There are few concerns in life worse that the one for our families health and wellbeing. For many our beloved feline friends are just as important. I wanted in this post tonight to go over a few of the unknown and often overlooked of these illnesses. When our family friend comes down with an illness it is natural to want to diagnose the problem as soon as possible. What few of us realize however is that for many cat's, illnesses are deadly if ignored. This is why early intervention is crucial to saving your cat's life. I'll list six of the main illnessess, of course there are others out there, but these are most frequently talked about.
Feline Infectious Peritonitis
Feline infectious peritonitis (FIP) is the number one cause of infectious death in cats. This disease is spread as a virus and is very difficult to detect as its symptoms are very similar to a number of other cat illnesses. FIP has a few very serious and dire symptoms, such as recurrent fevers, seizure, eye bleeding, abdominal swelling, loss of balance and weight loss. FIP is fatal. A few treatments of FIP will lengthen a cat's life, but every cat infected with FIP eventually succumbs to the disease. Immunodeficiency Virus
Feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV) is the kitty equivalent to HIV. FIV causes the immune system to weaken slowly over time. This cat illness is most commonly spread by aggressive males through bite marks. Most symptoms of FIV are acute and include fever and swollen lymph nodes. Most cases of FIV go unnoticed until the cat's immune system is so weak that he eventually becomes sick and dies. There is no cure for FIV.
Feline Diabetes
Older, overweight, male cats are the most likely to be afflicted with cat illnesses like feline diabetes. The symptoms of feline diabetes closely mimic the symptoms seen in humans with diabetes. These symptoms include excessive thirst and urination, weight loss accompanied with an increase in appetite and general lethargy. Over time the symptoms will become worse and the cat will also begin to experience digestive problems and even hair loss. To treat feline diabetes, the cat's diet is augmented and he is given oral medication and insulin shots. Urinary Tract Infection
When a cat experiences a urinary tract infection he will often howl out when using the litter box. Since a feline urinary tract infection causes the cat a lot of pain during urination he will begin to urinate all throughout the house to find relief. The cat relates the pain to the location he is urinating rather than an internal problem. While the causes of feline urinary tract infections are unknown, they can become deadly if the urinary tract becomes completely blocked. Feline Leukemia
Unlike the human version of leukemia, these cat illnesses are caused by a virus and are communicable. However, feline leukemia does not survive long outside of the body so transmision of the disease is somewhat rare. Symptoms of feline leukemia include fever, anemia, depleted appetite, blood in stool, diarrhea, constipation, excessive thirst, weight loss, vomiting, breathing troubles and sometimes tumors. There are no cures for feline leukemia but it is important to isolate the cat to prevent further spread of the disease.
Stomatitis
Stomatitis is a chronic illness in cats similar to gingivitis in people. In cats, it needs to be treated daily or it can become a serious, painful illness for our feline friends.
Owners of cats should be conscience of the dental hygiene of their fuzzy friends. Check your cat's mouth periodically for any dental problems. If you notice redness of the gums, mouth ulcers, bad breath, excessive drooling or bleeding of the gums, your cat may have stomatitis.If you suspect your cat has a problem, it is important to get them to a
veterinarian quickly. The vet will determine if this is indeed the issue and can get your cat started on treatment right away.
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Your veterinarian will probably recommend that you give your cat's teeth a daily brushing. Stomatitis is thought to be caused by tartar buildup on the teeth and daily brushing of your cat's teeth will
help to keep tartar at bay and will also help in deterring bad breath. You may also be given a 0.2% chlorhexidine rinse to use. Along with these two things, your
pet may be prescribed an antibiotic to help with healing.
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Good nutrition is a vital part of keeping your cat healthy and your veterinarian will have recommendations for what type of food to
give your pet. Soft food may
work better for your cat as stomatitis can be a painful condition and your pet's mouth could be irritated by dry cat food. You might also want to get a vitamin supplement for your cat to help keep your pet's nutritional needs in balance.
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Every six months, take your cat back to the veterinarian's office to have their teeth professionally cleaned. This is an important step in maintaining your cat's good dental hygiene.
Well this will give you some idea of things to look for when your pet isn't looking for feeling that well. If you think it might be serious, don't hesitate to call your vet. Remember it's you who they depend on, don't brush it off. God Bless and good night
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