| Your first responsibility as a cat owner is to keep your pet healthy. However, cats can still get sick even with balanced nutrition and lots of love and attention. In order to try and prevent a cat from getting sick or cure them quickly with proper medical care, it is important that you learn about the common ailments that affect cats and how to spot the symptoms.
Fleas
Although cats and dogs can live with fleas, flea infestations should be controlled for several reasons. The most common flea, the cat flea (Ctenocephalides felis) may carry the Dipylidium caninum tapeworm larvae. If cats eat fleas during grooming, they may become infested with these tapeworms.
Fleas also could transmit other infectious agents. If kittens are exposed to fleas, they may become anemic. Cats can also develop an allergy to flea bites, resulting in excessive scratching or possibly skin disease. Finally, humans are also susceptive to itchy flea bites, usually on the ankles.
You may suspect your cat has fleas if he seems particularly itchy or you see bites on human members of the household. To check if your cat has fleas, groom him over a sheet of white paper. Look for a few fleas caught in the comb’s teeth or flea dirt on the paper. Flea dirt is actually excrement of undigested cat blood, and appears black and comma shaped. If you place it on damp cotton wool, the flea dirt dissolves into bloody streaks.
To control fleas, all mature fleas must be killed and reinfestation prevented. Many commercial products are available both to kill adult fleas and remove fleas from the environment. Ask your vet for specific recommendations.
Hairballs
Cats regurgitate hairballs when they can’t digest hair and food debris. Formed either at the back of the throat or in the small intestines, hairballs not only sound disgusting while your cat is producing them, they make an unsightly mess on your carpets and floors.
Grooming your cat to remove excess hair is the simplest method of hairball prevention. However, if your cat still has hairballs there are many products -- such as diets, oils, and treats -- available on today’s market that prevent the build-up of hairballs. If the problem isn’t resolved with regular brushings or any of the special treatments mentioned above, consult your veterinarian to see if it is caused by a more serious problem.
Overactive thyroid
Overactive thyroid, or hyperthyroidism, is a condition where the thyroid gland becomes enlarged and produces excess amount of thyroid hormone. The condition is often provoked by a benign tumor on one or both lobes of the thyroid gland. The good news is that thyroid tumors have only a 2-5% chance of malignancy.
Symptoms of an overactive thyroid include: increased appetite or thirst, unexplained weight loss (particularly muscle mass), nervousness or irritability, frequent vomiting, lethargy and weakness, diarrhea, or a coat that looked ungroomed. A cat with the condition may not present every symptom, but the presence of two or more should prompt a visit to the veterinarian’s office.
At the vet’s, your cat will be given a physical exam. If she notices enlarged glands, a CBC (blood panel) and a thyroid-specific test can make the diagnosis more conclusive. There are three treatments that offer a good chance for your cat’s full recovery: anti-thyroid medication, surgery, and radioiodine treatment. Each method has its own advantages and disadvantages, so you should learn more about the disease and its treatments and discuss your options with the veterinarian before making a decision.
Diabetes
Feline Diabetes can affect cats of any age, but is most common in older, obese cats—typically males. There are two types of diabetes. Type 1 is caused by insufficient insulin production while Type 2 results from a body’s inability to handle insulin effectively. Another type of diabetes, secondary diabetes, occurs as a side effect of drugs or diseases that impair the natural secretion of insulin or its effects in the body.
The symptoms of feline diabetes include vomiting, dehydration, weakness and loss of appetite, increased thirst and urination, weight loss, breathing abnormalities, and an unkempt-looking coat. If your cat has any or several of these symptoms, take him to the vet. The vet will test for blood sugar levels and sugar levels in the urine. Doing both tests rules out an increased blood sugar level due to the stress of the office visit.
If your cat is diagnosed with diabetes, it is usually treated through one or a combination of five methods: diet and weight control, insulin injections, oral medications, monitoring glucose and insulin levels, and nutrient and botanical supplements. Each method of treatments has unique benefits and drawbacks, so be sure to decide on a treatment plan with your veterinarian.
Feline Lower Urinary Tract Disease (FLUTD)
A painful inflammation of the lower urinary tract that has the potential to be fatal, feline lower urinary tract disease (FLUTD) could be caused by bacteria, a decreased intake of water and urine retention, diet or viruses. FLUTD symptoms include the following: appetite loss, blood in the urine, frequent licking of the genitals, inappropriate or difficult and frequent urination, or listlessness.
FLUTD is treated by your vet with antibiotics, catheritization, fluid therapy, or even (rarely) surgery. Cat owners are often encouraged to change their pet’s diet and style of feeding with smaller, more frequent meals and it is of the utmost importance that your cat drinks plenty of water. |