Kitty Hypothermia-Pet's in the water

I returned from our Change of Watch late and went straight to bed.  Sometime around midnight I woke up and realized the boat was too quite.  Our cat, Little Miss, is normally quite active at night as cat’s like to be.  I checked around the boat but couldn’t find her in any of her favorite sleeping spots so I woke Kevin up.  The two of us began searching in cabinets and on the aft sundeck and fly-bridge.  My head was beginning to think bad thoughts that my heart wasn’t willing to accept.   

Then we heard her meow.  Kevin had shined his flashlight onto the dock which she must have seen.  He shinned light again, she meowed again followed by Kevin hollering, “Jean, she’s on the dock.”  I ran to the door just as Kevin bolted down the steps onto the dock.  He reached an access panel on the dock just behind the stern of our boat.  Kevin had lifted one panel and was reaching for the second panel by the time I arrived.  He reached inside the dock and pulled out a very wet, cold, frightened and very glad to see both of us cat.

I took her and wrapped her in my arms as I turned to walk back to the boat.  Once onboard I grabbed several towels, covered her with one and began drying her off.  She was shivering violently so I held her closer.  She had a pungent fish odor so we decided to give her a bath to remove sand, salt and that pungent odor.  We put water in one of the galley sinks, used a small amount of Paul Mitchell shampoo to bathe her.  Turned out it was easier to use the spray nozzle on the faucet rather than the water in the sink.  Kevin held her and I washed and rinsed; finishing quickly so we could get her dry.

While I wrapped her in a dry blanket Kevin got our hair dryer which he put on the low setting.  He held the dryer several inches from Little Miss while I fluffed her fur.  She was still shivering but appeared to like the warmth provided by the dryer.  I must make it clear though that the dryer was kept several inches from her body and always swept back and forth rather than held in one place towards her body.

After several minutes and an additional towel Little Miss was beginning to look like a cat again so I put her on the floor near her dishes.  First she looked at her water dish but immediately pulled back from it like it had bit her.  Guess she’d had enough water.  She did eat though.    

While she ate I retrieved her fleece blanket and put on a dry shirt.  As soon as she was done eating I wrapped the blanked around her, holding her close and securely against me.  She still meowed and struggled to get down; however, the warmer she became the less she struggled.  Eventually she began to purr which became quite loud the warmer she became.  Then she closed her eyes and took a brief nap.  Now confident she was fine I too leaned back against my pillows and rested.  She spent the night on our bed (something she had never done); however, I did hear her eating during the night.  In the morning I checked to make sure she was drinking water and she was. J

We have no clear understanding of either how long she had been under the dock or how she had gotten off the boat.  Best theory is she stuck her head out an aft cleat hole and either jumped or fell.  I’d let her out on the sundeck that morning like I’ve done several times previously expecting her to stretch out on a cushion in the sun.  I had tried on several occasions to take her out on the deck and every time she adamantly protested and quickly ran back inside.  This time either curiosity got the best of her or she lost her balance.

Although they are less likely than humans cats and dogs can become hypothermic.   Their fur coat will protect them from becoming abnormally cold under most conditions; however, if they become wet their fur losses its insulating benefits.     Symptoms to look for include: shivering, cold skin, listlessness, drowsiness, slow breathing, and slow heartbeat.  The severity of any of these symptoms will help identify the level of hypothermia being experienced; i.e., the stronger the symptom the more severe the degree of hypothermia present. 

The day was warm and sunny when Little Miss fell in which, I believe, prevented or at least impeded her experiencing severe hypothermia.  Shivering is the body’s attempt to generate warmth; however, due to cold air or water acquiring warmth is illusive.  Even after an hour wrapped in warm blankets and held against my body Little Miss still shivered although the rate of shivering had significantly decreased from when we had rescued her. 

Normal body temperature for cats is 100-102 ° F; whereas normal for humans is 97.7-99.5 ° F.  Hypothermia is present when the core temperature of a body drops below 95.5 ° F; however, coma and death could occur when body temperature falls below 68 ° F.  It is interesting to note that a 7 year-old girl recovered from near drowning in 2010; her body temperature had dropped to 50.4 °F.  Knowing the body temperature will assist you in determining which treatment method to employ. 

Whether professional medical assistance is or is not available you should first employ ABCD:

Airway—make sure it is open

Breathing—shallow breathing may be difficult to detect

Circulation—do they have a heartbeat

Degrees –what is their rectal temperature—I will leave this process to my Vet!

When possible, watch your pet’s ability to walk, if abnormal suspect a higher degree of hypothermia.

Next note the circumstances:

                Duration of exposure

                Conditions—air temp, windy, etc.

                Location—land or water

                Check for external injuries; internal injuries may also be present which require Vet attention.

Quickly and carefully take your pet to a warmer and safer location.  Kevin had pulled Little Miss from under the dock and handed her to me; I immediately folded her into my arms and quickly returned to the boat.  She was alert and speaking so rather than thinking about the circumstances I instantly proceeded to warming her up.

Care should be taken when rewarming your pet.  Immersing your pet in water is recommended; however, caution should be taken when using a bath.  Use common sense: if you’re uncomfortable with bathing then don’t; if your pet is unconscious a warm bath is not recommended.  We chose to bathe Little Miss because smelled like fish and had sand in her fur.  We had filled the galley sink with tepid water approximately six inches deep.  Before putting her in we ensured the water temperature correct, neither too hot nor too cold.  Using the spray hose on the sink to rinse her proved easier the immersing her.  

Drying your pet can be done either using towels, water bottles or a hair dryer.  Wrap water bottles in a towel, place next to your pet then wrap both the bottle and your pet in a blanket.  Use caution when using a hair dryer so you don’t burn them.  Employ a sweeping motion with the dryer; using your hand to fluff the fur as you dry will create a buffer between the dryer and your pet. 

When your pet is dry or reasonably drier provide them with food and water.  Little Miss initially rejected her water dish; however, by morning she had consumed most of the water in her dish.  Watch to ensure they are not only eating and drinking but also voiding.  Any abnormalities present should be attended to by a Vet. 

What steps can you take to protect your pet?  Teach your pet how to get out of the water starting when they are young.  A fellow boater attached a knotted line to the side of their boat then threw their kitten into the water.  The kitten quickly learned to climb back onboard using the line.  Others have attached a sheet or towel to the side of the boat.  Teach your dog how to use the swim platform.  Basically assess the potential re-boarding locations that could be used by your pet should they fall overboard and teach them how get back in the boat.  Purchasing a life jacket for your pet is recommended.  Since pets, especially cats need time to adjust to wearing clothing it is highly recommended to purchase a preserver for them when they are small; purchase larger preservers as your pet ages to match their weight and size.  Purchasing a vest with a handle will make it easier to pull your pet from the water.  Little Miss is no longer allowed on the sundeck unless someone is with her and, as before, she stays in the enclosed cabin—usually she hides in a corner—while underway.  An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.