What first aid should I carry for a hiking trip with a dog?

Gauze pads and self-adhering wrap for covering a cut or scrape, along with a saline eye and wound wash for flushing out dirt, grit, or plant debris, cover the most common minor injuries a dog might pick up on rough trail terrain, whether a cut paw pad or a scratch from brush. Tweezers for removing a splinter, thorn, or small embedded object, and a tick removal tool given how common tick exposure is on hiking trails, both belong in the kit.

A soft muzzle, even for the friendliest dog, matters for a hiking kit specifically because pain and fear from an injury sustained on the trail can cause even a normally gentle dog to snap when being handled, and having one ready avoids a difficult improvisation in the moment. A lightweight emergency blanket helps manage shock or warmth if a dog is injured and needs to wait for help or be carried out.

Checking the location and contact details of the nearest veterinary clinic to your trailhead and along your route before setting out, and confirming you have reliable phone signal or a backup communication plan on more remote trails, means you are prepared to act quickly rather than searching for this information during an actual emergency, when time and signal may both be limited.

A longer, more remote hike calls for a more comprehensive kit and a genuine plan for how you would carry an injured dog out if needed, while a short, well-traveled local trail needs a lighter version of the same basics. Checking the kit's contents before each significant hike, replacing anything used or expired, keeps it genuinely ready.