How to Handle a Bleeding Wound

There are many things that might go through your head when you have an injured cat. If the cat has a wound that is bleeding, however, it is important for you to control the bleeding before taking it to a veterinarian for treatment. Be aware: an injured and bleeding cat will not be easy to treat and may need to be restrained.

Symptoms and Types

There are two main types of bleeding wounds: arterial and venous wounds. Arterial wounds will spurt out bright red blood as a result of the cat's pulse. Such wounds are deeper and require immediate veterinarian treatment to prevent heavy blood loss. Conversely, venous wounds will have dark red blood oozing out from the injury.

Treatment

A bleeding wound requires veterinarian care. You should always take your cat to the nearest veterinarian for proper treatment. However, you can try simple emergency methods to control the bleeding until veterinarian care becomes available.

Pressure dressing is the first and the best method to use to control bleeding. Pressure is applied directly to the wound by pressing a sterile gauze, clean cloth or clean pad over the wound. Direct pressure has to be applied for as much as five to ten minutes in order to stop the bleeding. Once the bleeding stops, do not remove the gauze, cloth or pad, as it may remove the clot that has formed. Instead, leave the pressure pad in place and bandage it in place with adhesive tape or any other bandaging material on hand. Also, do not bandage too tightly or the circulation of the area will get cut off and you will see swelling around the wound.

Tourniquet application is used only if the wound does not stop bleeding with pressure dressing, usually because of arterial bleeding on the legs or tail. A tourniquet is tied between the wound and the heart. Materials that can be used for emergency tourniquet include cloth strip, belt, gauze or adhesive tape -- anything you can use to safely tie around the cat. Tie the tourniquet tightly enough to stop the bleeding or insert a stick into the loop and twist till bleeding stops. Once the bleeding stops, apply a pressure bandage for approximately 5 to 10 minutes to prevent secondary damage. If the artery or vein is visible, you can tie the end of it with a cotton thread. However, this is not recommended except in dire emergency.

Precautions

• Do not wipe a wound which has recently stopped bleeding, as this will remove the clot and the bleeding will begin again.
• Do not use hydrogen peroxide to treat bleeding wounds, as it will dissolve the clot and delay healing.
• When using a tourniquet, loosen it every 10 minutes or the tissues will die due to lack of oxygen (hypoxia) causing secondary damage. If the bleeding restarts once the tourniquet is loosened, wait 30 seconds before retying the tourniquet for another 10 minutes.