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Dog Emergency Kit UK: A Practical 3-Day Checklist

Their usual dinner. A lead you trust. A blanket that smells like home. Build a practical plan for your dog using the things you already have.

By · Published and sources checked

Open the free printable checklist
Illustrated dog kit organised into normal food and water, lead and identification, and familiar bedding with a paper care plan.
Original DPR planning illustration. Items shown are not product test results.
Research-led, with UK sources. This checklist draws on government, PDSA and RSPCA guidance. It is an editorial planning guide; it has not been trialled as a kit or reviewed by a vet. See sources and limits.

Dog Product Reviews · Dog emergency kit UK · Sources checked 23 October 2026

Keep the routine. Pack the essentials.

Your dog’s three-day checklist

3 days / your dog

Start with the food, walking kit and bedding you already use. Tick each item when it is packed or its arrangement is confirmed, then print a copy to keep with the supplies.

Your ticks and food amount stay in this page’s memory. They are not saved or sent anywhere; reloading clears them.

Tick when packed or arranged

  1. Set aside the normal food and an existing scoop or tin opener if needed. Keep the label, storage instructions and use-by date with it; avoid an abrupt diet change.

  2. Include your dog when planning the household water supply. Keep clean drinking water in suitable containers and plan how to refill it; individual needs and conditions vary.

  3. Ask your veterinary practice how to maintain the existing prescription, storage and any refrigeration if disrupted. Keep labelled medication and the written instructions together.

  4. Check the equipment you already use, its buckles and attachment points. Keep it easy to reach, and arrange a suitable restraint for any necessary car journey.

  5. Check the collar identification required where you live, make sure contact details are current, and keep a recent dog photograph with the paperwork.

  6. Clean, suitable bowls from home are enough. Check that the dog can use them comfortably and that you can clean them during the three-day plan.

  7. Pack the bags you normally use, plus suitable cleaning supplies kept away from food and medication. Plan where the dog can toilet and how waste will be disposed of.

  8. Use familiar bedding already at home, with a towel for drying or handling mess. Keep them dry and easy to carry; bulky new bedding is not a requirement.

  9. Check dressings, bandages, suitable wound wash, blunt scissors, tweezers/tick tool, tape, gloves and a blanket. Replace expired or damaged supplies. Keep vet numbers with them; an injured or unwell dog needs veterinary advice.

  10. Confirm a friend, family member or accommodation that can accept this dog if you need to leave. Write down contacts and practical care instructions in case your phone is unavailable.

0 of 10 items marked packed or arranged

This count records your notes; it does not certify that the kit meets every need.

Optional packing arithmetic

Set aside their normal food

Use one dog’s daily amount that is already established for their normal diet. This multiplies it by three; it does not choose a feeding amount. For mixed foods, calculate and pack each food separately.

Optional. Enter grams using a decimal point, for example 250.5.

Your three-day food amount will appear here.

Print, then complete by hand

Keep a paper contact card with the kit

Use a private paper copy for the details someone would need to help your dog.

Dog’s name / current photograph location
Blank line to complete on paper
Owner and backup contact
Blank line to complete on paper
Usual vet / out-of-hours vet
Blank line to complete on paper
Agreed temporary dog-friendly place
Blank line to complete on paper
Written care and prescription instructions kept at
Blank line to complete on paper

Full guidance and sources: dogproductreviews.co.uk/dog-emergency-kit-uk/ · Three days is a starting plan; PDSA recommends a week for floods. Follow your vet and live emergency instructions. Never delay evacuation to complete this list.

01 / Keep meals familiar

Food and water: plan for your actual dog

Pack three usual daily portions

Keep the food your dog normally eats, with its feeding and storage instructions. Label portions by dog if you have more than one. Include the scoop or tin opener you already use.

PDSA advises against sudden food changes. If your dog relies on chilled, raw or prescribed food, ask your vet for a workable plan if refrigeration or normal deliveries are interrupted. Follow the food’s storage instructions once opened.

Include their drinking water separately

Set aside clean drinking water for the dog as well as the people. Keep it accessible in suitable containers and plan how to obtain more if needed. The government’s water figure for people is not a dog allowance.

Keep clean water available. Ask your vet about individual needs, especially with an existing medical condition. UKHSA advises preventing pets from drinking floodwater; follow your water supplier’s incident advice about tap water.

02 / Arrange this with your vet

Regular medication needs an arrangement, not a guess

Ask your veterinary practice how to keep your dog’s existing prescription available during a short disruption. Agree the refill arrangements and what to do if you cannot reach the practice. Keep supplies in their labelled packaging alongside the current written instructions.

  • Check what remains and when you should contact the practice for the next supply.
  • Ask about storage and transport for any temperature-sensitive medicine, including what to do if power is lost.
  • Keep a paper copy of the existing instructions and your usual and out-of-hours vet numbers.
  • Ask the vet what to do if a supply is damaged, storage conditions are uncertain or a scheduled dose cannot be given.

The Veterinary Medicines Directorate identifies the packaging and leaflet as essential sources of product information. Keep those instructions available offline. This guide does not set doses, change treatment or recommend extra prescription quantities.

