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This article was co-authored by Pippa Elliott, MRCVS. Dr. Elliott, BVMS, MRCVS is a veterinarian with over 30 years of experience in veterinary surgery and companion animal practice. She graduated from the University of Glasgow in 1987 with a degree in veterinary medicine and surgery. She has worked at the same animal clinic in her hometown for over 20 years.
There are 7 references cited in this article, which can be found at the bottom of the page.
This article has been viewed 19,702 times.
If your pet has been electrocuted, you can help by giving him first aid before taking him to the veterinarian for further treatment. Although you may be scared about your pet’s electrocution, it is very important for you to remain as calm as possible and do the best you can to stabilize him and keep him calm before you make it to your veterinarian’s office.[1] Providing your pet with good first aid will increase his chances of recovering well from electrocution.
Steps
Part 1
Part 1 of 2:
Giving First Aid to an Electrocuted Animal
Remove the electrical source. Before touching your pet, turn off or remove the source of electrocution.[2] This will involve unplugging the electrical cord from the electrical socket and/or shutting off the electricity.[3]- Use a wooden broom handle to gently move your pet away from the electrical source. A wooden broomstick is ideal because it would not conduct an electrical current that would shock you.[4]
- It is very important that you not touch your pet, or any fluids from your pet, until you have removed the electrical source. This is especially important if his body is rigid—he could be carrying an electrical current that could deliver a serious shock to you.[5]
Cover your pet with a blanket. After your pet has been electrocuted, covering him with a blanket will help prevent heat loss.[6] Wrapping him in a blanket can also prevent electrocution-induced shock.- If your pet is so agitated that it looks like he may bite you, wrapping him in a blanket can help restrain him and keep him from biting you. Muzzling him could also keep him from biting you,[7] but you should not do this if he is having trouble breathing.
Examine your pet. With your pet removed from the electrical source, you will need to examine your pet. You can assess his breathing in a few different ways, such as watching for chest movements (chest moving up and down) and putting your hand in front of his nose to feel for his breath.- You can also gently pluck a few hairs from his coat, hold them in front of his nose, and see if the hairs move. If the hairs move back and forth, your pet is breathing.
- Check your pet’s pulse by placing your finger on the inside of his middle thigh.[8] This may be challenging if you have a small animal, such as a hamster or guinea pig, but do your best to find his pulse.
- Check the color of your pet’s gums. If they are blue or white, he is not receiving enough oxygen. White gums indicate poor blood circulation.[9]
- Your pet will need CPR is he is not breathing and does not have a pulse.
- Artificial respiration (AR), also known as mouth-to-snout resuscitation, would be needed if he is not breathing, but does have a pulse.
Breathe for your pet. It is best for your veterinarian to resuscitate your pet after electrocution. However, if you cannot get your pet to your veterinarian right away, you may have to make an initial attempt to get him breathing again. AR involves you placing your mouth next to your pet’s nose and breathing into his nostrils.[10] Use this on a dog or cat.- Before performing AR, open your pet’s mouth to clear out any foreign particles or objects that may be in the way. Pull his tongue out of the way so you can close his mouth more easily.[11]
- Breathe for your pet, every four to five seconds,[12] until you see his chest expand. After each breath, remove your mouth so his lungs can deflate.
- If you do not see chest expansion, hold his mouth shut and blow with more force every two to three seconds.[13] Keeping his mouth closed keeps the air from exiting out of his mouth.
Perform CPR on your dog or cat. If your dog or cat does not start breathing on his own after AR, or no longer has a pulse, he will need CPR. As with AR, your veterinarian should perform CPR. However, you may need to perform initial CPR on your own.- To perform CPR on your cat, lay him on his side. Position the thumb and index finger of one hand on either side of his chest behind his elbows. Squeeze his chest to about one-half of its normal thickness, 15 times every 10 seconds. Give your cat one breath per 10 compressions.[14]
- For a dog, he will also need to be on his side, right side facing up. Position your hands near his heart—one palm of top of the other for a large dog, one palm on each side of the chest above the heart for a small dog. Press down to about one-quarter to one-third the thickness of his chest (80 times/minute for a large dog, 100 times/minute for a small dog).[15]
- For CPR in dogs, give one breath per five chest compressions.[16]
Place cold compresses on your pet’s mouth. Chewing on electrical cords is a common cause of electrocution in pets, especially for dogs.[17] If you notice burn marks around your pet’s mouth from chewing on an electrical cord, place cold compresses on the burns as initial first aid.[18] A bag of frozen bag of vegetables would work well as a cold compress.[19]- You could also make a compress by placing some ice in a plastic bag and wrapping the bag in a towel.
