Let’s review a couple of important tips for making sure you and your pet are reunited in case of a zombie apocalypse, or perhaps simply the holidays. Because once Aunt Gretel gets a few glasses of nog in her, it can be hard to tell the difference, I know. And more than one dog has burst out into the cold night trying to escape the frightening clutches of an overeager great-uncle with a fondness for labradors.
- Is your identification up to date? And is it even on?
Lots of people switch collars over the holidays to those cutesy candy-cane stripey ones or ones with bells on, but they neglect to change the ID tags as well. None of which matters if your phone number on the tag is from three phones ago. Make sure your info is up to date and present! That goes for microchips, too.
Don’t forget you can also go high tech with a GPS device like the Tagg.
- Know where your emergency vet is located!
If your dog is bitten by a zombie you may only have a matter of minutes to get them to the doc. You can’t call 911 (some people have tried.) You have to get them there yourself. The last thing you want is to be panicking trying to figure out which road to take and which exit you need. Find the closest ER vet ahead of time, and take a look at the directions on Google maps so you can get there quickly and safely if need be.
- Have an emergency kit on hand.
Not sure what constitutes a vet-appropriate emergency kit? AVMA has a great checklist. Things you never think of until you need them: muzzles, leashes, and flat boards/stretchers.
Anyone else have any hot tips to share for survival? I heard a rumor Brody might have taken off after a few zombies and I’m very nervous right now. I don’t know how he will fare against the undead. There is only one way to ensure his survival:
– If you are going to have a lot of family coming over and coming in and out, put your animal in a bedroom where no one will go. It’s better to have them cooped up for a bit than to have them escape because Aunt Gretel forgot to close the front door!
– Have the ASPCA Animal Poison Control hotline # on hand. It takes valuable minutes for you (or your vet) to look it up, having it ready to go is very helpful. It is: (888) 426-4435.
We have cats so we have a small container of flour for clotting ripped nails. We have aloe plants for hair balls. And a very strict no tinsel policy.
Have a profile full-body picture of your dog in case the situation ever comes to the point of having to post public “Lost” notices.
Ring your local emergency vet before there is an emergency and find out their procedures, especially for holidays.
Do. Not. Panic. Zombies will not attack a person searching for a lost animal, or one tending to an injured one. They know that would be like poking a sleeping bear with a stick…unwise.