Basic First Aid Every Cat Owner Should Learn

Keeping your cat healthy and safe is your job as a pet owner.  Part of this means knowing basic cat first aid so that you can help treat your pet in an emergency situation should your vet be closed or otherwise unavailable at the time of the injury.

Begin by having a cat first aid kit prepared.  This should contain clean bandages, gauze sponges, rubbing alcohol and triple antibiotic ointment.  It should also contain eyewash for your pet, a pair of long tweezers, splints for broken bones, milk of magnesia, hydrogen peroxide, a muzzle and a digital thermometer – a “fever” thermometer is the best.  You can get one at any drugstore.

 

Broken Bones

 

If your pet has a broken bone, then you need to first muzzle him or her to prevent biting.  Even a docile and friendly cat will bite if they are in pain and you try to touch the injury.  Don’t take it personally!  Lay your cat on a flat surface and use a homemade splint to set the bone.  After immobilizing the cat’s leg, take it to the vet immediately.

 

Bleeding

 

If your cat is bleeding externally, then you need to first muzzle the cat.  Next, use a clean gauze pad to cover the wound.  Apply pressure to the wound and then wrap it in a sterile bandage.  Keep the pressure on the wound until it has stopped bleeding.  You now need to take your cat to the vet immediately.

 

Internal Injuries

 

If there are symptoms of internal bleeding in your cat, evidenced by pale gums, stomach pain, vomiting blood or bloody stool/ urine, then you need to keep it as still as possible.  Go to a vet as quickly as you can to prevent possible death.  Any cat hit directly by a car can be almost guaranteed to have some degree of internal bleeding.

 

Keeping your cat healthy and safe by using these first aid techniques is an important part of being a responsible pet owner.  However, there is no substitute for timely and prompt professional care.

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