Cat wont stop chewing on plastic
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Your vet will perform a full clinical examination of your cat. Please do not give any human medication - this may cause additional problems. It's always safer to have your cat checked by a qualified veterinary surgeon as some early signs of breathing problems can only be detected by listening to your cat’s heart and lungs. Once you have your cat, wrap her in a towel or blanket then seek veterinary attention straight away. Do not approach your cat if she is lying in a puddle and consider your own safety first. Be extremely careful if the area is wet as this will also conduct electricity. It may be possible to break the contact between your cat and the live current using a wooden or plastic pole - never use metal - to push them away from the electric source, or the source away from them.
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If this isn’t possible, consider contacting the emergency services for specialist help. This may involve simply switching off the socket at the wall or turning off the mains supply. Turn off any possible source of electricity. If you consider that you cat may have been electrocuted, before attempting to touch them it is essential you make sure it is electrically safe to do so. The live current may still be present and will shock you too if you touch your cat, so your first step should be to turn off the power. Electricity can cause muscular spasms which can cause the jaws to clamp shut around cables so that they can’t let go, so your cat may be twitching or moving around. Your cat needs your help to get to a veterinary surgeon so do not do anything which may endanger your safety. The golden rule when dealing with an electrical shock is don’t put yourself at risk. My cat has just been electrocuted, what should I do? Pets showing any of these symptoms should be checked by a veterinary surgeon as quickly as possible.
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There may be charring or other burn marks present or the odour of burnt hair.Īlternatively, mild cases may not be discovered until a day or two later when your cat starts showing signs of pain or secondary infection of burns.Ī cat that is unconscious and not breathing needs to see a veterinary surgeon immediately and should be taken to the nearest vet. It’s not uncommon to find pets unconscious close to a source of electricity, often still in contact with it. How will I know if my cat has received an electric shock?Ĭats may be found chewing something electrical or may jump as if they’ve just received a static shock. Lightning strikes are usually immediately fatal. In the worst case, brain damage, unconsciousness or even instant death can occur. Electricity can disrupt the normal heartbeat resulting in an arrhythmia (abnormal heart rhythm) which may cause your cat to collapse, or may even cause cardiac arrest (when the heart stops beating). Severe shocks may cause internal damage to the brain, heart, lungs and gastrointestinal tract. These can get infected very easily, and if in the mouth may be noticed as mouth pain, excess drooling or a foul smell.Įlectricity from an electric shock can damage the lungs and cause them to fill with fluid making it difficult for your cat to breathe - this life-threatening condition is called pulmonary oedema. This can take up to two days to develop but may happen within minutes.
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Often the extent of the damage is not fully apparent until several days afterwards as the damaged tissue dies and forms ulcers. However, even relatively weak electrical currents can cause severe burns as the current spreads through the tissues and causes them to overheat. Very mild shocks may cause nothing more than slight discomfort similar to us experiencing a static build-up. Find my nearest clinic Electric shock in cats, although rare, most commonly occurs in kittens and young cats What is the effect of an electric shock in cats?Ī lot depends on the strength of the current, the voltage of the electricity, and the duration of contact.