What To Do If Your Pet Suffers An Electric Shock
Electricity is dangerous, especially if there are young cats and dogs at home who are often unrepentant chewers.
Below we share some tips that have been published on various sites and that serve to avoid any type of incident. In short, so that you know what to do if your pet suffers an electric shock and how to reduce the risks.
What should you watch out for?
A dog or cat near an electrical power supply can suffer an electric shock. If the animal bites the wires, it can have seizures and even die.
One of the most recurrent causes for which animals suffer an electric shock is related to the chewing of cables.
What to do if your pet suffers an electric shock
Do not touch the dog or cat, especially if the animal is stiff. Remember that you too can receive an electric shock and it can be fatal. Instead, you must:
- Turn off electricity
If you can’t turn off the power, use a wooden broomstick (or other long, non-conductive object) to move the cat or dog a good distance from the power source and any puddles of liquid.
- Check the pulse and respiration of the animal, providing artificial respiration if necessary.
- If the dog or cat’s mouth has been burned, use cold compresses to limit the damage.
Once the dog or cat seems to recover:
- Take him to the vet immediately.
- Monitor your breathing and pulse regularly for 12 hours.
Even if your dog appears to be recovering normally and fully from an electric shock, it is vital that you take him to the vet. Internal damage, bumps, and fluid build-up in the lungs may not be visible on the outside, but can cause serious problems hours after the accident occurred.
What other factors can cause electric shock?
- Another cause that can cause an electrical shock is when the male dog urinates a power line or electrical source. This situation may shock you.
- Another reason may be that the animal is struck by lightning.
To avoid this type of situation, the best thing is prevention
Electricity must always be treated with care. If you have a restless and very, very curious dog or cat, you should take the appropriate measures to safeguard them at home.
- Along those lines, cover the power cords and, if possible, spray them with a bitter-tasting compound to deter puppies and chewers.
- If your dog or cat is still very young, never leave him alone in a room with bare power cords or exposed plugs.
- Examine the surroundings and collect all the electrical cables that are lying. Place them out of sight of your pets, such as behind furniture, among other places.
- Always turn off electrical outlets when you are not using them. Do not forget that it is not only the safest, but it will save money and preserve the lives of your pet.
Other considerations
- During Christmas, be very careful with the colored lights that you place on the Christmas tree. Keep in mind that, as we already mentioned, pets can chew on electrical cords, suffer burns on their tongues and other parts of their mouths.
They can also develop a buildup of fluid inside their lungs, as a result of the electric shock. This buildup can lead to heart failure, known as non-cardiogenic pulmonary edema. It leads to respiratory problems and can be fatal.
- When animals are burned, in addition to suffering very severe pain, the scorched tissue is also at risk of infection.
If your pet chews on an electrical cord and his burns are deep enough, he will need to be hospitalized for care and may even use a temporary feeding tube.
- When animals chew on electrical cables, they not only put their lives at risk, but also yours and your family’s. It can be dangerous for everyone in the home, since this situation can cause a short circuit and cause a fire.
As we already mentioned, if you notice that your pet receives an electric shock from a string of Christmas lights or any other electrical cable, try to safely disconnect the cable, but do not touch your pet.
Once you have disconnected the electricity, take her urgently to your vet.
Featured image courtesy of Rodrigo Soldon 2.
