What To Do In Case Of Drowning In Animals
It often happens in summer that animals approach different water sources to take a dip. Whether on the beach, in a river, at the lake or in the swimming pool in the garden, it is always good to be careful.
As with children, puppies or inexperienced dogs can fall into the water and drown. This drowning phenomenon is known as hypoxemia.
Hypoxemia is the aspiration of water produced by prolonged immersion. After going through this phase for a few minutes, the animal will have elevated levels of carbon dioxide in the bloodstream, accelerated breathing, and water entering its lungs.
In this article, we will share with you some tips that have been disclosed so that everyone can know what to do if an animal drowns.
Types of drowning and symptoms
A typical drowning has three stages.
1. One phase is to hold your breath when swimming and moving. In this phase there is an aspiration of water, drowning and a struggle to get air. Later there is vomiting and cessation of movement followed by death.
2. The aspiration of fresh water leads to a collapse of the respiratory cells with possible infectious pneumonia.
Conversely, sea water enters the lungs and alveoli (the air cells of the lungs) as the dog does not have enough oxygen.
3. The time of immersion, the temperature of the water and the type of water where the dog is immersed can cause significant damage to his organs.
Symptoms of drowning include the bluish color of the skin and gums, cough with foamy spit that can range from a light to red color, interruption of breathing, difficulty breathing, deep wheezing from the lungs, vomiting, increased or decreased frequency heart rate and interruption of heartbeats.
Some of the causes of drowning in animals are related to the negligence of owners taking inadequate safety precautions, or the presence of a puppy or inexperienced dog.
Another cause can be the occurrence of seizures when the dog is in or near water, caused by a trauma to the skull, a low blood sugar level, an abnormal heart rhythm or an episode of fainting.
Diagnostics
Your vet will perform a complete physical exam on your dog. Standard laboratory tests include a blood chemistry profile, complete hemogram, urinalysis, and electrolyte panel.
Chest x-rays might show aspiration pneumonia or the presence of fluid in the lungs. Inhaling foreign bodies can lead to lung collapse and lead to severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS).
It is also possible that an endotracheal or transtracheal lavage is performed, followed by a cytological examination, and then concludes with an electrocardiographic monitoring to examine the muscles of the heart and determine if the organ has suffered damage.
The vet will also want to determine the auditory responsiveness and evaluate if there is any type of loss. It is also common to do a cervical x-ray, computed tomography or MRI of the brain and brainstem.
Post-drowning treatment
Eliminate any airway obstructions and perform mouth-to-mouth resuscitation on your dog directly at the crash site. Then take him to his vet for examination and medical treatment.
Your pet may need to be hospitalized in an emergency and be given oxygen. If you have severe hypoxemia, hypercapnia or breathing difficulties, you may also need respiratory assistance.
It is not recommended to perform postural drainage or abdominal compressions (the Heimlich maneuver) as there is a high risk that the animal will regurgitate and aspirate the contents of the stomach accordingly.
Fluid therapy is crucial to bring fluid balance back to normal levels. In case of hypothermia, the vet will proceed to warm his body a little for two to three hours.
In general, comatose dogs are not very likely to survive, and even if they have high levels of blood acidosis (pH below 7.0), or if they need cardiopulmonary resuscitation or mechanical respiration.
On the contrary, animals that arrive at the clinic conscious will have a good chance of succeeding, provided there are no complications and if the treatments are carried out immediately.
