Avoid Calamity - Organise Your Dog Emergency Information
Introduction
And you thought that keeping a dog would be a simple matter: just walkies, feedies, sleepies and chase the stick! Sadly our canine friends require medical attention, and if you need to leave poochie in a boarding kennel for a bit they will require an up-to-date vaccination record. There are insurance details, vet details, and believe or not, possible legal details. All of which require accessibility. It’s time to get organised!
Types of information
How much information would you need to organise? Well, that would depend on personal preference. For example you might consider appointments at the dog grooming parlour an absolute necessity and therefore the details of such an establishment may be essential as part of the emergency information. However there maybe other types of information that you had not considered, such as what to do in the event of your death (very cheery); or a maybe common doggie illnesses and their symptoms, or what sorts human foods might be poisonous to a dog. What has to be borne in mind is that the information is for the benefit of Fido, and in the event of your demise, the people who might be looking through the information are your friends or family.
Who is going to need the information?
Obviously the person who will be using this information the most will be you! So as long as you understand your system, and can access it quickly and easily, that will be fine. But suppose your family or friends need to access this information, or professionals from a boarding kennel. What ever system you develop has to be user friendly, and easy for multiple person admission.
Computer programs
The most sensible thing would be to make sure all the necessary information is in one easily accessible place. Perhaps Fido could have his own filing cabinet, or a card index system with everything cross referenced. This might be a little labour intensive, and in this age of save the tree and use less paper, it could be construed as no very eco-friendly. Database it is then: easy to store and certainly easy to back-up: why even friends and family could keep a copy for you! And just before you baulk at the thought of spending hours creating this relational database monstrosity, fear not! There is software packages on the market specifically designed to do the work for you. All you have to do is fill in the data! Now where did I put that policy number?
Conclusion
It is far better to take a little time at the outset setting up an information system for your dog, than to wait until disaster strikes and then find yourself unable to help your pet because you have misplaced a vital bit of information. Organise your dog information now, and be ready to help your dog when help is needed.
