What Can You Do When An Animal Is In Shock?

Question

for any animal

Answer 1

Keep warm and get medical help asap!

Answer 2

In some areas there are animal hospitals or vets who make 24 hour emergency house calls. If you have the funds and that option is available, I would do that.

If not:

For a domesticated dog or cat, follow baymast13s excellent advice. In addition I would like to add that you should be extremely careful in handling the animal (muzzling, moving, etc). Unless it is your pet you have no idea what shots, if any, it has had.

For a wild animal, do nothing unless it's a very small bird, mouse or infant/youngster. Wild animals do not take well to being handled by humans and can carry a plethora of diseases. If it is a very small animal place it in a box that has some soft bedding (don't use your bare hands to do this; cover the animal with a soft towel and kind of scoop in up gently). Place something from the animals natural environment into the box (leaves, sticks, grass). Cover the box (making sure there are air holes) and leave in a quiet warm place. Check on the animal every few hours to see if it has recovered enough to be placed back outside. I've had to do this for countless mice and small rabbits that my cats decide to "play" with; they like to drive the poor beasts into shock before actually drawing blood. I have rescued a couple of small birds but they always died, not from the shock as much as internal injuries the cats inflicted when they took them down.

Answer 3

Depends on what kind of animal, what caused the shock, and whether the animal is conscious.
For instance, if a dog gets hit by a car, but is awake, take something soft and flexible (like a stocking or necktie) and makeshift a muzzle. You can make do with his leash if that's all you have. Keep it loose enough the dog can breathe easily, but snug enough he can't easily get his mouth all the way open. This will prevent your getting bitten. Even your own pet may bite when injured. Put a coat or blanket over him to keep him warm. If you can get your hands on a stiff piece of cardboard, board, or anything flat and sturdy (even a baking sheet for a smaller dog), try to gently slide it under the dog without moving him. He may have internal injuries. Load him up in the back of an SUV, van or whatever, have somebody sit with him to keep him from sliding around, and get him to a vet as quickly as possible.
If a cat falls out of tree, say, and is unconscious, you can't put a muzzle on her, just put a blanket, coat, or towel over her to keep her warm, scoop her up as described above, and get her to the vet.
The common theme here is keeping the animal warm, and getting it to the vet. If it's been injured by a substantial blow or fall, avoid moving it around if at all possible. It may have injuries that will be made worse by moving. That's why it's best to try to slide something rigid underneath it, then have someone help you load it into a vehicle to transport it to the vet's. If you live somewhere that has pet ambulances, keep the animal warm and call them. They are best equipped to deal with it.
At this time, do not attempt to give the animal anything to eat or drink. It may choke. Just get it to a vet, and be prepared to describe what happened. If anyone saw the incident, that person shoudl be present to answer any questions. The vet can take it from there.
I'm not a professional, but I have read some of this in books. Common sense tells me the rest.

Answer 4

Wow, the main thing everyone forgot.

Keep their airway unblocked! Make sure they aren't vomitting or choking on anything and attempt to clear the airway if they are. HOLD THEIR TONGUE OUT OF THEIR MOUTH IF POSSIBLE! Animals are BAD about choking to death on their own tongues during shock and during seizures.

Calm them, hold them close in a blanket and get them to a vet. There's always a REASON for shock, and you should be just as worried about that as the shock itself.

Answer 5

keep it warm, keep it quiet, control bleeding if there is any. Get it to a vet right away. If a dog is conscious but weak or has white gums, you can put a dab of something sweet such as molasses or pancake syrup on your finger and rub it on their gums. It will help get sugar into their system. It should still be taken to a vet to determine the cause of shock.

Answer 6

Rub its body to stimulate circulation. If it is a small critter, put it in its cage with the lights turned off in a quiet room. If it is a dog or cat or some other animal, take it to the vet.

Answer 7

i guess just give it time to recover. however, it depends on what it was that put it into shock. if it was severe there might be a little more to do to help it recover. you may want to put how the animal got into shock in your question.

Answer 8

Keep them warm, and get them to the Vet. There they will recieve fluids, usually coticosteriods, and antibiotics. Then the reason for shock will be addressed

Answer 9

Call the vet . look up the number in the yellow pages it's free to ask questions. Good Luck.......

Answer 10

When this happened to my dog in a fourth of july celebration, I just simply held him close to me and put on the televison because this will help him feel better knowing that since I am watching tv, there is nothin gto worry about and eventually he fell asleep.....