Common Injury in Kittens – Electrocution

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 Common Injury in Kittens – Electrocution

by Taylor Malowney

Kittens are known for making the world their playground. It’s important to make their environment safe and remove any potential hazards. However, accidents do happen; those involving electrical cords are more common than you’d think.

Causes

Chewing or clawing at electrical cords can cause the plastic coating to wear or fray, leaving a live exposed wire underneath. This can give a kitten a nasty shock and burns; some severe shocks can even lead to heart and lung problems. Strangulation or choking is also a threat – kittens see dangling cords as playthings and can accidentally get looped in them, leading to tragedy.

Symptoms

Signs of mild electrocution include singed whiskers or fur around the mouth. If you see any raw, red skin, this can indicate a more serious burn; seek veterinary attention, as burns can be painful or become infected. More severe symptoms of electrocution affect the cardiovascular and pulmonary systems:

Coughing
Rapid or difficulty breathing
“Crackling” lung sounds
Blue skin
Rapid heart rate
Muscle tremors
Seizure
Physical collapse
Kittens displaying these symptoms following electrical shock require emergency veterinary care – their bodies are so delicate that organ failure or death can quickly follow.

Pulmonary edema, or fluid in the lungs, is a symptom of electrocution that reveals itself anywhere from a few hours to several days after the initial incident. If your kitten’s breathing is wheezy, dry, and they are panting open-mouthed, seek veterinary attention to treat this dangerous side-effect.

Emergency Procedure

If you see your kitten being electrocuted, do not immediately attempt to touch him; this could lead to you becoming shocked too! Instead, turn off the electricity first.
If your cat is in water, use a broom handle or non-conductive pole to move him.
Look for vital signs – a heartbeat and breathing. If your kitten is unresponsive, perform CPR.

Gently wrap your cat in a towel and seek emergency veterinary care.
Treatment

Your vet will first make sure your kitten’s heartbeat and breathing are stable and then move on to treating any burns. Following a severe electrocution, the veterinarian may keep your pet overnight to watch for pulmonary edema. If your pet is presenting signs of this condition, diuretic medications will be prescribed to remove the fluid. Before you can take your kitten home, a battery of tests will be conducted to ensure all vitals are back to normal.

Management

After an electrical shock, if your kitten has burns in or around their mouth they may be hesitant to eat dry food. Try feeding them softer or liquefied foods until the wounds have healed. Check your kitten’s burns for signs of infection like abnormal discharge, bad smells, and swelling.

Prevention

Keep all electrical cords out of paw’s reach and replace any that are worn or frayed; any exposed wires can cause serious damage, not to mention be fire hazards. Consider placing child-proof protective covers on all wall sockets to ward off curious paws.

Keeping your home safe from any hazards is important in order to protect your kitten. Electric shocks can be life-threatening for kittens’ small bodies. If your pet has been electrocuted, seek veterinary attention to ward off dangerous complications like pulmonary edema.

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What’s Behind Human, Pet Look-Alikes

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 What’s Behind Human, Pet Look-Alikes

by Derek Korte

           Pawsworthy

Have you ever wondered why pet parents so often resemble their pets? Is it just a freaky coincidence, or a case of human imagination run amok?

New research suggests that people can look like their pets. The answer lies in the eyes, though scientists aren’t sure why, writes University of Arkansas psychology professor Jesse Bering in Slate.

                                                             Image via flickr/Uwe Mäurer
A Japanese psychologist, Sadahiko Nakajima, recently investigated the look-alike phenomenon. He limited the study to facial features, ruling out physical characteristics like weight or even attire that could cause a resemblance.

The research team began by taking photos of 40 dogs and their owners. (The humans were an even mix of males and females, and the dogs were a variety of breeds.) Then, they randomly split the photos into two sheets of paper, each with 20 paired photos. One sheet contained real dog and owner matches, while the other featured photos of randomly paired dogs and humans. The team then asked more than 500 Japanese undergraduate students to choose the sheet with the paired photos that looked alike.

