Cats like to wander and often approach things they find unusual which could result in burns.
If Fluffy likes to join you in the kitchen to ask for a treat, an accident may occur. Leaving an open flame unattended briefly is enough time for your cat to get burned.
With National Pet First Aid Awareness Month underway, now is a good time to learn about how to react to burns.
Appropriate action must be taken to prevent such an injury from getting any worse. Below is a list of ways to care for your cat after receiving a burn.
Assess the Severity of the Burn
After realizing that your pet has come in contact with fire, examine severity of the burn. If it’s particularly bad, you should notice it just by looking. Not all burns will appear serious however.
Sometimes, your cat may start limping if their paw was the part of their body that was burned. A change in behavior can also tip you off to the severity of the burn. Your pet may start acting weird following the incident and this is important to note.
There are burn wounds so minor that they should heal on their own, but others require more attention.
Don’t Apply Anything to the Wound
Let’s say that you are good at gauging the severity of wounds and you saw that your cat has a bad first-degree or even a second-degree burn. What should you do next?
Many pet owners may be tempted to apply some form of ointment on the wounded area or perhaps treat it with some ice or running water. Tufts University’s Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine urges pet owners to avoid doing those things.
According to them, ointment may lead to oozing caused by the burn to seep deeper into the skin and that could worsen the current situation. Meanwhile, using ice may result in additional tissue damage. Cleaning the wound with cold water is also not a great idea because it could lead to your cat going into shock.
Head to the Veterinarian ASAP
Instead of trying to treat the wound yourself, your best bet is to head to the vet as soon as you can. Grab a clean blanket or towel, wrap your cat with it, place him/her in a carrier, and then make the trip to the vet.
Burns can be very delicate and difficult to deal with. It’s best to leave them to the experts whenever possible. Your cat will be thankful for you taking that course of action.
Leaving your cat home alone can lead to them getting into all kinds of unfortunate accidents. Keep those accidents from happening by hiring a cat sitter. TAILored Cat Services can meet your sitting needs and you contact us by calling 425-923-7791 or emailing through our website.
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