Cats don't have 9 lives - what should first aid be for cats?

We love our pets. Taking them home, our minds are busy with many important things. Rarely do we think about what if...? That's right - what will we do if our cat chokes, eats toxic substances or loses consciousness? In such situations it is difficult to behave in a controlled manner, so it is worth preparing for them in advance. What does first aid look like for cats?

Может быть много случаев, когда кошка нуждается в нашем быстром вмешательстве. Иногда это опасные для жизни ситуации, а иногда они могут вызвать постепенное поражение внутренних органов и только в долгосрочной перспективе — ухудшение самочувствия. Шаги, которые мы должны предпринять, варьируются от ситуации к ситуации.

The cat does not always know what is good, i.e. eats a poisonous substance

Cats most often get poisoned by eating the wrong plant. They rarely ingest chocolate, rat poison or medicine. Despite the innate caution and delicate consideration of each bite, it happens that the pet is tempted by something inappropriate. How to provide first aid to a cat in such a situation?

Unless we have such a suspicion, in most cases induce vomiting as soon as possible. We have about 2 hours for this, which is usually enough to prevent the penetration of the toxin.

It is better to immediately take your pet to a veterinary clinic. The doctor can then not only induce vomiting, but also examine him, assess your general condition or perform the necessary tests. Often, after a successful attempt to induce vomiting, we want to stop it or rehydrate the animal - this is also where medical attention comes in handy.

However, if a trip to the hospital on such short notice is not possible, you should give the cat hydrogen peroxide by mouth. The right amount will induce vomiting and help get rid of unwanted substances from the stomach. However, this is not an ideal method, so in each specific case you need to call a veterinarian and clarify what and in what quantity should be given.

When inducing vomiting is not advisable or too much time has passed - administration of activated carbon in an appropriate dose may be beneficial – the doctor will help determine this.

The cat coughs heavily and gasps for air

Choking

Cats are very careful, so they rarely choke. However, if this happens to our four-legged one, quick action must be taken.

Open your pet's mouth and check to see if anything is stuck in it. We examine the entire oral mucosa - cheeks, palate, throat, as well as gums and tongue.

It is worth patting the chest with a hand folded in the shape of a boat. We tap gently, but hard enough to support expressive exhalation and expectoration. Sometimes, when providing first aid to a cat, it is useful to position the animal's body so that the head is slightly lower. However, it is always necessary to support the body, never perform such actions “in the air”.

В случае если наши действия не эффективны — It is necessary to visit a veterinarian as soon as possible. It is best when someone travels with us who can call the office during the trip and warn about an urgent visit - then the doctor will prepare everything necessary for quick assistance.

Foreign body in the upper respiratory tract

Heavy breathing due to obstruction of the upper respiratory tract usually occurs when pathological changes develop there. Then the respiratory problems gradually increase, and discharge is often added, usually from one nostril.

Another thing is that if a foreign body gets into the nose, then the symptoms appear suddenly and are very pronounced.

Only in a veterinarian's office can further action be taken. The doctor will have the appropriate equipment and knowledge of how to clean a cat's nose, so care should be taken to get the animal there as quickly as possible.

The cat suddenly loses consciousness

fainting

Fainting can have many different causes. It is so short-lived that we usually do not have time to take any action and the cat regains consciousness. In such situation it is important to visit a veterinarian as soon as possible, carry out the necessary analyzes and identify the cause of the problem.

One of the most common causes of fainting (in addition to, but not limited to, cardiac and neurological problems) is decrease in blood sugar levels. If we know that our four-legged dog has problems maintaining sugar at the desired level, it is worth having a glucometer at home. The ideal situation is to be able to measure your blood sugar in the event of an emergency.

Otherwise, if the pet loses consciousness, Let's rub some honey on his gums or the mucous membrane of his cheek. This will quickly increase your blood glucose levels. This will give us time to take the cat to a veterinary clinic for further treatment.

Stopping breathing and circulation

It is the extreme cases that evoke the most emotion. They occur, for example, in the event of an accident or injury to an animal, as well as during the course of an illness that can unexpectedly stop its vital activity. In such situations, it is worth calling a veterinarian.

Any animal that does not exhibit basic signs of life, such as breathing or a pulse, must be resuscitated immediately. There is no time to go to the hospital, because resuscitation of the cat should take place here and now.

Also read: Ear mites. A collection of knowledge about this cat ear parasite

How to provide first aid to a cat?

Cardiopulmonary resuscitation is performed on unconscious animals whose heart and breathing have stopped. You can evaluate the work of the heart by placing your ear to the cat's chest, preferably on the left side just behind the elbow. However, do not change the side on which your pet is lying, because, for example, he could have received other injuries during the accident.

We check the cat's pulse on the femoral artery, which runs along the inside of the thigh. We place our fingers on the thigh in the groin area and try to feel the rhythmic wave of the pulse.

Breathing, in turn, can be detected by observing the movements of the chest and abdomen. or by applying wet fingers or a mirror to your nose.

Также необходимо проверить проходимость дыхательных путей — при необходимости устранить обструкцию. Be careful not to get your tongue in your throat slightly moving it to the side.

If we have any doubt about the presence of blood circulation or breathing, however, the cat should be resuscitated as soon as possible. We will do far more harm by not performing resuscitation than by performing it on an animal that does not need it.

Chest compressions

In cats, we perform sequential chest compressions at a rate of approximately 110-120/min. Squeeze by cupping your chest with one hand, keeping your thumb at the side of your sternum and the rest of your hand on the other. You can also use both hands, but you need to be sensitive to the force you use. This force should cause compression of approximately 1/3 to ½ of the chest.

Ventilation

The next step is ventilation of the respiratory tract. We cover the cat's face as tightly as possible with our hands and only then try to blow air into his respiratory tract. We do it with speed 10 breaths per minute. Each breath should last about 1 second.

Rate

We inhale air into the cat’s respiratory tract 2 times and compress his chest 30 times. Such cycles are repeated for 2 minutes, After which we re-evaluate the animal's vital signs.

Time

Resuscitation of a cat can be carried out over a long period of time, repeating two-minute cycles many times. We stop it only when the heart and breathing are restored.

Может случиться и так, что наши действия окажутся неэффективными. Если после многих повторных циклов реанимации не восстанавливаются жизненные функции, кошка не моргает на прикосновение к роговице глаза, а дополнительно мочится и/или испражняется — this will mean that we could not save him and refrain from further action. In an ideal situation, we are already accompanied by a doctor who can confirm the death of the animal.

Is it necessary to visit a doctor?

Resuscitating a cat is not an easy task and certainly causes a lot of stress for the person doing it. When it was successful, it was a reason to rejoice, but, unfortunately, the problems did not end. Unfortunately, restoring blood circulation and breathing is not enough. It is necessary to prevent a recurrence of cardiorespiratory failure and find out the cause of its occurrence. It is extremely important to carry out immediate diagnostic tests and further therapy.

During diagnostic procedures, the patient must be maintained at physiological temperature. It is also important to properly oxygenate tissues and maintain perfusion at an appropriate level, which is associated with the need for oxygen therapy and fluid therapy.

Первая помощь кошке — краткое содержание

Situations in which we are faced with the need to provide first aid to a cat do not happen often. Although these are rare cases, it is worth familiarizing yourself with the rules that must be followed. There is nothing complicated about them - the most difficult thing seems to be control over emotions and organization of thoughts in a critical situation. Let's remember that our quick actions can save a cat's life.