Dog ate chocolate?

ask a vet

Did kitten have heatstroke.

Species: Cat
Breed: very young feral kit
Age: Less than 3 mon
the other day i tried to rescue a stray kitten who was suffering from heat stroke, but unfortunately it died. what could i have done better -- if anything?

when i first saw it, it was dragging itself across a sun beaten sidewalk (no shade in sight of where it was). i picked it up and tried to give it some water. it tried to drink, but not much luck there. i then got it into my air conditioned car to take it to a vet's office (which was less than a 10-minute drive). in the coolness of the car, it seemed to get a little better as it started moving more and fighting to get out my grasp (it was feral, remember). but then it seemed to have some sort of seizure. in the few minutes it took to get to the vet's office, it had gone limp, and i suspect died (or very close to it). the vet took it to the back exam room and in the course of me washing my hands, she came out and told me that the kitten didn't make it.

nyc is going through a bit of heat wave, and in case i ever see this again, what, if anything could i have done better? even though i did the best i could under the circumstances, and the odds are nothing could have been done as i don't know how long the kitten was out in the full sun and heat, i'm a little haunted, wondering if i could have done more.


Online vet, Dr. Marie

Dr. Marie replied:

Oh, I am so sorry that this happened. Thank you for trying to rescue this little one.

I am wondering if there was something more than just heat stroke going on with this cat. Dont' get me wrong - heat stroke is very serious. However, cats are usually quite good at finding the coolest place possible and not being too active. I don't believe I have ever seen a cat in for heat stroke. It is usually dogs who have been left in the car or taken out for long walks on a hot day.

There is a good chance that this kitten had something else such as a virus, severe parasites or a serious infection.

The seizure doesn't tell us much. Often animals will have a seizure just before they die.

It sounds like you did absolutely everything you could to help this little one. I don't think anyone could have saved him or her.

Rest assured you did a good thing and this was in no way your fault!

Dr. Marie.

---This question was asked in our Ask A Vet For Free section.---


Do you have a pet website? Interested in learning more about SEO for Wix?


Check out our dog age calculator and cat age calculator.

Want to receive pet coupons, vet advice and info on new pet products in your inbox?

* indicates required

We'll only send you great stuff, never spam. Unsubscribe any time.

Disclaimer: Although Dr. Marie is a qualified veterinarian, the information found on this site is not meant to replace the advice of your own veterinarian. AskAVetQuestion.com and Dr. Marie do not accept any responsibility for any loss, damage, injury, death, or disease which may arise from reliance on information contained on this site. Do not use information found on this site for diagnosing or treating your pet. Anything you read here is for information only.

Search for similar questions:

ask a vet

Popular questions...

My cat's eye is foggy. Hello, My cat Paisley is 10 months old and her eye is foggy, her ears and nose are... (10693 views)

Not eating, losing weight. My cat has lost a lot of weight in the past 3 weeks. She cries for food but then... (11050 views)

Rat pees and poops on owner. I have a baby rat that poops and pies on me when she gets out of the... (12061 views)

Infection after cherry eye surgery? Chewy had successful cherry eye surgery about 3 months ago. Vet has closed. I... (19770 views)

Vulvar tumor thank you for your reply to my first question about my cat who died from a vulval... (9491 views)

Click in dog's elbow. Hi Dr. I've noticed that sometimes Max's right elbow will creak as he bends it.... (16411 views)

Swollen ankle in my dog. My Labrador has the right back leg ankle joint bigger than his left one. 15 days ago... (11747 views)

Dasuquin causing allergies. About 5 months ago, my dog injured his leg during a walk. I took him to the vet &... (15319 views)

Dog won't walk. my dog has almost stoped walkin and jus crawls around,unless it like to get food of... (18955 views)

Swollen foot because of bandage. Hi- My dog recently cut himself and had to get 4 stitches. The day he was to get... (107397 views)

See all questions...

Dr. MarieDr. Marie is a veterinarian who practices in a busy animal hospital in Ottawa, Ontario. She created Ask A Vet Question as a resource for good, accurate veterinary advice online. Dr. Marie treats dogs, cats, hamsters, guinea pigs, and rats. She has been a vet since 1999.

Is an online vet visit just as good as a trip to your veterinarian? No! But, many times, asking an online veterinarian a question can help save you money. While Dr. Marie can't officially diagnose your pet or prescribe medications, she can often advise you on whether a vet visit is necessary. You can also ask Dr. Marie for a second opinion on your pet's condition.