But there’s a wrinkle: Being good scientists, the researchers obscured features of both humans and dogs in some of the photo sets. The students were able to sniff out the fake pairs with varying success, depending on the photo variation.

When the humans’ eyes were covered, students correctly identified the pairs about half of the time.

When the dogs’ eyes were covered, students were also correct about half of the time.

When only the eyes of dogs and humans were shown, the students’ accuracy rose to 74 percent.

When unobscured photos were shown, the students were correct 80 percent of the time.

Clearly, the eyes are important — though scientists can’t really explain why.

“It’s not about hairstyles, obesity, gender, height, or even eye color,” Bering writes. “Instead, it’s clearly something that’s being conveyed in the shared look about the eyes of dogs and their people.…Nakajima is just as stumped as the rest of us about the underlying mechanism.”

Whatever the scientific explanation, it seems dog owners come face-to-face with their doppelgänger every time they look their pet in the eye.

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Vodka for Dogs? How One Distillery Makes Pets Part of Its Core Mission

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 Vodka for Dogs? How One Distillery Makes Pets Part of Its Core Mission

by Courtney Buchanan

           Petonomics

Most of us have heard about pet-friendly companies like Zynga, Google and Amazon, but Tito’s Handmade Vodka may just be one of the friendliest in history. Not only was the small vodka distillery in Austin, Texas, created with dogs by the founder’s side, but its fundamental workplace structure was built around adopting dogs and fundraising for animal outreach organizations.

As Beth Bellanti, relationship marketing and social media manager at Tito’s, says, “Tito’s is a family atmosphere, and dogs are our family.”

Tito and his most recent rescue dog Abbey. Image via Tito’s Handmade Vodka

It all started 17 years ago when Tito built the distillery in a rural part of Austin where ranch dogs, stray dogs and coyotes often gathered, Bellanti says. Tito has always been a dog lover, so when dogs came to the distillery, he fed them and eventually built a yard to care for them.

“These packs of dogs started to come and one of them had seven babies in a wood pile, and she was with a pack of about 4 feral dogs,” Bellanti says. “They [Tito and his guys] kept her in one of the other rooms with the babies and eventually called me and said, ‘I know you’ve been visiting this dog, and she’s not doing so well. She seems to have gotten a skin condition and the babies aren't weaning.’ So I went up there and got her and the babies, and other people from the company absorbed the other dogs in the pack. This just keeps happening and we keep absorbing them.”

As the company expanded, the marketing department moved to its own office and the 10 employees were encouraged to bring their dogs to work. On a typical day, there are three dogs at the marketing office and two at the distillery. But on “Bring Your Dog to Work” day the office has been filled with up to 18 dogs.

Partnering With a Spay-and-Neuter Clinic

Beyond allowing pets in the office, Tito’s has partnered with Emancipet, a spay-and-neuter clinic located next to its marketing office. Tito’s launched a dog-centric blog called Vodka for Dog People, a place to fundraise for Emancipet and to sell pet products such as leashes and toys, with all proceeds going to the clinic.

Long before the partnership, employees helped fundraise money to purchase Emancipet’s mobile outreach units that provide access to spay-and-neuter clinics in hard-to-reach areas. Tito’s also donates vodka to animal rescue organizations for their fundraising events.

“We said Austin embraced us and helped us get to a more national level,” Bellanti adds. “Let’s pay it forward and help Emancipet get beyond Texas and help other communities cut down on pet populations and help people take care of their pets affordably.”

To further promote pups, Tito’s runs a vodkafordogpeople Instagram account and Dogs of the Tito’s Vodka family through the years Pinterest board where people share their dog stories.

How Employees Benefit

The employees give to the dogs, and the dogs give right back to the employees. At the distillery, they serve as companions and security guards when the workers walk around the property at night, Bellanti says. And the dogs can’t complain since they get to go for a jog and get to be in the company of their owners.

