Five Most Common Cat Illnesses
January 17, 2010 by
Filed under Cat Health
When taking care of your cat it is a good idea to know about the different types of cat illnesses that can affect your kitty.
Urinary tract infection
Some cats will be in noticeable pain when using litter box and you may see some blood in their urine.
Frequent trips to the litter box and accidents are common. If any of your cat’s litter box habits change you should take him in to vet for a check up to see if \ there is urinary tract infection
If caught early enough this can be cleared up with antibiotics given.
If not there can be complications with spreading to the kidneys and much more pain. Could be a blockage that prevent cat from urinating and this is life threatening.
Upper Respiratory Infection
Like humans cats can catch colds too but it is much more fatal for them. A cat kept strictly indoors is at less risk.
This is highly contagious and is spread through contact with an infected cat to another cat.
Symptoms include: coughing, sneeze, running nose, fever, watery eyes, harsh meow.
Warning signs you should look for: not eating or drinking, lethargic.
If you notice your cat is less active and not eating or drinking anything this can be quite serious. Seek medical attention at once.
This kind of infection is caused by a virus and antibiotics are given. Antibiotics is not given to treat but rather to keep any other infections from forming.
Some medications are given to help in breaking up the mucous so your cat has easier time in breathing.
Severe cases cat may become so dehydrated that they require use of a drip.
Feline Panleukopemia
Also known as feline distemper and caused by a virus. This is contagious and spread through litter box, contaminated food and water. Be careful if you are have a mult-cat household.
Signs to be aware of: lifeless and lethargic, vomiting, diarrhea that is severe, not eating or drinking, dry skin from being dehydrated, fur falling out.
See your vet if you suspect your cat has this.
No medications to be treated but antibiotics to help keep other infections from happening.
A white blood count is also used to confirm the diagnosis of felinen panleukopemia.
Many cats end up dying from this as it is difficult to fight off.
Good news though there is a vaccine you can give your cat to help prevent this from happening.
Chronic Kidney Failure
More common in older cats and part of natural aging. When kidneys are not working properly than waste is not able to be removed from the body.
Signs: constipation, no appetite, lethargy, nausea, vomiting.
As this progresses more water is needed to process any toxins in body. Vet gives blood and urine tests to check for kidney failure.
There is no known cure but some treatments are available to help cat live a longer life.
Most common treatment is a IV drip or diaylsis.
Diabetes
Not enough insulin in body to maintain proper blood sugar level. If not treated in time a cat will not live a very long life.
Early symptoms: Increased appetite with no weight gain, may even see weight loss, drink and urinate in excess, frail, tiredness, vomit, diarrhea, muscle weakness, trouble breathing, dehydrated.
In later stages cat will become less active. Ketoacidosis happens in some cats. This is a complication when there is no sugar in body
Testing is done through blood and urine samples to determine if have diabetes.
Treatment consists of shots once or twice a day for insulin and some sort of special diet. If cat has become dehydrated will need be treated.
Find vital advice in the sphere of energy generators blog – please study the web site. The times have come when proper information is really within one click, use this chance.
A Look At Seizures In Cats
July 13, 2009 by
Filed under Cat Care
Cats that experience seizures usually have an underlying condition. Your cat will be diagnosed with epilepsy if an underlying cause can’t be determined. Cats can die during a seizure if it lasts too long.
Causes
Felines typically experience seizures because of a condition other than epilepsy. Two of the main causes include cancerous tumors and ingestion of toxic chemicals. Various diseases can also cause seizures. Peritonitis, leukemia virus, and immunodeficiency virus are three of the most common conditions.
Diagnosis
In order to determine the cause of feline seizures, your veterinarian will first have to do a complete neurological and physical examination. A blood test can also determine if your cat has one of the diseases mentioned above that can cause seizures. If previous tests don’t reveal the problem, advanced tests like a spinal tap or an MRI may be performed. Also, seizures in cats can be an expensive condition to diagnose.
Treatment
If the veterinarian can determine a specific disease to blame, then he will attempt to treat it. After the disease has been treated, your cat shouldn’t experience anymore seizures. Anti-convulsant medication may be prescribed if the underlying problem can’t be found.
Warning
If your cat suffers feline seizures, there are a few things you should know. There is nothing you can do to stop a seizure once it starts. Don’t try to shake or knock your cat to stop it. Cats aren’t in danger of swallowing their tongues during a seizure. If you put your hand in your cat’s mouth, you may get bitten very badly. Also, you should try to determine how long the seizure lasts. If it lasts more than five minutes, you should seek medical treatment immediately.
There are many diseases that can possibly affect your pet like inflammatory bowel disease in cats. Luckily for you, www.cat-illnesses.com provides all the information you need. So, come by today to start reading about various diseases that can affect your cat like feline distemper.
Read helpful information for house training dogs – welcome to your personal guide.

