Dehydration in a cat - how to detect and treat it in time

Causes

Most often, lack of water in cats is caused by eating disorders - vomiting and diarrhea, resulting from intoxication caused by:

• bacterial or viral infection, as well as the presence of parasites in the digestive tract;
• intestinal obstruction;
• diseases of the liver and pancreas;
• tumors in the gastrointestinal tract;
• consumption of stale and poisoned food;

Dehydration may be caused by a bacterial or viral infection

Other causes of dehydration include:

• a small amount of water to drink, especially when the animal consumes dry food;
• food allergies, moreover, it can be both to natural products and to store-bought formulations for cats;
• individual reaction of the body to certain veterinary drugs;
• excessive blood loss after injuries;
• recent surgical operations, as well as painful diagnostic procedures;
• stress, including from a long journey in a closed “carrying”;
• high body temperature due to pathologies or overheating of the animal;
• refusal to drink, which most often happens due to nausea, and also because the water in the bowl is stale;
• polyuria (excessive urine production) caused by various pathologies;
• diseases of endocrine organs.

The cat must have constant access to clean water

On a note! There are often cases when a cat suffers from a persistent lack of moisture in the body just because the owner has placed a bowl of water in an inconvenient place. The animal's access to drink should be easy and free.

Forecast

If you become dehydrated, it is important to take action quickly. When all fluid restoration procedures have been completed, the cat's chances of quickly curing the disease that led to dehydration increase.

If the cause of dehydration is a simple lack of fluid intake, the animal quickly recovers after receiving injections and replenishing moisture in the cells and connective tissues. The speed of recovery depends on the age of the cat, the presence of chronic diseases and the state of immunity.

Every owner needs to know how to treat dehydration in a cat, including at home. This will allow her to live without worries and please others for a long time.

Stages and signs of dehydration

There are three forms of dehydration, each of which is characterized by a specific set of symptoms.

Table 1. Gradual development of dehydration in cats

Only a veterinarian can save a cat in the final stages of dehydration.

On a note! When dehydration rapidly progresses and reaches 15-20%, the cat may die within 24 hours. To save the animal, urgent veterinary care will be required, which is only possible in an animal clinic.

How to identify the problem: symptoms

In case of an infectious disease, this symptom may be accompanied by a high temperature in the pet.

When a cat becomes dehydrated and water reserves are not replenished for a long time, such a deviation negatively affects the general condition of the pet and the functioning of its body as a whole. The cat experiences frequent diarrhea and severe vomiting, and if the cause of the problem is infection, the body temperature may increase or decrease. Dehydration can be recognized by a number of signs:

• dry skin;
• lethargic behavior;
• sunken eyes;
• decreased elasticity of the skin at the withers;
• problems with appetite;
• constipation or diarrhea;
• abnormal heart rhythm;
• viscous saliva;
• light gums.

The clinical picture of dehydration in cats may differ, depending on the degree of impairment. The main stages of the pathological process are presented in the table:

Diagnosis at home

In addition to those listed above, signs of dehydration include:

• coldness of the cat’s heels and toes;
• dull and dry coat;
• the animal’s reluctance to groom itself;
• difficulties with bowel movements.

Unfortunately, all this can indicate a number of other health problems, and to make sure that the problem is a lack of water, a caring owner should do the following:

1. Examine your pet's oral cavity, paying special attention to the gums. If you press lightly with your finger, they will normally turn pale, but after 3-5 seconds they will restore their color. When dehydrated, this happens longer, and when the time drags on to 10 seconds, we can talk about an extreme degree of dehydration.
2. Check skin elasticity. Pulled at the withers of a healthy animal, it instantly returns to its original state. Weak turgor, when the skin straightens for more than 2 seconds, may indicate a lack of water in the body. If it takes more than 6 seconds, the pet's condition is serious.

The pulled skin on the withers of a healthy animal instantly returns to its original state

When checking turgor, you should keep in mind that:

• The skin of kittens under 8 months is rougher than that of adults, so it takes longer to regain its shape;
• In animals with signs of obesity, the dermis is more elastic than in relatives with normal weight.

If home diagnostic methods reveal a serious lack of water in your pet’s body, you should rush to the veterinary clinic.

Symptoms

The disease in an animal occurs with symptoms that can accompany various diseases, so it is necessary to show the pet to a doctor.

