What are the symptoms and treatments for Heatstroke in cats?

One of the most frequent problems that a cat can suffer in summer is a heat stroke due to the high temperatures that this season of the year brings with it. It is necessary to act quickly in this situation since otherwise, the damage could appear in the organism of your feline, and in the most serious cases, it could even die. Therefore, it is very dangerous to leave a feline in a highly hot area for a long time, since it is not necessary for several hours to pass for it to have a heat stroke, it can happen just by leaving it for a while on a terrace in full sun or with little cool shade or in your carrier or travel box in the car and parked in the sun. The hyperthermia in cats is an excessive rise in temperature that can be fatal, as in the case of persons if it happens. So that you can avoid it or treat it if it occurs, in this Howorwhat.com article, we tell you all about heatstroke in the cats, its symptoms, and what to do.

Symptoms of heatstroke in the cats

The causes of heatstroke in the cats are usually being indoors and with prolonged exposure to the sun, as well as the lack of water. How to know if a cat has a heat stroke? If this problem happens, the following symptoms will appear:

If you measure the temperature of your feline and it is at 40 ºC it means that it has a fever (the rectal temperature of domestic felines is usually between 38 ºC and 39 ºC), but if it exceeds 42 ºC it already suffers from hyperthermia.

Read Also: How to convince your parents to let you have a pet

What to do if my cat gets heatstroke

Surely you wonder what to do when a cat has a heat stroke, the truth is that, without a doubt, it is advisable to go to a veterinarian as soon as possible to avoid problems derived from hyperthermia, but if for some case not You can go or you are going to take it, here is what you can do to reduce the symptoms.

If you notice that your cat is suffering from heatstroke or the body temperature is higher than it should be, it is recommended to contact a veterinarian to describe the symptoms it has and to follow the instructions given by phone to end the problem as soon as before. For the feline to stop being at risk, it is necessary to know how to properly cool a cat when its temperature is too high. So here you have the first aid for heatstroke in the cats that you can follow to try to make your feline feel better.

• It is necessary to lower the temperature of your feline friend gradually, never suddenly to prevent other problems such as shock or hypothermia from appearing.
• Take your cat and take him to a cool place where it is not hot compared to where he was. You can place it in front of a fan, but always at the minimum power.
• Moisten his mouth, you can use a syringe, your fingers, or a spray and apply water to that part. This should be done from time to time until your temperature is correct.
• You can also apply cool, wet gauze pads to his pads, chest, neck, and abdomen to cool him down.
• Constantly check his temperature to make sure it decreases little by little, otherwise go to the vet without thinking.

Make sure that when it is better, your furry has fresh and abundant water within reach.

Although your feline has recovered thanks to the first aid you have performed, it is recommended to go to a veterinarian to rule out sequelae or any secondary problem derived from heat stroke or hyperthermia. Sometimes, the vet will tell you to administer glucose and/or mineral salts to your feline as a treatment for heatstroke in the cats after completing first aid.

How to avoid heatstroke in the cats

As you already know that cats can suffer heatstroke easily, although some more than others since obesity, age or some health problem can favor the appearance of this problem, you must know how to prevent this from happening. To do this, take note of the following tips to avoid heatstroke in the cats:

• Avoid that your cat is in a closed space such as a car, a carrier, or a room that is too small and without ventilation.
• Do not leave your feline exposed to the sun, it should always have a cool and shady place so that it can take shelter.
• Make sure your feline always has fresh water available and within reach.
• You can refresh your cat by wetting it with cool water in the area of ​​the pads, neck, armpits with a damp cloth.
• In long-haired cats that are going to be in a somewhat hot area, it is advisable to go to a groomer to cut a little the excess fur that produces so much heat. However, it is not advisable to remove much or shave them, since the type of coat they have can also protect them from the sun, so it is only a matter of lightening it a bit.
• In summer it is also recommended to offer your cat food after sunset, where temperatures are not so high.
• Avoid obesity in your feline, you can do it by playing regularly with your cat to get him to exercise, but always in a short time, since otherwise the chances of him suffering from hyperthermia increase.

In conclusion, to prevent both heatstroke and other problems, it is recommended to keep your cat away from high temperatures and make fresh water available. In some cases, cats do not usually drink a lot of water and this favors the appearance of problems like this.

Normally, this happens because the water is too hot or simply because they like to drink from a special place, for example, from the tap and this can be a problem since it cannot always be open. A good option is to acquire a water fountain for cats, they are attracted to it and they will surely drink and cool off more.

Originally published at https://howorwhat.com on September 20, 2020.