Having dogs around the office provides comic relief and opportunities for employees to form new bonds. When employees take their dogs for walks, they are able to talk about work-related things and connect on a personal level outside of the office space. The dog-loving company culture encourages employees to foster a dog or adopt a dog for the first time, and whenever an employee needs a hand, whether it’s taking a dog for a night or sharing insider tips, co-workers are eager to pitch in.

Bellanti adds, “The pet-friendly workplace really helps with morale and loyalty and it makes people work longer and harder in their offices because they don’t run home to let the dog out.”

Increasingly companies are finding new ways to be truly pet-friendly since pets are good for company culture and keeping employees happy. Zynga, for example, has a dog run “wooftop” and computer security platform AnchorFree even allowed an employee’s cat to live in the office while the employee was moving. Whether pets become part of the business model or just frequent the office, companies are recognizing the importance of encouraging the pet-human bond.

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4 Ways to Protect Your Pet’s Paws

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4 Ways to Protect Your Pet’s Paws

by Taylor Malowney

Harsh winter weather can irritate pets’ sensitive paws. Ice and snow are hazards, as are deicing chemicals on streets and sidewalks. Paw pads, claws and fur are all vulnerable to injury or irritation, so it’s important to protect your pet’s paws. Here are four simple ways to keep your pooch’s paws safe this season.

 Image via Commercial Creative Commons on Flickr

Booties are a good option for pet paw protection, especially in winter conditions.  

1. Get some booties! 

While some dogs aren't too fond of footwear, this is the easiest way to protect your pet’s paws. Available online and at pet stores, dog booties are essentially breathable water shoes designed for pooches. Prices range from $16 and up, depending on your dog’s size and the quality of the booties. 

Most fasten with velcro straps or are elasticized for comfort and easy dressing. The shoes do take some getting used to – search YouTube for some dogs test-wearing their booties – but eventually your pet will tolerate them.

                                2. Do a post-walk paw wipe.

During the winter, sidewalks and streets are coated with deicing chemicals, antifreeze and salt. These crystals can stick to your pet’s paws, potentially causing irritation of the skin and paw pads. When your pet cleans his or her paws, the chemicals are ingested.

Dog antifreeze poisoning is highly dangerous and can lead to vomiting, seizures, coma and even death if left untreated. Salt and other street chemicals can also cause digestive complications or harm the throat and mouth. 

The best way to prevent paw irritation or worse is to gently wipe your dog’s paws post-walk, using a damp towel and some mild soap. Check for redness, cracking or general irritation of the paw pads, which are very sensitive. 

3. Apply a pre-walk paw balm. 

Preventative care is the best way to protect your pet’s paws from the elements; massage petroleum jelly or a specialized paw balm into your pet’s paw pads before your daily romp. The balm acts as a barrier between your pet’s paws and the street, so chemicals and salt don’t come into contact. However, particles will stick to the balm, so you should still do a post-walk paw wipe, as explained above.

Look for balms labelled “all-natural” – even if your pet does ingest it, the balm is harmless. Paw balms are also good for cracked or dry paw pads. Common ingredients include shea butter, aloe vera and coconut oil for extra moisturizing. 

  Image via Commercial Creative Commons on Flickr.

4. Keep nails neat.

It’s especially important to keep your pet’s nails trimmed to a comfortable level. Dog nail care includes trimming and monitoring nails for splits, cracks or other painful abnormalities. 

The ASPCA recommends clipping your pet’s nails when they’re long enough to reach the ground. Pets’ nails grow at different lengths depending on diet, breed and what surfaces they walk on. Dogs who walk on hard surfaces like asphalt and concrete will have their nails worn down and may rarely need a trim. 

If you’re uncomfortable clipping your pet’s nails yourself, find a groomer. Some vet clinics will also trim a pet’s nails for a small fee; this is recommended for extreme cases of anxiety or aversion, which some dogs struggle with.

Does your pet have health insurance?  Healthy Paws Pet Insurance provides coverage  with no limits on claims.

If your pet needs treatment for any accident or illness and it's not a pre-existing condition, you're covered.  It's that simple.