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If an animal suffers from vomiting and diarrhea and does not drink water at all, this is an alarming sign.

The inability to defecate indicates insufficient fluid levels in the body.

If the oral mucosa is light in color, the saliva is viscous and does not excrete well, this indicates the presence of pathologies.

With existing infectious diseases and inflammation, the temperature can not only rise, but also fall. A sharp change in body temperature leads to profuse sweating and, accordingly, loss of large amounts of fluid.

So, let's name the main symptoms of the disease:

• dry skin;
• lethargy of the animal;
• sunken eyes;
• lack of normal appetite;
• constipation or diarrhea;
• arrhythmia;
• body temperature atypical for an individual;
• saliva viscosity;
• light shade of gums.

Symptoms of dehydration can vary and depend on several factors and the underlying underlying cause that caused the fluid and electrolyte imbalance. The simplest test a cat owner can perform to determine possible dehydration is to check the elasticity of the skin.

You need to grab a fold of your pet's skin with your index finger and thumb and release. Normal skin turgor allows it to return to its original appearance instantly. When smoothing the skin for more than five seconds, we can talk about the presence of dehydration.

It is better to take the skin in the area of ​​the shoulder blades (withers) for the test. It is extremely important to note the condition of the visible mucous membranes. Thus, the saliva released from the oral cavity should be of a liquid consistency. As dehydration develops, saliva becomes viscous and thick.

Signs of dehydration include infrequent trips to the toilet. Violation of the act of urination indicates a large number of pathologies, mainly associated with the urinary system. The development of dehydration is also accompanied by a decrease in the number of acts of urination.

If there is no urine output, it is necessary to show the animal to a veterinarian. This is due to the fact that the absence of urination can be caused by urinary retention with a full bladder due to blockage of the urethra.

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Clinical diagnosis of dehydration

As a rule, doctors accept domestic animals that are brought in in a state of moderate or severe severity out of turn.

The specialist will carefully listen to the owner’s complaints, ask additional questions about the animal’s feeding habits and health, and then examine the cat. To have objective data about her condition, the veterinarian will prescribe general and biochemical blood tests, as well as a urine test.

Only a qualified veterinarian can determine the exact stage of dehydration and help your pet.

In this case, factors confirming dehydration will be:

• increased percentage of hematocrit (the content of red cells in the total blood volume). In the form this parameter is designated as “PCV”;
• a large amount of protein in the blood;
• hyperconcentration of urine.

On a note! The examination will not only confirm (or refute) the fact of dehydration, but also understand the reasons for this condition. If pathologies of internal organs are suspected, additional studies are carried out.

If dehydration is suspected, it is best to show the animal to a specialist.

Veterinarian examination

The veterinarian first of all examines the condition of the mucous membranes in cats, takes the patient’s blood and urine for electrolyte levels, assesses the condition of the kidneys, and, if necessary, prescribes x-rays and ultrasound examination of internal organs.

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To eliminate fluid loss, a drip with saline is placed or injections are made under the skin until the amount of water in the body reaches normal, or the cat begins to drink on its own.

Note! Subcutaneous injections are easy to learn how to do yourself at home. To do this, the skin in the withers area is pulled back and a 10 mm syringe is used to inject the solution into the scruff of the neck. These skills are especially necessary for cat owners with diabetes.

If there is a high degree of dehydration, the cat is left in the hospital for treatment under the supervision of a doctor. If there is a slight loss of fluid after infusion therapy, the pet is taken home.

Fluid deficiency can be easily restored in the clinic

Treatment

First of all, the cause of dehydration should be identified and eliminated. For example, exclude allergenic foods from the diet and make sure that your pet always has fresh water available. When a cat is very ill, you should urgently take it to the clinic.

At home

The main goal of dehydration therapy is to quickly replenish water deficiency. To do this, first place the animal in a cool room and place a bowl of water next to it. If the animal refuses to drink regular water, you can offer it jelly from your favorite canned cat food. In cases where this does not help, it is recommended to force-drink the animal using a small syringe (without a needle!). This must be done carefully so as not to scratch the oral mucosa and not to get water into the cat’s respiratory tract.

