Hypothermia

October 29, 2008

As winter approaches, the concern of heatstroke in your animals can give way to the concern of hypothermia. Hypothermia is defined as a body temperature below normal. A normal rectal temperature for cats and dogs is between 100.5 and 102.5 degrees Fahrenheit. The most common cause of hypothermia is exposure to cold environments.

Symptoms:

Depression
Lethargy
Weakness
Shivering
Muscle stiffness
Stupor
Difficulty breathing
Fixed and dilated pupils
Coma

What to do:

Hypothermia treatment depends its severity. If your animal has been exposed to cold and is showing any of the above signs, contact a veterinarian immediately. Some things you can do while contacting your vet, or us if your vet is unavailable.

Bring the animal to an indoor, heated area.
Cover with blankets to help insulate.
Please do no use heating pads!! If the animal is unable to move themselves, heating pads came become hot enough to burn skin.
Heat up water bottles, wrap them in a towel, and lay them against the animal.
Please be aware that rewarming a severely hypothermic animal too quickly can be dangerous. Always contact a veterinarian.

Prevention:

Do not allow your animals to go outside in freezing temperatures with out you. Unattended animals can become injured even in warm weather. In cold weather, however, the shock of trauma added to the risk of hypothermia can quickly lead to a very sick animal.

Outdoor animals should have a sturdy shelter with a good roof and a lot of clean, dry straw to help insulate it. Outdoor cats should an insulated shelter with 2 exits, incase of attack by another animal.