Are You Ready to Evacuate With Your Diabetic Dog?
Today we will talk about being prepared for severe weather, power outage, evacuation, etc.We never think that it will happen, but it can and it might! Look at all the strong weather systems that are moving across the country weekly. And just because this isn’t “the season” in your area, doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t be prepared.
When I lived in Texas, I had “go bags” for my boys and myself right by the back door during the wild fires that were in my area. I also always had a pet first aid kit in my home and one in my car. Excessive you say? Perhaps, but in my view, better safe than sorry. There was comfort for me knowing that I would be out of my development and on my way to safety before my neighbor found her curling iron! LOL Now that you have a Diabetic pup, being prepared is SO much more important.
We’ve talked about having a backup vial of insulin, a backup meter, test strips, etc. Now let’s talk about what you need to have ready in case you need to leave your home or are without power for several days. Last year, several of our members from the Facebook group Canine Diabetes Support and Information were forced to leave their homes due to hurricane Michael. After packing the necessities, the thought process is “I’ll get what I need once I get where I’m going”. Please don’t fall into this trap.One member in particular was very well prepared for the evacuation, but was not prepared for the aftermath which included no mail or UPS delivery for several weeks! We were able to get the supplies to her that she needed to keep her pup safe, and we all learned a very valuable lesson in all of that.The better prepared you are, the better off you and your pup will be.
Of course, budget constraints will come in to play when considering how many backups you can have in place.We know that the most important things to have on hand are your meter, food, insulin, syringes, ketone strips any other medications that your pup is on and as much water that your pup is used to as possible. Don’t forget the water. Different water can cause stomach upset and when you already have the stress of being away from home, keeping as many things as possible consistent is important.
If you don’t keep all of your
supplies in one place, please start doing so. In the event of an emergency, you
can just grab your insulin and your supplies box or your “go bag” and get to
safety. There is a brilliant container called the
Stor-More that will hold
everything that you use on a daily basis and would make it very easy to just
grab that, your insulin, throw it all in a thermal bag and get out.
Another thing that I always kept
in my supplies was a
Frio Insulin cooling wallet pictured here. It is water activated and keeps insulin cool
for a minimum of 2 days even in 100 degree heat. At the end of the two days, just soak it in
water again for another two days of use and so on…
If the Stor-More isn’t in your budget, it is offered as a free gift option when you buy a vial of 50 PetTest strips or can be purchased outright with a special discount to our blog readers using code: STORMOREBLOG at checkout. Again, I mention this as the more prepared you are, the less you have to think in a stressful situation.
If you can, think ahead to what could possibly happen in your area. If you aren’t in a hurricane zone, is it tornadoes or Nor’easters or huge snow storms with the potential to take your power out for a few days? Whatever the threat, please look ahead and plan! As with the other topics that we have covered lately, being prepared can save you time, energy and money!
If you have any thoughts or ideas for topics that you’d like to see covered here, please feel free to comment below or send me an email at NancyForPetTest@pharmasupply.com. As always, please “like” this blog post or any of the others that have helped you or just refreshed your memory. Look for new posts every Monday, Wednesday and Friday!
Until next time…