If your cat happens to get hurt, it is important to know how to help and when to take your cat to the Wolfe Animal Hospital vets right away. Today, our Jesup vets will provide a guide to first aid for your cats.
What Is First Aid?
First aid is the initial treatment given in a medical emergency. Its purpose is to:
- preserve life
- reduce pain and discomfort
- minimize any risk of permanent disability or disfigurement
In An Emergency, What Should I Do First?
- Keep calm and assess the scene for any additional threats to you or your pet. This is important for everyone's safety.
- Keep your cat warm (except in heat stroke), as quiet as possible, and keep movement to a minimum, especially if there is possible trauma, broken limbs, or any neurological symptoms.
- Contact your veterinary hospital to inform them of the situation and get specific first-aid advice.
- To safely move your injured cat, use a suitable carrier that can fully support your cat without "squishing" it into a small space. Place a blanket or thick towel over the patient.
- Get to the veterinary hospital as soon as possible
What if my cat requires CPR?
If there are still no obvious signs of life after you have established an airway and begun rescue breathing, you should attempt chest compressions:
- Make sure there is no bleeding. If possible, lay your cat on its right side.
- Feel for a heartbeat or femoral pulse. The femoral pulse is located inside the leg in the groin region. Cats do not have a readily palpable carotid (neck) pulse.
- Bend the left forearm and note the location where the elbow touches the chest. This is close to the middle of the rib cage.
- Use one hand to compress the chest from both sides by putting your fingers on one side and your thumb on the other side of the chest.
- Compress the chest 100-120 times per minute. The rate should be about 30 compressions for every two breaths. Try to compress the chest wall by at least 30-50%. This is about 1" (2 cm) in the average cat.
Cat First Aid Kit:
If you have a cat it is important to have the right supplies if your cat happens to get hurt. Here is a list of the essentials:
- Gloves -- plastic
- Bandages -- cohesive bandage to keep dressings and bandages in place
- Blankets -- foil and a soft comforting blanket
- Tweezers -- tick twisters
- Scissors
- Sterile gauze swab
- Disinfectant wipes