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5 Cat Ailments To Beware Of
As a cat owner, your first responsibility is to keep your
pet healthy. However, even with balanced nutrition and
a good amount of love and attention, cats can still get
sick. Learn about the most common ailments that affect
cats so you can try to prevent them or cure them quickly
with the proper medical care when you first 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
When cats cannot digest hair and food debris, they regurgitate
hairballs. Hairballs are formed either at the back of the throat
or in the small intestines. Hairballs not only sound disgusting
while your cat is producing them, but they also make an unsightly
mess on your carpets and floors.
The simplest method of hairball prevention is grooming your
cat to remove excess hair. The next step involves many products
already on the market to prevent hairball build-up such as
oils, treats, and diets. If your cat vomits frequently and
the problem isn’t resolved with regular brushings, you should
consult with the veterinarian to be certain that a more serious
problem is not the cause.
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)
This disease is a painful inflammation of the lower urinary
tract that has the potential to be fatal. Feline lower urinary
tract disease has a number of causes from decreased water intake
and urine retention to viruses, bacteria, or diet. Symptoms
that your cat may have FLUTD include inappropriate or difficult
and frequent urination, appetite loss, listlessness, blood
in the urine, or frequent licking of the genitals.
Vet treatment for FLUTD can include catheterization, fluid
therapy, antibiotics, or even (rarely) surgery. At home, cat
owners are often encouraged to change their pet’s diet and
style of feeding (more frequent, smaller meals). It is also
important for your cat to drink plenty of water.
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