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At the veterinary clinic

Next, you should act according to the situation: if the animal is still suffering, but does not drink, it is better to consult a doctor. He will prescribe medications for:

• maintaining cardiac function. Due to the fact that with a lack of fluid, the blood thickens, the work of the main organ is significantly complicated. For stimulation, for example, caffeine or cordiamine is used, which is injected under the skin;
• suppression of the gag reflex. If this is not done, everything drunk, including medications, will not be retained in the stomach and will come out with vomit. To rid the cat of this, Cerucal is injected subcutaneously;

  Cerucal in ampoules

• normalization of water-salt metabolism. A mixture of ascorbic acid, glucose and Ringer-Locke solution is used. This composition is administered every 4 hours, so the animal owner must be able to do this.

Everything is done as follows:

1. 10 “cubes” of Ringer-Locke liquid are taken into a syringe with a volume of 20 ml3, then 2 to 5 ml of two percent glucose and a quarter of a “cube” of ascorbic acid are added.
2. The resulting mixture is shaken and checked for temperature - it should be 39 C.
3. Gently knead the skin of the animal’s withers with your fingers for 2-3 seconds, then pull it back and insert a needle placed on a syringe with the composition. The injection should not be done vertically (that is, not from top to bottom, towards the spine), but only horizontally, so that the syringe is located along the cat’s body. The medicine is administered gradually, after which the needle is quickly removed, and the puncture site is treated with cotton wool and alcohol.

The syringe is placed along the cat's body and the medicine is administered gradually

Attention! Subcutaneous administration is recommended for moderate dehydration, and in severe cases, drugs are injected into a vein so that the effect occurs faster.

The duration of infusion therapy (intravenous administration of compounds that relieve intoxication and replenish water deficiency) depends on the condition of the animal. In some cases, the drip is placed for a few minutes, in others – for several hours.

Dosage

You can buy Regidron powder at any pharmacy. To feed the cat, dilute the contents of the sachet in 1 liter of chilled boiled water. The resulting solution will have a slightly sweetish-salty taste and may not be liked by the animal, so it is best to give the medicine using a syringe without a needle.

To compensate for the loss of fluid in the body, the medicine should be given after each attack of vomiting. In the first hours of the disease, the cat should be given a Regidron solution at the rate of 10 ml per kilogram of body weight per hour. In 10 hours, the total amount of medication should be twice the amount lost in body weight. In the following days, you can reduce the dosage, but treatment must be continued for three to four days.

Preventing dehydration

It is easier and simpler to prevent any pathology with preventive measures than to treat and eliminate its consequences. This also applies to dehydration in cats. To prevent your beloved pet from suffering from water deficiency:

• She should be fed only food that her body can best digest. Ideally, this is ready-made food from the store;
• you cannot offer the animal food from your table, as well as foods that can cause allergies;
• the owner must ensure that the cat has free access to a bowl with plenty of cool and fresh water;
• the animal must be vaccinated in accordance with its age and habitat, and also undergo periodic examinations by a veterinarian;
• Pathologies identified in a cat should be treated, strictly following all the doctor’s instructions.

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Attention! The owner must monitor how much the cat drinks per day, as well as control the amount of urine in the tray and the frequency of bowel movements. If the animal does not defecate daily, and the feces are hard and dense, there may be a water deficiency. It is important to monitor the cat’s behavior, as well as its appetite. All deviations, if they are not caused, for example, by weather and character, may indicate disorders in the body. To dispel or confirm doubts, you should show your pet to a veterinarian.

How is it diagnosed?

When your pet is examined by a doctor, he may order a blood test.
Treatment is selected only after the doctor determines the causes of dehydration in cats. As a rule, a visual examination of the pet is enough for a specialist to determine the degree of violation. If the pet's condition is critical, then diagnosis is carried out after emergency assistance. To make a final diagnosis and determine the source of dehydration, the following studies are carried out:

• biochemical and general blood test;
• Ultrasound of internal organs;
• radiography.

Recommendations for owners of special cats

If the furry pet of the family:

• she eats dry food, but for some reason drinks little; her diet should be diversified with wet spiders;
• periodically suffers from dehydration due to improper functioning of the kidneys, subcutaneous injections of medicinal solutions will help, which are performed regularly, at a certain interval and only after a doctor’s prescription;
• a light drinker by nature (there are such people!), this can be considered the norm if the pet is active and eats well, has healthy mucous membranes and elastic skin, regularly goes to the toilet, while the urine is a healthy, light yellow color, and intestinal excrement is normal , soft consistency.

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