- If your pet will let you, hold the compress against the burns for about 20 minutes.[20] Keep in mind that your pet may be too agitated for you to do this.
Take your pet to your veterinarian immediately. Even with your first aid, it is imperative that you take your pet to your veterinarian as soon as possible. Electrocution is a life-threatening emergency in animals.[21] It can cause fluid build-up in the lungs and abnormal electrical activity in the heart, both of which can put your pet’s life at risk.[22]- Even if your pet looks fine on the outside after being electrocuted, he will still need immediate veterinary care.
- If your veterinarian is not available, take your pet to an emergency veterinary clinic.
- To care for your pet after electrocution, your veterinary team may perform different measures to stimulate his breathing and pulse, including passing an endotracheal tube down his throat and giving him oxygen.
- The team may also place an intravenous catheter in one of his leg veins to give him fluids, epinephrine, or other emergency medications to stimulate his heart and breathing and stabilize him.[23]
Monitor your dog. In the first 12 hours after your veterinarian has treated your pet for electrocution, you should monitor your pet’s breathing and pulse.[24] If your pet suffered mouth burns as a result of electrocution, you will need to monitor those burns for up to several weeks.- Your pet’s breathing should be steady and unforced. His pulse should be steady and strong.
- Your veterinarian can recommend topical treatments to treat the burn wounds.
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Part 2
Part 2 of 2:
Preventing Electrocution in an Animal
Cover or hide electrical cords. For pets that are extremely inquisitive, like kittens, and puppies, it can be very tempting for them to gnaw on electrical cords. To keep them from doing this, consider purchasing a cover that you can slip over the cords.[25] These covers are available at your local electronics store.- Covering the cover also keeps them organized, especially if you have multiple power cords in one place.
- You could also spray the cords with a bitter-tasting spray, which is available at your local pet store.[26]
- As best you can, hide the cords close to the walls behind your furniture. If the cords are short, you could attach an extension cord to them so you can push them behind the furniture.[27]
Do not leave your pets unattended around sockets and power cords. Your pets may be tempted to investigate the sockets and cords when you are not looking. If your pets are particularly curious, stay in the room with them to make sure they are not putting themselves at risk of electrocution.[28]- You could also purchase socket covers at your local hardware to store.
Keep electrical sources turned off. With the exception of appliances and televisions, you may keep items such as lamps and computers plugged in and turned on for long periods. To keep your pet from chewing on a ‘live’ electrical cord, turn off those items when you are finished using them.[29] You could even unplug the cord from the wall—this could actually save you a little money on your electric bill!Advertisement
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Tips
- The goals of first aid are to stabilize your pet and keep him comfortable until he receives further treatment.[30] First aid is not a substitute for taking him to your veterinarian as soon as possible.Thanks
- It is good to have the contact information for your veterinarian and nearby veterinary clinics close by in the event of an emergency.[31]Thanks
- Clinical signs of electrocution include panting, burns around the mouth, and unconsciousness.Thanks
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Warnings
- Improperly performed resuscitation efforts can end up doing more harm than good for your pet. If you are not comfortable performing artificial resuscitation or CPR, it is even more important you get your pet to the veterinarian as soon as possible.Thanks
- Electrocution in animals can lead to a fatal build-up of fluid in the lungs and abnormal electrical activity of the heart.[32]Thanks
- Touching your pet before you have removed him from the electrical source can cause you to receive a serious electrical shock.[33]Thanks
