felis - Articles
Frostbite
Introduction
- Due to exposure to extreme cold or contact with frozen metal objects.
- Rare in healthy animals.
- More common in animals moved from warm to cold environment.
- Ear tips, digits and tail tip at greatest risk.
Presenting signs
- Alopecia, erythema, scaliness.
- Lack of pain sensation initially, pain later.
- Cool skin.
- Later may be necrosis, sloughing and curling of eartips and tail.
Geographic incidence
- Cold areas.
Pathogenesis
Etiology
- Freezing of tissues causes cell death.
Predisposing factors
General
- Cat is sick or injured and unable to seek shelter.
- Wind chill and wetting increase the risk.
- Low external temperatures (persistently below freezing).
- Prolonged exposure.
- Recent move for an unacclimatized cat.
Pathophysiology
- Areas of the body poorly protected by hair and/or peripheral circulation are susceptible to necrosis.
Timecourse
- The colder the conditions the quicker frostbite can occur.
Diagnosis
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Treatment
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Prevention
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Outcomes
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Further Reading
Publications
Refereed papers
- Recent references from PubMed and VetMedResource.
- Swaim S F (1980) Trauma to the skin and subcutaneous tissues of dogs and cats. Vet Clin North Am Small Anim Pract 10 (3), 599-618 PubMed.