03 / Safe handling and getting home

Leads, identification, bowls and familiar bedding

Keep your usual lead and a well-fitting harness where you can reach them. Check fastenings and wear. If a car journey may be necessary, plan a suitable restraint in advance; our dog car harness guide explains the evidence and fitting checks.

For ordinary pet dogs in Great Britain, GOV.UK explains the collar-and-tag requirement for owner name and address in public, alongside up-to-date microchip records. A working phone number is a useful addition. Northern Ireland has its own identification and licensing rules, including exemptions. A chip or GPS tracker does not replace the applicable visible ID.

Two clean bowls, your usual waste bags, a familiar blanket and a towel can come straight from home. Store bedding dry and keep cleaning materials away from food and medicines. Add a recent photograph of your dog and protected copies of vaccination and microchip details, as RSPCA’s flood plan advises.

Check dog ID requirements Check your existing harness fit

04 / Supplies and a number to call

What to put in a basic dog first-aid kit

Open the kit you already have and compare its contents with PDSA’s pet first-aid list. Useful supplies include:

  • Wound dressings and bandages
  • Wound wash suitable for the planned pet first aid
  • Blunt-ended scissors
  • Tweezers and a tick-removal tool
  • Dressing tape
  • Disposable gloves
  • A foil blanket
  • A blanket and written vet contact details

Check packaging and expiry dates. Ask a vet or vet nurse which supplies suit your dog and how to use them. First aid supports initial care; an injured or unwell dog needs prompt veterinary advice. A kit’s contents or a ticked box cannot establish that treatment is safe.

Read PDSA’s first-aid guidance and free guide

05 / Think through both situations

Staying at home or leaving with your dog

If normal services stop

Keep the supplies in an accessible, dry place. Write down where anything stored elsewhere is kept. Include the dog in the household plan for water, power and communications, and follow local incident advice.

If you need to leave

Confirm somewhere that can accept your particular dog and how you will get there. Keep the lead, paperwork and essentials ready to gather. Follow emergency-service instructions promptly; never delay leaving to finish packing.

RSPCA recommends planning escape routes, helpers and transport equipment. Agree who can help if you are away from home. A spare bag or a box you can carry may be enough to organise the supplies.

Review the kit when the dog’s routine changes and at least at your household’s six-month check. Rotate food through normal use, check sealed water and first-aid dates, and update contact details. The government checklist recommends building supplies gradually and reviewing them regularly.

Use what you have first

Optional links for supplies you are missing

Check cupboards and the walking bag before buying. These are category searches to help fill a specific gap; they are not a tested shortlist or a required shopping bundle.

Ad disclosure. The Amazon UK links below are affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. You can use existing items or shop elsewhere. How affiliate links work.

A portable bowl, if yours is awkward to carry

Try an existing lightweight bowl first. Check stability, usable size and cleaning instructions if choosing a folding one.

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A top-up of your usual waste bags

Check the rolls already in your walking bag. Choose bags you can open and tie easily; no emergency-branded pack is needed.

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A pouch for paper records

An existing sealable bag may do the job. Check its closure and protect the paper copy from spills.

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Food storage, only if there is a gap

Keep the original food label and follow its storage instructions. Check the container against the actual portions you need to carry.

Ad · Search Amazon UK

Search results vary. Check the item, size, materials, seller and returns yourself. No live price, stock or product test is claimed here.

Practical questions

Before you pack

What should be in a dog emergency kit in the UK?

Start with the usual food, a separate supply of clean drinking water, prescribed medication arrangements, lead and harness, collar ID, two bowls, waste bags, familiar bedding, basic first-aid supplies and paper contacts. Use the ten-point checklist above to gather what you already have.

Is three days enough for every dog emergency?

Three days is the starting period used in the government Be Ready household guidance. PDSA’s flood-specific pet advice recommends a week of supplies. Your local risks, your dog’s needs and advice from your vet or emergency services may call for a longer plan.

How much dog food should I pack for 72 hours?

Set aside three normal daily allocations of the dog’s existing food. The optional helper multiplies an already established grams-per-day amount by three; it does not decide how much the dog should eat. Plan each dog and each food separately.

How much water does my dog need in an emergency kit?

Plan drinking water for your dog separately from the household’s human allowance. Needs vary with the dog, diet, health and conditions, so this checklist does not give a universal litre figure. Keep clean water available and ask your vet about individual requirements.

Do I need to buy a ready-made dog emergency bag?

No. Gather suitable items you already use and keep them accessible. A spare bag or lidded box can organise them. Buying missing supplies gradually is an option; a high item count or a specialist bag does not establish that a kit suits your dog.

Sources, checks and editorial limits

This original dog-specific guide was prompted by the BBC story Why should I stockpile and what will I need?. The practical advice above was checked directly against the primary sources below on .

The checklist, packing helper and illustration are DPR editorial tools. We have not tested the linked products or established outcomes in an emergency. Individual veterinary advice and live instructions from the authorities take priority. Send a correction or read our evidence standards.

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