The 7 Most Common Cat Injury Questions

A cat injury may occur unexpectedly, so it is best to be prepared with a first aid kit and know what to do in order to help your pet. Find out a few facts about how to offer first aid and prevent further complications resulting from injuries.

1. How Do Cats Get Injured?

Cats may get injured in cat fights, traffic accidents, while playing or exploring the indoors or outdoors. Indoors cats are less exposed to injuries.

2. What First Aid Treatment Should I Apply?

If your cat is injured by another animal, you need to clean the injury. If your cat is bleeding, apply cold compresses to stop the bleeding.

Use some disinfectant solution to clean the injury.

You may also clip the hair around the injury, as this will give your easier access, more visibility and will speed up the healing of the wound.

After cleaning the wound, use some antibacterial cream. This will prevent an infection, as the saliva of cats or other animals may transmit a lot of viruses that may be dangerous.

Bandage your cat and apply some surgical tape. It is recommended to cover the wound, to prevent the cat from licking the area.

3. How Do I Treat an Eye Injury?

Eye injuries may be severe and you cannot just apply disinfectant in the eyes of your pet.

Try cleaning the eye with a saline solution and take your cat to the vet and make sure you don't touch the eyes or the eye lids. If there are foreign objects in the eye, don't remove them; let the vet take care of these.

To prevent your cat from scratching the eyes, prepare a cardboard lamp collar.

4. What If the Cat Has a Fracture?

If your cat has a fracture, make sure to keep your cat calm and stabilize the joints above and below the fracture by using splints. Take your pet to the vet for further treatment.

5. What Are the Cat First Aid Kit Essentials?

A first aid keep is necessary for every cat owner. Keep some bandages, surgical tape and splints. Always use surgical gloves when treating your cat.

Keep some useful drugs and ointments in the kit:

  • Betadine or chlorhexidine, which act as disinfectants
  • Antibiotic ointments
  • Hydroxide peroxide, to induce vomiting in case of poisoning
  • Saline eye drops
  • Ear drops

You may also need some towels, scissors and tweezers in the kit together with the phone number of your vet.

6. Do I Need to Take the Cat to the Vet?

If the injury is not severe, you may offer at home treatment. If the cat has a deep wound, this will need sutures, while scratches or a shallow bite may be treated at home. Also, if you suspect that your cat is in shock you need to go to the vet.

However, if you treat your cat at home, monitor your cat's injuries and make sure they don't get infected.

7. What Are the Signs of Infection?

A cat injury may get infected. If the injury is red and swollen and the cat has fever, these are clear signs of infection.

 

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