- Cats who are reach the point of needing CPR usually do not survive.[34]Thanks
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References
- ↑ http://www.animalplanet.com/pets/healthy-pets/dog-emergency-care/
- ↑ www.sunshinerescuegroup.org/PetFirstAid.pdf
- ↑ www.sunshinerescuegroup.org/PetFirstAid.pdf
- ↑ http://www.petmd.com/dog/emergency/accidents-injuries/e_dg_electric_shock#
- ↑ http://www.petmd.com/dog/emergency/accidents-injuries/e_dg_electric_shock#
- ↑ www.sunshinerescuegroup.org/PetFirstAid.pdf
- ↑ http://www.animalplanet.com/pets/healthy-pets/dog-emergency-care/
- ↑ http://www.petmd.com/dog/emergency/common-emergencies/e_dg_artificial_respiration
- ↑ http://www.petmd.com/cat/emergency/common-emergencies/e_ct_respiration_cpr
- ↑ http://www.petmd.com/dog/emergency/common-emergencies/e_dg_artificial_respiration
- ↑ http://www.petmd.com/dog/emergency/common-emergencies/e_dg_artificial_respiration
- ↑ http://www.petmd.com/cat/emergency/common-emergencies/e_ct_respiration_cpr
- ↑ http://www.petmd.com/dog/emergency/common-emergencies/e_dg_artificial_respiration
- ↑ http://www.petmd.com/cat/emergency/common-emergencies/e_ct_respiration_cpr
- ↑ http://www.petmd.com/dog/emergency/common-emergencies/e_dg_cardiopulmonary_resuscitation
- ↑ http://www.petmd.com/dog/emergency/common-emergencies/e_dg_cardiopulmonary_resuscitation
- ↑ http://www.petmd.com/dog/emergency/accidents-injuries/e_dg_electric_shock#
- ↑ http://www.petmd.com/dog/emergency/accidents-injuries/e_dg_electric_shock#
- ↑ http://www.petmd.com/dog/emergency/accidents-injuries/e_dg_burns_and_scalding
- ↑ http://www.petmd.com/dog/emergency/accidents-injuries/e_dg_burns_and_scalding
- ↑ www.sunshinerescuegroup.org/PetFirstAid.pdf
- ↑ www.sunshinerescuegroup.org/PetFirstAid.pdf
- ↑ http://www.petmd.com/dog/emergency/accidents-injuries/e_dg_electric_shock#
- ↑ http://www.petmd.com/dog/emergency/accidents-injuries/e_dg_electric_shock#
- ↑ http://www.petmd.com/dog/emergency/accidents-injuries/e_dg_electric_shock#
- ↑ http://www.petmd.com/dog/emergency/accidents-injuries/e_dg_electric_shock#
- ↑ http://www.petmd.com/dog/emergency/accidents-injuries/e_dg_electric_shock#
- ↑ http://www.petmd.com/dog/emergency/accidents-injuries/e_dg_electric_shock#
- ↑ http://www.petmd.com/dog/emergency/accidents-injuries/e_dg_electric_shock#
- ↑ http://www.animalplanet.com/pets/healthy-pets/dog-emergency-care/
- ↑ http://www.animalplanet.com/pets/healthy-pets/dog-emergency-care/
- ↑ www.sunshinerescuegroup.org/PetFirstAid.pdf
- ↑ http://www.petmd.com/dog/emergency/accidents-injuries/e_dg_electric_shock#
- ↑ http://www.petmd.com/cat/emergency/common-emergencies/e_ct_respiration_cpr
About this article
Pippa Elliott, MRCVS
Veterinarian
This article was co-authored by Pippa Elliott, MRCVS. Dr. Elliott, BVMS, MRCVS is a veterinarian with over 30 years of experience in veterinary surgery and companion animal practice. She graduated from the University of Glasgow in 1987 with a degree in veterinary medicine and surgery. She has worked at the same animal clinic in her hometown for over 20 years. This article has been viewed 19,702 times.
Co-authors: 22
Updated: December 27, 2021
Views: 19,702
Article SummaryX
Before you give first aid to an electrocuted animal, it's extremely important that you turn off the electrical source or push the animal away from it with a wooden broomstick handle so you don't get electrocuted. You should also contact a vet immediately and follow their instructions. Once you've removed the electrical source, cover the animal with a blanket to help prevent heat loss, and check its pulse and breathing. If it has a pulse but isn't breathing, you may need to perform mouth-to-snout resuscitation by breathing into the animal's nostrils every 4-5 seconds until you can get it to a vet's office. When you see its chest expand after blowing air into its snout, remove your mouth so its lungs can deflate, and then repeat. However, if your pet isn't breathing and doesn't have a pulse, you should perform CPR until you're able to get to a vet's office. Even if the animal is breathing and has a pulse, you should still take it to see a vet right away so they can examine it and stabilize its condition. For advice from our Veterinary co-author, like how to perform animal CPR, keep reading.
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