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What is
capillary refill time?
Capillaries
are tiny blood vessels are which are close to the surface of
the skin. It is the capillaries which give the skin it's
pink colour.
Capillary
refill time (CRT) is a simple method to determine the amount
of blood flow to tissue.
How do I
check the capillary refill time on my cat?
The best
place to check the capillary refill time is on your cat's
gums. To do this, lift up your cat's upper lip & press the
flat of your finger against the gum tissue. Remove the
pressure & you will see a white mark on the gum where your
finger was placed. Using a watch with a second hand, time
how long it takes for the pink colour to return to the white
spot. In the healthy cat it should take around 1 - 2 seconds
to return to pink.
What is
the normal capillary refill time in cats?
1 - 2
seconds is normal.
2 - 4
seconds is moderate to poor.
More than 4
seconds is an emergency.
Less than 1
second is an emergency.
Will
checking the capillary refill time cause discomfort to my
cat?
No.
Please note:
The medical
articles on this site have not been written by a
veterinarian & should not be considered a replacement for a
veterinarian visit. The articles are provided for
informative purposes only.
Always seek
immediate veterinary advice for any problems (health or
behavioral) in your pets.
While great
care has been made in the creation of these articles, we
cannot guarantee the accuracy or omissions on these pages.
If in any doubt whatsoever, seek professional medical
advice. |
