Unfortunately, it is more than once that we can find a severely dehydrated baby cat on the streets or we see that our pet develops some symptoms of dehydration. Like us, felines have their bodies made up mostly of water. It is precisely this vital liquid that allows the proper functioning of your organs and body structures, consequently guaranteeing the balance and good he alth of your body.
Although veterinary attention is essential in cases of dehydration in cats, it is important to know some home remedies to provide the immediate attention that this condition requires. For this reason, in this article on our site we share the most effective home remedies for dehydrated cats as first aid.
How do you know if a cat is dehydrated?
The body of mammals needs to have the right amount of water to develop he althily. If our cat does not drink enough water, vomits due to illness or is exposed to excessive heat, his body suffers a drop in water and electrolyte levels and becomes unable to distribute essential nutrients to all his tissues. As a consequence, the animal can develop various physical signs that demonstrate the imbalance of its organism. The following signs can be interpreted as Symptoms of Dehydration in Cats:
- constant tiredness
- dry gums
- decay
- panting
- loss of appetite
If dehydration is not treated quickly and properly, the feline can suffer severe damage to its kidneys and its body is led to collapse.
The exact and official medical diagnosis of dehydration, which allows you to see the degree of evolution of the condition, is from a blood and urine tests complete. However, you can use an easy home method if you suspect your cat is dehydrated. Simply pinch the skin on her back very gently and observe whether or not she quickly returns to her natural position. If this portion of pinched skin stays up or takes a long time to return to its normal state, it is very likely that your cat is dehydrated. The exception to this rule is only found in obese cats, in which the skin can return to its normal place even if they are suffering from dehydration.
If you also notice that his eyes are sunken and his mouth is dry, you should know that these are signs of severe dehydration. In all these cases, you can use home remedies for dehydrated cats as a palliative measure, but you should immediately go to the veterinarian you trust.
Care when offering water to a dehydrated cat
A dehydrated cat needs to drink water immediately to reverse this negative picture and regain good he alth. However, it is important to be careful not to make his dehydration worse by abruptly stopping or forcing him to drink a lot of fluids.
If your kitty is dehydrated and drinks a lot of water at one time, he will probably vomit, you will lose more fluid and irritate your digestive tract. Therefore, if we want to know how to hydrate a dehydrated cat, we must place a small amount of water in its drinker and let the cat consume at a slow and gradual rate the water you need to fill you up.
Shaved ice for dehydrated cats
As we mentioned, dehydrated cats should consume water in small doses to avoid vomiting and stomach irritation. Therefore, an excellent home remedy for dehydrated cats is shaved ice, which allows the feline to slowly consume small proportions ofrefreshing water.
To repair it, just take a container (which is resistant to cold) full of water to the freezer and wait for the ice to form. Before offering the preparation to our cat, it should simply be scraped with a spoon or similar utensil. We should never offer the entire ice cube, because when it melts it would allow the cat to drink a lot of water at once.
Electrolytes to stabilize a dehydrated cat
In addition to drinking fresh, clean water, treating a dehydrated cat requires replenishing electrolytes to restore balance to his body. You can find electrolyte-rich oral fluids or serums for cats at some veterinary clinics and pet stores, but it may be easier to go to the nearest pharmacy and ask for a Pedialyte, which is used in the treatment of dehydrated children.
Homemade dehydrated cat serum
To replenish electrolytes and offer water to your dehydrated cat, you can make an excellent homemade oral serum using these 5 simple and inexpensive ingredients:
- 1 liter of mineral water at room temperature
- 1 teaspoon (tea) s alt
- 1/2 teaspoon (coffee) baking soda
- 3 tablespoons (soup) of sugar
- juice of 1/2 lemon (you can use orange and reduce the amount of sugar to 2 tablespoons)
Preparation of serum for dehydrated cats
To prepare your serum, you must start by boiling a liter of water. Then, turn off the heat, add the other ingredients and let stand until it reaches room temperature. This homemade serum is valid for 24 hours, and should be stored in the refrigerator, in a bottle or container with a lid, to avoid any unwanted contamination.
Remember to offer the homemade serum in small doses to your cat. And if your pussy does not accept to take it naturally in its drinker, you can use a syringe to administer the serum. If it doesn't work either, to save your dehydrated cat, don't hesitate to go to the vet.
A dehydrated cat needs to be fed
A dehydrated feline usually loses its normal appetite and can develop certain digestive disorders due to the low availability of water in its body. Therefore, a picture of dehydration that is not properly treated can lead to a state of malnutrition.
A dehydrated cat needs to eat to avoid worsening its he alth condition. And to stimulate his appetite we can provide him with a mostly moist diet. You can find many wet foods and pâtés in pet stores, or make tasty homemade wet cat food yourself.
Prevention, the best remedy for dehydration in cats
Diagnosing dehydration in cats can be really complex, especially in obese felines. Many kittens can be dehydrated and only have visible symptoms when the condition is severe. Therefore, we reaffirm that prevention is the best home method to keep our pets he althy and happy.
Remember that your feline must have clean and fresh water at his disposal throughout the day. Also, your drinker should be washed daily to avoid any contamination. If you don't want to leave multiple water bowls scattered around your home, you can opt for a cat fountain, which is already available at various pet stores. And for kittens that drink little water, we can incorporate homemade wet food or commercial wet food into their diet.
Does your cat not drink fluids throughout the day? Well, be sure to consult our advice and recommendations in the article "Why doesn't my cat drink water?" And remember that the remedies mentioned above are not a substitute for specialized attention from a veterinarian, especially in cases of dehydration in severe cats. Therefore, if your cat shows any change in its diet or behavior, do not hesitate to quickly go to your trusted veterinarian. Likewise, if you are looking for how to hydrate a dehydrated cat with home remedies because you have just rescued an abandoned feline, keep in mind that these methods are first aid techniques, and it is always advisable to visit a specialist to examine the animal carefully.
