WOUNDS AND BLEEDING

There are two methods of treating the bleeding cat, depending on the location and severity of the injury. If the cat is squirting bright red blood, he has likely injured an artery and if the blood is darker and oozing, then he has severed a vein.

An arterial injury will require a tourniquet situated between the heart and the bleeding extremity. Obviously, this won’t work if the cut is to the head, throat or body. If the injury is to the legs or tail take a piece of cloth or bandage and then loop it around the limb and then tighten until the bleeding is under control. You MUST loosen the tourniquet at least every half hour for two or three minutes.

A less severe injury, or one that due to it’s location cannot be treated as above, can be treated by applying a pressure bandage. Make a thick pad of sterile bandage and tape securely in place. Watch carefully to make sure the paw or tail does not swell on either side of the bandage. If it does, the bandage must be loosened and re-secured. If you do not have your supplies handy, a shirt wadded up and held tightly to the would will help. Try not to introduce any more bacteria than necessary as secondary infection will complicate matters.

Bites don’t usually look bad, but they are very dangerous and full of infection. Treat snake bites as indicated in SNAKE BITES and then they and ALL other bites should be treated by your Veterinarian. Your cat will need antibiotics, both internally and externally and the area should be kept clean. We have seen full grown cats die within a week of being bitten by another healthy cat, even when the bitten cat was being treated with antibiotics and there was no sign of infection. Do not assume that it will just go away.

Note: I am not a veterinarian. If your cat is bleeding get him to a licensed veterinarian immediately.