First Aid IX

in #cats6 years ago

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Bee and Wasp Stings

Cats are curious creatures, natural predators and perhaps can be a little too confident when assessing the hazards and dangers they are exposed to. In some cases, this can lead to a particularly painful sting from a bee or wasp. Unlike bees, wasps will repeatedly ting and inflict pain on their target. Cats with longer fur can suffer a copious amount of stings if a wasp gets trapped within its coat, an unfortunate situation indeed. In extreme cases, a cat may have felt a little adventurous and ended up swallowing a bee or wasp. Naturally, this will result in a number of stings in the mouth or throat of a cat. This will inflict a tremendous amount of pain on a cat and can even hamper breathing capacity along with the ability to swallow due to induced swelling.

Most people will feel shock and alarm when being stung, cats are no different in this regard and will react in a similar manner. When a sting has been inflicted, it may be possible to assess as to what type of sting has been suffered. Stings from bees will leave behind their venom sacks which can be physically removed using tweezers. A visual inspection will be good enough to spot this. If there are multiple sting points then this is most likely to be the work of a wasp. Bees will die after their initial sting in a sacrificial attack. Regardless of the type of sting that has been experienced, immediate contact to the local vet is required.

Initial first aid measure in this situation will come in the form of conventional antihistamine creams that should be in the first aid box of every household. If this is unavailable, a home remedy is acceptable to help provide immediate relief. The aim of the treatment is to reach a neutral PH and understanding what has stung a cat is important. Bee stings will be treated with alkaline substances which are traditional soapy and high in PH. Bicarbonate soda is a typical remedy in this case, even toothpaste and certain oils can help. Wasps are the exact opposite of this and must be treated with low PH solutions that are deemed acidic. The use of vinegars will be useful in this instance. After applying treatment, measures should be taken to prevent a cat from trying to clean or lick these areas.

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