Seeing your cat wounded is scary. However, keeping calm and knowing how to take care of your cat in an emergency will keep your cat comfortable and may even save its life.

Be Prepared With Styptic Powder

Some of the most important items to have in your cat's first aid kit include gauze, cloth wrap bandages, and styptic powder. Styptic powder works by rapidly causing the vein to contract, shrinking it enough to stop the bleeding. This powder is best applied to shallow surface wounds. To apply the powder, sprinkle a bit on the wound directly.

In an emergency if you don't have styptic powder you can use cornstarch or flour to help stop the bleeding of smaller wounds. Cornstarch and flour shouldn't be used on deeper wounds as they don't cause the shrinking of veins. Instead, cornstarch and flour simply help encourage a blood clot to form.

Bleeding Externally

If your cat has a wound on an extremity, you can usually stop the bleeding by applying pressure with a piece of gauze. You can hold the gauze in place with a cloth wrap or bandage. If the wound is bleeding on your cat's abdomen, head, or other hard to wrap place you may need to apply pressure with your finger.

If the gauze soaks through as you're applying pressure, apply more gauze on top. You don't want to remove the wet gauze from your cat's wound until the bleeding has stopped. If you remove the gauze before the bleeding is stopped you risk dislodging the blood clot that's forming and reopening the wound.

Internal Bleeding

The most important part of helping your cat get through an internal bleeding episode is to be able to spot it right away. Signs of internal bleeding may show after falling, being hit by a car, or incurring blunt force trauma.

If your cat has pale gums, collapses, coughs up blood or has a distended belly after a fall or blunt force trauma you need to take it to the vet immediately. The most you can do to help your cat if it's bleeding internally is to try to keep it calm.

Contact Your Vet

If your cat is bleeding, contact your vet immediately. If the wound is bad enough it may require stitches, antibiotics, or surgery. Accidents that cause bleeding rarely happen during convenient times, so many vets have an emergency contact number if your cat is in trouble after hours. 

Reach out to a clinic like Pittsburgh Spay & Vaccination Clinic to learn more.