ti Ps o f t h e tr a d e
By Steve Milano
Spotting and Managing Hypothermia
Hypothermia occurs
when an animal’s
body temperature
goes so low, the
animal can’t get
back to its normal
temperature.
If you find that one of your clients has left a pet in
the cold for an extended period, you may have to
deal with hypothermia.
H
ypothermia occurs when an animal’s
body temperature goes so low, the animal
can’t get back to its normal temperature,
according to the website, Hypothermia.org.
As you should with any medical condition you
encounter when pet sitting, you should first call a
veterinarian if you suspect hypothermia.
If you have no other recourse, you can try to
warm the dog or cat yourself, using one of three
techniques: passive external, active external
and active internal. Whichever you use, your goal
should be to gradually raise the pet’s internal
temperature -- don’t shock it by dropping it into
a hot bath or placing it near a space heater or
fireplace.
Signs
In addition to the familiar shaking you
observe in cold animals, look for signs of
hypothermia such as a low pulse, uncontrollable
shivering, slow breathing, dehydration, cold skin
or lack of mental faculties. If the pet is not moving
and you can’t detect
breathing, a pulse or
heart rate, it may still
be alive and respond to
gradual re-warming.
re-Warming
If the pet
has a mild case of
hypothermia, it may be able to re-warm itself once
you have removed it from the cold. If the pet is
wet, dry it thoroughly with a towel. Once the pet
is in a warm environment, shivering may create
enough thermogenesis to adequately raise the
pet’s inner body temperature.
If the hypothermia is more serious, but still
mild, you can provide more assistance to the pet,
gradually raising the pet’s body temperature by
working to warm the outer body. You can cover
the pet with a blanket and hot water bottles,
especially near areas such as the head, neck
and chest. If the pet is alert, you can try a warm
shower or bath. Place water bottles
in blankets, rather than applying
directly to the animal.
In cases of severe hypothermia, avoid
external re-warming, such as wrapping the pet in
a blanket or massaging its extremities. You might
re-circulate cold blood from the outer areas of the
body deeper into the animal and create shock. If
the animal shows no signs of life, Hypothermia.
org recommends beginning CPR in conjunction
with your re-warming efforts. Veterinarians use
additional, more complex techniques to treat
severely hypothermic animals, and your best
course of action may be to call a vet before you
begin any attempt to help a severely hypothermic
animal.
The information in this article should not
be construed as medical advice, and is provided
solely for educational purposes. If you have
not discussed with a vet how to spot and treat
hypothermia, consider doing so and adding
this information to your professional pet sitting
knowledge base. n
For more information on animal hypothermia,
visit these websites:
Hypothermia in Animals
http://www.hypothermia.org/animalhypo.htm
Hypothermia in Cats
http://www.cat-world.com.au/hypothermia-incats
Hypothermia in Dogs
http://www.peteducation.com/article.
cfm?c=2+1683&aid=301
Professional Pet Sitter · Winter
6
www.petsitters.org