"There are two means of refuge from the miseries of life: music and cats."

- Albert Schweitzer

Discovering And Treating Poisoning And Fever In Pets

Persian Kitten

A lot of pet owners don't have medical training. As such, they cannot give their pets the medication they need in times of emergencies. But even so, pet owners can learn the first aid and the basics of veterinary medicine.
There are things you can do to treat your pet even if you are not a veterinarian. Just follow these tips:

1. Perform a weekly health exam on your pets

It is important that your pets get a thorough physical examination on a weekly basis. The first step is to get comfortable when examining your pets. For starters, your pet should allow you to put your fingers in its mouth. Your pet should also let you to brush its hair and check for lumps.

2. Master the normal condition of your pet.

Cats and dogs have two vital signs - heart rate and pulse. For cats, the normal rate is 150 to 200 bpm. For small dogs, it's 90 to 120 bpm. For medium dogs, 70 to 110 bpm should be good. Large dogs should read 60 to 90 bpm. The pulse of your pets should be easy to find, strong, and regular. If you have trouble finding it, there could be a problem.

3. Learn how to check its pulse.

The easiest place to find the pulse of your pet is near its hind legs. Specifically look for the femoral artery. Move your hand upwards until it touches the stomach. Try to find pulsing blood within that area. Count the pulses made within fifteen seconds. Now multiply that number by four. That's the bpm or the beats per minute you are looking for.

If you get a value higher than normal, then the pet could be nervous. And that's a sign of a metabolic disease. It could have hyperthyroidism or some heart problems. Now if the pulse is lower than what's expected, your pet could be in a shock, poisoned, or intoxicated with drugs.

4. Know the first aid of pet poisoning.

If your pet is poisoned, don't take any chances. Take it to a veterinarian right away. Some poisons are too strong and irreversible damages could happen within 6 hours. But you should still apply first aid. In cases of poison ingestion, make your pet vomit. Don't induce vomiting if bleach or drain cleaner is consumed. Else, give your pet a teaspoon of hydrogen peroxide for every 10 lbs of its body weight. Repeat the steps if your pet fails to vomit after 10 minutes of waiting. However, you cannot give more than two tablespoons of hydrogen peroxide at any given time. If you don't have hydrogen peroxide, you can try salt. Dissolve one teaspoon of salt in one tablespoon of water for every 10 lbs of your pet's body weight.

You should also try to delay the absorption of toxin into your pet's body by giving it activated charcoal. Activated charcoal can be bought over-the-counter. It works by binding itself to the toxins found in the intestines and stomach. Get the one that comes in capsule form. If your dog loves the garbage, always keep both activated charcoal and hydrogen peroxide handy because it may hit the trash when you are not looking.

5. Dog's normal temperature.

The normal temperature of dogs is 38 Celsius or 101 Fahrenheit. For cats, it is slightly higher at 38.5 Celcius or 102 Fahrenheit. To take the temperature of your dogs, do it by inserting the thermometer in the rectum. If it reads 39.5 Celcius or 103.5 Fahrenheit or higher, that means they are down with a fever. Clean the thermometer thoroughly after use. Aside from temperature, your can determine if your pet has fever or not if it has black stool, diarrhea, or is bleeding.

6. Keep fever at bay.

Fight off fever by keeping your dog or cat hydrated. If your pet is sick, make sure it has access to water in not just one spot on the house. Try to add two to three more bowls of fresh water so it can drink everything it wishes to. In cases your pet doesn't want to drink water, use a medicine dropper, an eyedropper, or a turkey blaster to spew water into its mouth. Electrolyte would also help. Buy Pedialyte and mix it with your pet's water. Pedialyte is an electrolyte that provides the body with the necessary minerals. You can also try giving your pet beef or chicken broth. See if it prefers those more. Tuna juice can also be used. If the fever doesn't go down in 24 hours and your pet doesn't want to drink anything, take it to the veterinarian right away.

7. Learn about homeopathic medicines for pets.

If you don't have access to over-the-counter fever medicines, Hepar Sulph is a good remedy. Just give your pet one 30 C tablet every six hours for three days. It should do them good. Aside from Hepar Sulph, Arnica is can also be helpful. Give one 30 C tablet per 40 lbs of body weight every four to six hours.