Subscribe to this blog Blog archives
3 Categories of Cat Illness Symptoms - No comment (Add comment)
Your cat has a hard time telling you when she's ill. Here are some of the major cat illness symptom categories and how to spot problems.
Pay attention to changes in your cat's behavior as this can indicate signs of illness. Cats tend to disguise signs of pain and illness as a throw-back to their wild days.
Defecation and urination -- A number of cat health issues present as urination and defecation issues.
Cats my experience FLUTD (feline lower urinary tract disease). This is actually the name for a group of problems that may involve crystals, stones, inflammation, or infection. Some of these urinary tract problems can be life threatening.
Cats self-groom regularly, but excessive licking in the anal or groin area can be a sign of illness. If your cat is urinating more often than normal, this can be a sign of an illness such as diabetes.
Treatments are available for hairballs/constipation, and include store bought hairball remedies as well as veterinarian prescribed treatments such as lactulose.
Impacted anal glands my also be a factor which will require treatment. It should be noted that long term constipation may lead to a serious bowel condition known as megacolon.
If your cat is howling or crying out while using the litter box, or makes frequent but unsuccessful trips to the box, she may have some physical problem that needs to be looked at. Also, a common sign of trouble is scooting across the floor while dragging the rear end.
If your cat is not urinating or defecating or is missing the litter box, contact your veterinarian immediately. Inappropriate elimination is common and is the number one cause that adult cats are brought to shelters. It has a number of physical and behavioral causes. You should address any medical problems first.
Other problems to look for are blood in urine or feces, including black tarry stools. If your cat has diarrhea, it may lead to dehydration, which can be fatal.
Eye and mouth problems -- Check your cat's eyes for pupils of uneven size, cloudiness, or discharge. The nictating membrane, or haw, is a "third eyelid" that you will sometimes see when a cat's eyes are open. This is often an indication of disease.
Ulcers in the mouth, bad breath, and loose teeth are signs of disease. Pallor of the gums and lips is a sign that your cat may be anemic.
Skin and hair issues -- The skin and coat of your cat can be used as a measure of overall health. Poor coat or problem skin can be a sure sign of cat illness.
Certain cat illnesses will manifest as poor or oily looking coat. In addition, if a cat stops grooming, it's a sure sign of trouble.
Also look for swelling, hair loss, excessive dryness or flaking, or skin eruption or growths. Check your cat at least once per week for parasites.
Domestic felines may experience other health problems for sure, but these are a few of the major categories. Keeping an eye on your cat's normal routine, and being sensitive to any of the above problems is an essential part of cat care.
Kurt Schmitt has created a (http://www.cat-lovers-only.com/) resource on cat illness including this list of over (http://www.cat-lovers-only.com/cat-illness.html) 70 cat illness symptoms
Pay attention to changes in your cat's behavior as this can indicate signs of illness. Cats tend to disguise signs of pain and illness as a throw-back to their wild days.
Defecation and urination -- A number of cat health issues present as urination and defecation issues.
Cats my experience FLUTD (feline lower urinary tract disease). This is actually the name for a group of problems that may involve crystals, stones, inflammation, or infection. Some of these urinary tract problems can be life threatening.
Cats self-groom regularly, but excessive licking in the anal or groin area can be a sign of illness. If your cat is urinating more often than normal, this can be a sign of an illness such as diabetes.
Treatments are available for hairballs/constipation, and include store bought hairball remedies as well as veterinarian prescribed treatments such as lactulose.
Impacted anal glands my also be a factor which will require treatment. It should be noted that long term constipation may lead to a serious bowel condition known as megacolon.
If your cat is howling or crying out while using the litter box, or makes frequent but unsuccessful trips to the box, she may have some physical problem that needs to be looked at. Also, a common sign of trouble is scooting across the floor while dragging the rear end.
If your cat is not urinating or defecating or is missing the litter box, contact your veterinarian immediately. Inappropriate elimination is common and is the number one cause that adult cats are brought to shelters. It has a number of physical and behavioral causes. You should address any medical problems first.
Other problems to look for are blood in urine or feces, including black tarry stools. If your cat has diarrhea, it may lead to dehydration, which can be fatal.
Eye and mouth problems -- Check your cat's eyes for pupils of uneven size, cloudiness, or discharge. The nictating membrane, or haw, is a "third eyelid" that you will sometimes see when a cat's eyes are open. This is often an indication of disease.
Ulcers in the mouth, bad breath, and loose teeth are signs of disease. Pallor of the gums and lips is a sign that your cat may be anemic.
Skin and hair issues -- The skin and coat of your cat can be used as a measure of overall health. Poor coat or problem skin can be a sure sign of cat illness.
Certain cat illnesses will manifest as poor or oily looking coat. In addition, if a cat stops grooming, it's a sure sign of trouble.
Also look for swelling, hair loss, excessive dryness or flaking, or skin eruption or growths. Check your cat at least once per week for parasites.
Domestic felines may experience other health problems for sure, but these are a few of the major categories. Keeping an eye on your cat's normal routine, and being sensitive to any of the above problems is an essential part of cat care.
Kurt Schmitt has created a (http://www.cat-lovers-only.com/) resource on cat illness including this list of over (http://www.cat-lovers-only.com/cat-illness.html) 70 cat illness symptoms