First Aid Basics: Dehydration and Circulation

by Aimee Amodio | More from this Blogger

03 May 2007 06:23 PM

If only our pets could talk. That would satisfy a lot of curiosity, but also make things a lot easier when something is wrong but you don't quite know what. But you don't have to live with the mystery; a few quick checks can help you see what might be wrong with your pup or kitty.

You may not be able to see much of your pet's skin (thanks to fur and pigmentation) but the gums can tell you a lot about your pet's current condition. Anything other than a normal pink color in the gums and other mucous membranes (like around the eyes) can indicate a serious problem. Read more about what different colors in the gums can mean.

While you have your pet's mouth open, you can do a quick and easy capillary refill test. The tiny blood vessels near the skin's surface give skin that healthy pink color. A capillary refill check will tell you about your pet's circulation.

• Press the flat of a finger against non-pigmented gum tissue. This squeezes the blood out of the area temporarily.
• Quickly remove your finger and you'll see a pale/white mark on the gum.
• Time how long it takes for the pink color to come back -- this is the capillary refill time.

If it takes one to two seconds, your pet is fine. If it takes between two and four seconds to return to a healthy pink color, your pet may be dehydrated or in shock. Any longer than four seconds, and your pet needs veterinary attention immediately. Less than one second can indicate heatstroke; call your vet immediately.

Testing for dehydration is just as easy! When a pet is dehydrated, her skin will start to lose elasticity. With a normally hydrated pet, you can grasp the loose skin at the scruff of the neck and it will spring back into place immediately. With a dehydrated pet, the scruff will retract more slowly. The slower it returns to a normal position, the more fluid your pet has lost. If the scruff doesn't retract at all, your pet needs medical attention immediately.

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Aimee is a fiction writer... dog lover... music lover...

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