Top 10 Easy First Aid Tips for Your Sick Cat
First aid is an essential part not only for humans, but also for animals as well. First aid is an immediate care you should give and if your cat is sick or injured, knowing what to do to give relief for your cat is important for a cat owner. Some of the signs to look out for if your cat is not well includes:
Always make sure to contact your local vet for any medical attention and this article does not serve as an alternative for a vet but an aid in doing the right thing to protect and save your pet cat from further deterioration before you get professional help. Below are 10 easy first aid tips if your cat is sick.
1. Recognize the injury
Recognizing the injury is important and the emergency in first aid depends on the severity of the injury. Some of the common injuries a cat could get in to is,
2. Keep your cat calm
Cats who are injured become paranoid due to knowing the vulnerability they will experience as a result of fearing any attack from other cats, Keeping your cat calm is very important because for you to apply first aid, you will have to keep your kitty calm. Cats who are injured will turn aggressive and using a
distraction strategy such as using a laser pointer or a small toy will help in giving first aid to the cat.
3. Carry the cat using a towel
Take a clean towel and gently wrap it around the cat starting from the belly. After wrapping the cat, slowly carry him and this will help you in giving first aid to your cat because the cat's paws are all wrapped and will not claw you or try to escape.
4. Apply pressure in the wound using a gauze
Applying pressure using a gauze will help the wound of the cats stop bleeding and this is important because the gauze will help germs enter the wound and cause even more serious injuries. Wrap the gauze gently in the wound and if needed, see help from a veterinarian.
5. Soak a towel in cold water for burns
Cats are clever to sense danger and their acute sense of hearing and smell help in detecting any kind of danger but even in such a scenarios, cats do get injured by getting themselves burnt and burn injuries always have a sharp stinging pain which could be unbearable and soaking a towel in cold water and pressing the towel in the burn area will help relieve the cat from pain temporarily. Burn injuries could be severe for cats and if your cat is injured with burns, seek immediate help from a local veterinarian.
6. Using a tweezer to take away insets or pricks in skin
Tweezer are a handy tool that should be there in every home and if you have a pet cat, it is important to have a tweezer during first aid. Cats are famous for wandering in places and bee stings or cactus pricks getting tangled in the fur is very much possible. Cactus spines are generally easy to remove from clothing human skin but if it gets stuck in your cat's fur taking them out can be challenging especially if there are many of them in the fur. A tweezer becomes handy in quickly removing the cactus spines. Make sure to remove it gently without hurting the cat. You can use a tweezer to remove bee stings, needles and other small objects that could hurt the cat.
7. Applying gentian violet for minor wounds
Applying gentian violet to wounds is a controversial topic and gentian violet is highly topic for pets if taken orally. Gentian violet in small amounts are harmless and will help your pet cat's wounds heal better. A study done on rabbits and dogs with gentian violet showed that it did no harm to their bodies. (Research link- https://core.ac.uk/download/pdf/7826424.pdf) But some experts warn of its toxicity in humans and countries like Canada have banned it . If you are using gentian violet on your cat, use only for minor wounds and iit is better to consult your vet for advice before administering it.
8. Apply manuka honey for minor wounds
Manuka honey helps protect your cat from developing any infections as a result of sustaining a wound and prevents any kind of infection. Manuka honey contains the very important compound known as methylglyoxal (MGO) which has antibiotic properties. One study which used 32 cats found that manuka honey has the same healing effects as the antiseptic solution as Rivanol. The study said,
"The application of Rivanol and Manuka honey yielded similar results in terms of time and there was no statistically significant difference. Manuka honey was found to be an alternative to Rivanol in the treatment of infected cat wounds"
(https://www.researchgate.net/publication/345463388_Comparison_of_Manuka_Honey_Manuka_Nd_G_and_Etacridine_Lactate_Rivanol_Applications_in_the_Treatment_of_Infected_Wounds_in_Cats)
Apply manuka honey on your cat's wound and use a gauze to wrap it gently so that it would aid in the healing process.
9. Use hot water steam for respiratory symptoms
If your cat has a cold or respiratory infection, one of the first things your vet would recommend is to use hot water steam near the cat's face so that the cat will be able to inhale the steam which would clear the airways which are blocked and would give comfort. Cats who are congested with a clogged nose will refuse to eat any food because smell is an important part of a cat and it helps in determining food as well. You can use warm steam from your bathroom and keep the cat there and make him inhale it for a few minutes enabling him to clear his blocked nose and help him breathe comfortably.
10. Give antibiotics for your sick cat
There are some few safe antibiotics you can use during an emergency if your cat is sick and they are,
- Hiding in dingy places and not coming out
- Aggression both towards people and other pets in the home
- Sleeping more often
- Lack of appetite
- Lack of self-grooming
- Obsessive licking of a particular area
- Reluctance to move or engage in cat or kitten play
- Change in toileting
- Limping or difficulty getting around
- Growling or crying
Always make sure to contact your local vet for any medical attention and this article does not serve as an alternative for a vet but an aid in doing the right thing to protect and save your pet cat from further deterioration before you get professional help. Below are 10 easy first aid tips if your cat is sick.
