Cats
cat in shock symptom – srisks and what to do to help
Cats are curious animals: if in your explorations at home or outdoors the cat has taken a shock, it is essential to know what to do and what are the risks to its health.
Electric shocks are infrequent among adult cats, but much more likely and numerous among puppies and young kittens: kittens often chew their electric cables, or they find themselves playing with defective or broken cables. Without forgetting the dangers deriving from lightning, for cats who find themselves away from home and are surprised by a sudden storm.
The electric shock it is therefore a real danger especially for cat puppies: here are the real risks and what to do if your cat has taken the shock.
The effects of an electric shock shock in cats are variable and mainly depend on three factors: the power of the current, the voltage of the electricity and the duration of the contact.
If the cat suffers a very slight shock, you will feel discomfort similar to what we ourselves experience during a static accumulation. However, even relatively weak electric currents are able to cause severe burns to the cat, in the event that electricity spreads through the tissues causing the skin to overheat.
Sometimes, the effects of an electric shock are not immediately visible, but they can only be noticed after a few days since the cat took the shock: the ulcers on the damaged tissue, in fact, appear only later and are dangerous because they can easily become infected.
Serious consequences of the electric shock in kitty
A severe electric shock can be significantly more dangerous to the cat’s health. Sometimes, electricity can damage the lungs by making them fill with liquid: the result will be that the cat will present breathing difficulties due to a very dangerous condition called pulmonary edema. Edema can develop from a few minutes after the shock, up to two days after the cat has taken the electric shock.
But the lungs are not the only organs that could be seriously damaged by an electric shock: cats can suffer brain, heart or gastrointestinal tract injuries due to the passage of electric current through their body.
- If the damage is of a cardiac nature, a dangerous arrhythmia can occur causing cat collapse or even cardiac arrest.
- If the damage affects the brain, the cat loses consciousness but an instant death of the animal is also possible: fortunately this case is very rare and is usually linked to the shocks caused by lightning.
Signs of shock from electric shock in cats
If a cat chews an electrical wire or comes into contact with a static electricity source, it is likely to see it suddenly jump. Another immediate signal is the smell of burning if the hair has burned or there are burns on the animal’s skin.
Others signals commonly found when the cat took one mild shock I’m:
– pain in the affected area
– cough
– difficulty eating
– increased salivation
– halitosis in cats
If the electric shock is immediately severe, instead, the symptoms manifested by the cat can include:
– noticeable burns
– signs of pain in the cat
– increased salivation
– cough
– breathing difficulties
Convulsions
– collapse or unconsciousness
If the cat that has taken the shock has one or more of the symptoms described, it is important to contact the veterinarian immediately. In particular, if following the shock the cat is unconscious or not breathing you must immediately proceed with CPR (cardio pulmonary resuscitation) maneuvers specific for cats.
My cat has taken the shock: what should I do?
The first rule when dealing with electricity is protect yourself from risks: the cat definitely needs your help in order to be visited by the vet, so you need to pay attention to your safety or put your beloved cat at risk.
If the cat shows up muscle contractions, means that the electricity is still passing through: do not touch the cat therefore, but immediately think of interrupting the power supply before any contact. If the shock occurred outside and you do not have the possibility to suspend the electricity supply, immediately alert the emergency services.
When you can finally touch the cat safely, take it in your arms, wrap it in a blanket or towel and take it immediately to the veterinarian: the doctor will undergo a complete examination, auscultating the heart and lungs and looking for any sign of burning, burn, injury or trauma on the animal’s body. It is likely that the veterinarian will then carry out more detailed clinical tests to find out if the shock caused damage to vital organs.
