GotoAID Cats - Electrical Shock

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Electrical Shock

Since your pet is a curious creature and loves to play with everything in sight, they may end up playing with an electrical cord. Playing with this can result in an electrical shock and can trigger a seizure or stop the heart. Usually a clear cut sign that your pet has been shocked is a burned strip across the tongue called an "electrical bite." Even if your pet seems fine it can cause an erratic heartbeat or problems with breathing in a few days, it is crucial to have your pet checked out by a vet immediately.

Symptoms

Difficulty Breathing	Panting
Burns Inside Mouth	Blue Gum Color
Singed Hair	Muscle Tremors
Singed Whiskers	Collapse
Coughing

Steps

Make sure to disconnect the power before touching your cat by shutting off the main circuit breaker or pull the power cord and move your cat to a safer area.

Make it easier to breathe by extending and aligning your cat’s head and neck.

If your pet is non-responsive (loses consciousness) and has stopped breathing, be prepared to give artificial respiration by closing your cat’s mouth with one hand and gently breathe into your cat’s nostrils.

Administer 10-20 breaths per minute for cats. With each breath, one should see the chest slightly rise. (Avoid breathing too hard or over-inflating the lungs.)

Keep breathing for your cat until he/she is able to breathe on its own or until veterinary help is available.

Check that your cat’s heart is still beating by feeling for the heart on your cat’s chest and/or feeling for your cat’s pulse. (The pulse is easily felt in the femoral artery located on the inside of the thigh.)

If no pulse or heart beat is felt, begin CPR outlined below.

With pet on its side locate the heart which is easily found at the point where the elbow bends to meet the chest.

For cats, begin chest compressions over the point of the heart by squeezing with one hand with the cat laying on its side.

Provide chest compressions as fast and consistently as one can (100-120 compressions per minute or 2 compressions per second).

Have assistants check pulse and administer breaths throughout.

Stop once a pulse is felt or signs of life are seen.

Warnings

Be careful when touching your pet as if there is a live shock going you can get shocked too

Tips

A seizure that lasts longer than 5 minutes can be fatal, so get your cat to the veterinarian immediately

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Suggestions

Anaphylactic Shock

Electrical Shock

Shock

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