1. Recognize the injury
Recognizing the injury is important and the emergency in first aid depends on the severity of the injury. Some of the common injuries a cat could get in to is,
- Falls from high places
- Eye injuries
- Bones injuries
- muscle tear as a result of fighting with other cats
- Burns
- Road accidents
- Food poisoning
- Electrocution from wires
- Stinks
- Barbed wire injuries
2. Keep your cat calm
Cats who are injured become paranoid due to knowing the vulnerability they will experience as a result of fearing any attack from other cats, Keeping your cat calm is very important because for you to apply first aid, you will have to keep your kitty calm. Cats who are injured will turn aggressive and using a
distraction strategy such as using a laser pointer or a small toy will help in giving first aid to the cat.
3. Carry the cat using a towel
Take a clean towel and gently wrap it around the cat starting from the belly. After wrapping the cat, slowly carry him and this will help you in giving first aid to your cat because the cat's paws are all wrapped and will not claw you or try to escape.
4. Apply pressure in the wound using a gauze
Applying pressure using a gauze will help the wound of the cats stop bleeding and this is important because the gauze will help germs enter the wound and cause even more serious injuries. Wrap the gauze gently in the wound and if needed, see help from a veterinarian.
5. Soak a towel in cold water for burns
Cats are clever to sense danger and their acute sense of hearing and smell help in detecting any kind of danger but even in such a scenarios, cats do get injured by getting themselves burnt and burn injuries always have a sharp stinging pain which could be unbearable and soaking a towel in cold water and pressing the towel in the burn area will help relieve the cat from pain temporarily. Burn injuries could be severe for cats and if your cat is injured with burns, seek immediate help from a local veterinarian.
6. Using a tweezer to take away insets or pricks in skin
Tweezer are a handy tool that should be there in every home and if you have a pet cat, it is important to have a tweezer during first aid. Cats are famous for wandering in places and bee stings or cactus pricks getting tangled in the fur is very much possible. Cactus spines are generally easy to remove from clothing human skin but if it gets stuck in your cat's fur taking them out can be challenging especially if there are many of them in the fur. A tweezer becomes handy in quickly removing the cactus spines. Make sure to remove it gently without hurting the cat. You can use a tweezer to remove bee stings, needles and other small objects that could hurt the cat.
7. Applying gentian violet for minor wounds
Applying gentian violet to wounds is a controversial topic and gentian violet is highly topic for pets if taken orally. Gentian violet in small amounts are harmless and will help your pet cat's wounds heal better. A study done on rabbits and dogs with gentian violet showed that it did no harm to their bodies. (Research link- https://core.ac.uk/download/pdf/7826424.pdf) But some experts warn of its toxicity in humans and countries like Canada have banned it . If you are using gentian violet on your cat, use only for minor wounds and iit is better to consult your vet for advice before administering it.
8. Apply manuka honey for minor wounds
Manuka honey helps protect your cat from developing any infections as a result of sustaining a wound and prevents any kind of infection. Manuka honey contains the very important compound known as methylglyoxal (MGO) which has antibiotic properties. One study which used 32 cats found that manuka honey has the same healing effects as the antiseptic solution as Rivanol. The study said,
"The application of Rivanol and Manuka honey yielded similar results in terms of time and there was no statistically significant difference. Manuka honey was found to be an alternative to Rivanol in the treatment of infected cat wounds"
(https://www.researchgate.net/publication/345463388_Comparison_of_Manuka_Honey_Manuka_Nd_G_and_Etacridine_Lactate_Rivanol_Applications_in_the_Treatment_of_Infected_Wounds_in_Cats)
Apply manuka honey on your cat's wound and use a gauze to wrap it gently so that it would aid in the healing process.
9. Use hot water steam for respiratory symptoms
If your cat has a cold or respiratory infection, one of the first things your vet would recommend is to use hot water steam near the cat's face so that the cat will be able to inhale the steam which would clear the airways which are blocked and would give comfort. Cats who are congested with a clogged nose will refuse to eat any food because smell is an important part of a cat and it helps in determining food as well. You can use warm steam from your bathroom and keep the cat there and make him inhale it for a few minutes enabling him to clear his blocked nose and help him breathe comfortably.
10. Give antibiotics for your sick cat
There are some few safe antibiotics you can use during an emergency if your cat is sick and they are,
- Amoxicillin-Which is the best and safest antibiotic that can be used in cats which fights infections
- Metronidazole-Helps in fighting gastrointestinal problems in cats
- Enrofloxacin-Which is used to treat skin and urinary tract infections
- Ampicillin-Used for respiratory and urinary tract infections
- Cephalexin-Used for skin infections, respiratory tract infections and urinary tract infections.