In the case of certain health conditions, you can postpone a vet visit to a later time; however, you can’t do the same when it seems to be a medical emergency. Knowing what to do during a cat emergency can make all the difference to your cat’s life.
Basic first aid can help manage the issue until you reach the vet’s office with your furball. After which, a thorough diagnosis and prompt treatment can lead your cat onto the path of full recovery. Contemplate enrolling in a cat first aid course and being prepared with pet insurance for cats simultaneously.
Pet insurance can cover a feline pet’s testing, treatment, and medication costs during accidental injuries, allergies, specific illnesses, and health emergencies. Consider buying a policy; meanwhile, read this article to learn the basic measures you must take should an unanticipated health issue occurs.
Learn what is normal for your furball
Lay your furball on its right side to feel the heartbeat where its left elbow meets the chest. Otherwise, lay down your furry baby on its side, lift the upper hind leg away from the lower hind leg gently, and then feel the pulse by touching its inner thighs.
After that, introduce two fingers as high as possible on the inside of both legs at the thigh joint. Expect a recess around the leg’s middle, which is the place where you can feel the pulse. Remember that 160 to 220 beats per minute is the average feline heart rate.
Record your cat’s body temperature; typically, it will be between 100 ⁰F and 102.5 ⁰F. Breathing rate should be between 20 to 30 breaths/minute; anything higher or lower might be concerning.
After that, lift the upper and lower lips to check the mucous membrane color. Pale yellow, brown, blue, white, brick red, and cherry red can indicate a medical emergency, while pink means normal. Also, gently press the gums with your fingers and observe what happens next. When things are alright, the gums turn white for a brief moment on pressing and turn pink again.
Suppose there is a massive delay in the blood capillary refill time, or the color appears quickly, then your cat may need medical assistance right away.
Treat burns asap to alleviate pain and suffering
First-degree burns – are superficial and identified by skin redness, tenderness, fur loss, pain, and swelling.
Second-degree burns – are deeper and cause redness, tenderness, fur loss, swelling, and blisters.
Third-degree burns – destroy all skin layers, including blood vessels; they are characterized by skin loss, insensitive to touch, whitish, black, or leathery skin, inflammation beneath the skin, and shock.
It is advisable to apply cool water on the affected skin areas asap. Another option would be to place a cool compress, clean and moist cloth, or sterilized non stick pad on the burns. Suppose it is a powdered chemical burn, dust away the powder before applying cool water. Don’t use ghee, butter, petroleum jelly, or topical ointments to treat the wounds. Scoop your cat to the vet immediately for timely and proper medical treatment.
Pet insurance for cats allows you to provide your munchkin with top-notch medical care with little financial hassle during challenging health events like this and many others. Contemplate purchasing pet insurance because every furball deserves quality health care during testing times of health.
