All Pet Naturals Blog

Part II

To take the temperature it is best to use some lubricating jelly which is applied to the end of the thermometer before it is inserted in the rectum. It is  also best to have someone firmly hold your cat or dog, for obvious reasons since the tube is usually made of glass.

Another useful things to have on hand is a heating pad. This is helpful  if there is any kind of shock, or low temperature, or for general sickness and debility as well. Get one that is designed for animals and make sure the electric wire  is covered and unavailable for chewing.  In an emergency how water bottles can be improvised using empty plastic bottles which are filled with hot but not boiling water.

Shock can be seen due to serious injury or medical problems such as acute diarrhea, hypoglycemia, blood loss, poisoning and many serious internal problems that might not be evident without x-rays or blood tests. If your pet shows any of these signs seek medical help  as soon as possible. In general the smaller the animal the more rapidly they will go into shock and the more urgent the medical attention is required. This applies especially to young kittens and puppies, who are very susceptible to chills as well as hypoglycemia.

The next useful thing to have is pediolyte, or another dehydration fluid. This is basically water and electrolytes and is essential if your animal is having diarrhea or any signs of shock such as low temperature, cold extremities, pale gums and weakness. You will need a syringe to administer the pediolyte and a five or ten cc syringe usually works well, you  can give one or two syringes of this into  the mouth every hour until they are looking better, depending on the size of the animal. To check for signs of dehydration is is best to take  the skin at the scruff of the neck and raise it up between your finger and thumb then let go. If it goes immediately back to normal they are not dehydrated. If it stays up a few seconds, then are starting to get dehydrated and need to be given oral rehydration fluids immediately as described above. another useful thing to start giving, especially to puppies and young animals of any type is a little honey and  water, or even glucose. The honey needs to dissolved in a little hot water then some cool water added to get it into a solution which  can be given with a syringe. Toy breeds, such as chihuahua’s are particularly prone to hypoglycemia and low blood sugar, especially as puppies, so this is well  worth doing in an emergency, when you are not exactly sure of the cause.

Part III – Coming Next

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