Emergency Preparedness

posted: by: Kim Furtado Tags: "Clinic Specials" "News" 

April 27, 2015 - The key to dealing with disasters is to make sure you are prepared, and that certainly includes pets. There are steps you can take to make life a little bit easier in the event that we are forced to deal with a disaster such as a wildfire, which is always a very real possibility in Nevada County.


First and foremost: PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE have identification for your pet with CURRENT contact information. Microchips are best because they don't fall off, fade, the clip doesn't break, etc. as can be the case with tags. If you prefer a tag or cannot afford microchipping at this time, we encourage you to invest in a good quality tag with deep engraving that won't "rub off". Check your pets' tags to be sure they are still legible. We like Red Dingo tags, plus they are attractive!


Make SURE you have identification for yourself with your physical address printed on it. If disaster were to strike your neighborhood emergency services allows limited access to homes for the purpose of protecting life and property. This means if the situation was safe enough for you to return to your home momentarily, but you did not have identification indicating you live there (instead your ID lists a PO Box or your previous address), you probably wouldn't be allowed to cross safety boundaries to retrieve pets and personal items such as family albums, important documents, etc. Does this mean pets would not be saved? Not necessarily. The CA Veterinary Medical Assoc. (CVMA) Disaster Response Group of Nevada County serves to rescue pets in need during these kinds of situations, however you and your pet would be much happier together rather than having your pet safe but locked in a crate at a shelter to weather the storm so to speak.


It is also a wise idea to always make sure you have plenty of medication on hand for pets with special needs; this includes monthly heartworm prevention and flea and tick prevention. The same can be said for pet food, especially pets on a special diet. It can be a challenge to immediately access a special diet. Not all veterinary hospitals carry the same diet line; i.e., Science Diet/Hills vs. Purina/Pro Plan vs. Royal Canin/IVD vs. Eukanuba/Iams. You might also want to think about a bug and waterproof food container should you be away from your home for a period of time. For this purpose we like Vittle Vaults.


It is not a bad idea to keep copies of vaccination history handy and even medical records for complicated cases in the event you had to leave quickly. 


FTLOP runs frequent back-ups of records and we have off-site back-ups as well, so we do not expect to find ourselves in a situation where we cannot access your pets records, however, if phone lines were down and you needed to take your pet to Loomis Basin for example, it would serve you and your pet best to have recent copies of records on hand.