The Importance of Quick Care for Cat Emergencies
What are the signs that my cat is having a medical emergency?
There can be a lot of signs, of course, but the biggest ones we worry about would be issues like labored breathing, weakness, changes in mentation, profuse vomiting, and obviously wounds or bleeding. Those are the biggest emergencies, typically.
How can I tell if my cat is in pain?
Cats are tough. They're very good at hiding it. Cats typically will show pain by hiding. If you find them not frequenting their normal spots, sometimes they will urinate or defecate in strange places, avoid eating, or avoid social contact. Those are generally the most common signs. Obviously, if they're limping or constantly licking an area, those are signs as well.
What should I do if my cat is choking?
If they appear to be choking, where they truly can't seem to take a good breath and are pawing at their throats, I would take them straight to the closest veterinary clinic or ER.
How can I safely transport my cat to the emergency vet?
I would try to get them into their carrier. That way they're not loose in the car and stressing themselves out even further. If you can get them in their carrier, that's ideal. Otherwise, of course, just bring them to us, but ideally in a carrier.
What should I do if my cat is having a seizure?
The hardest part with a seizure is knowing that you just have to wait for it to end. Don't try to get them out of it because the seizure just has to go through its course. They're not going to swallow their tongue or anything like that, so do not mess with their mouth because you're more likely to get bitten.
Reasons to take them to an ER for a seizure would be if the seizure lasts longer than five minutes or if they have multiple seizures in one day.
How can I tell if my cat has been poisoned?
There are a lot of different ways they can be poisoned, but symptoms often include vomiting, drooling, weakness, and changes in mentation. They could have eaten something or gotten into something that's poisonous.
What should I do if my cat ingests something toxic?
If you see that they ingested something toxic, I would call a veterinary clinic or bring them to us right away. Typically, if they've eaten something within an hour, we can induce vomiting. Not everything can be treated this way; there are some things that we don't want to make them throw up.
Always call us and let us know, but if it's within an hour, we can induce vomiting. If it's after an hour, sometimes we can give them charcoal to help prevent absorption into the GI tract, and they may need other treatments. Try to contact or get them to a veterinarian as soon as possible.
What are the signs of heat stroke, and how can I prevent it?
Heat stroke symptoms typically include weakness and open-mouth breathing or panting. To prevent it, especially if it's an indoor-outdoor cat, try to keep them inside during the heat of the summer.
I don't see a whole lot of heat stroke in cats; they tend not to be as prone to it as dogs, partly because we're not taking them as many places as we do dogs. However, any symptoms where a cat seems to have labored breathing should be addressed by bringing them in.
What should I do if my cat has been hit by a car?
Try to carefully pick them up and bring them here. The problem is that if they're in pain, then they're more prone to biting, so just be very careful. Just like if you have a human in a car wreck, you want to be careful because we don't know of any internal injuries or broken bones. Be very gentle. If you have a makeshift stretcher, you could try to put them on that, like any kind of hard surface, get them into a carrier safely, and bring them to us.
How can I stop bleeding if my cat has a cut or wound?
If your cat will let you, you can try to apply a makeshift bandage. If the wound continues to bleed or it's open enough that it probably needs stitches, then I would get them straight to us. We'll usually sedate them and do what we need to do.
What are the signs of a urinary blockage in male cats?
Typically, these kitties will be in and out of the litter box a lot, and they're usually crying or yowling with a very loud vocalization. If they're doing that and you're not seeing any urine in the litter box, and they're typically uncomfortable and bloated in their abdomen, any of those symptoms are definitely an emergency. I would take them to any regular veterinarian or ER.
How can I tell if my cat is having difficulty breathing?
If cats are open-mouth breathing or panting, that's always a concern. Any open-mouth breathing, coughing (which is not very common in cats), or if they're visibly using their abdomen to take a breath, indicates they're working too hard.
Any of those symptoms should be addressed very soon, if not immediately, by a veterinarian or ER.
What should I do if my cat is vomiting or has diarrhea for more than 24 hours?
This is not always an emergency if they're otherwise bright, alert, and eating. I would probably just take them the next time your normal veterinarian is available. Unless it's profuse vomiting or they're very weak, but if they're having vomiting and/or diarrhea for more than 24 hours, we should consider some testing, like X-rays, to figure out why it's persisting.
What are the signs of a severe allergic reaction in cats?
It depends on what they're reacting to. If it's an anaphylactic reaction, they can have weakness, labored breathing, open-mouth breathing, acute swelling, welts, vomiting, and things like that. I would be concerned and seek veterinary care.
What should I include in a first aid kit for my cat?
I would have basic bandaging material. It's tough with cats to try to treat them at home, but I would start with some basic bandaging material, maybe some triple antibiotic wound cream, and some saline to flush out wounds.
What should I do if my cat's eye is injured or swollen?
I would probably not try to do anything at home. If they seem comfortable, try to get them to the veterinarian as soon as you can. Obviously, if they don't seem comfortable or if it's traumatic, that's when I would take them to urgent care or the ER.
How can I tell if my cat has a broken bone, and what should I do?
If they are obviously limping or non-weight-bearing on a limb and it persists longer than a day, I would definitely take them in. As we've talked about, cats are very good at hiding pain, so sometimes they won't tell us right away that they have a fracture.
Any persistent limping or pain upon petting or touching them at home should be addressed by a vet.
After an emergency, how should I monitor my cat's healing or progress?
It depends on what they were being treated for. Usually, after you're at the ER or with us, anybody, they'll send you with directions and the time of the next recheck. Follow that guidance. If they're indoor-outdoor, I would probably keep them inside until we know they're 100% back to normal. You'll be given explicit directions on monitoring at home and rechecks.
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