Cat First Aid and Emergency Care

Cat owners are sometimes faced with emergency situations involving their cats without the presence or guidance of their veterinarian. Animals can get sick or require first aid any place at any time. If you as a cat owner have the knowledge of basic pet first aid, then the care, treatment and prognosis for your pet will improve significantly. The following is a list of guidelines you can use when presented with an injured or ill pet. Breathing Problems Brain damage can occur if breathing is interrupted. It is not recommended you waste valuable time performing artificial respiration or CPR on your cat unless you are positive you can administer them expertly to restore normal breathing and heartbeat. It is much safer to seek immediate veterinary care. Broken Bone Never try to set a broken bone yourself. Control bleeding, if any, and restrict your cat s movement while transporting her to the veterinarian. Choking Open the cat s mouth by pressing on either side of her jaw to see if the object is visible. Do not tilt the head backwards. Use tweezers to remove obvious obstruction. You may use your fingers also but be careful of being bitten. If the object is not visible do not poke inside her mouth since this may cause the object to become lodged further. Instead, hold the cat upside down and press sharply on her chest with both hands. Even if you remove the object your cat should be checked by the veterinarian for any damage to the mouth or throat. Electric Shock Playful cats, especially kittens that are teething, may chew on electrical cords and this can lead to electric shock. Electric shock can produce burns on the tongue, palate, lip folds and corners of the mouth. Your cat may salivate profusely or have problems breathing. Never touch an animal that is touching an exposed electrical wire. Turn off the current then use a dry stick to get your cat away from the wire. Get veterinary help as soon as possible. Eye Injury For all eye injuries, take your cat to the veterinarian promptly. Do not let your cat rub her eyes. Do not place medicine in your cat's eyes, unless instructed by your veterinarian. Frostbite Your cat can suffer frostbite on her ears, feet and tail. Symptoms
include: pale, glossy skin which then reddens and becomes painful to the touch. Immediately take your cat into a warm place. Thaw out frostbitten areas slowly by applying, moist towels that are changed frequently. Continue until areas become flushed. Check with the veterinarian to the severity of the frostbite since it can result in damage to the affected areas.