• Decrease font size
  • Reset font size to default
  • Increase font size

Main Menu

Articles

Newsletter


Receive HTML?

Information

Home Home and Family Pets Cat Illness: 3 Major Symptom Areas
Cat Illness: 3 Major Symptom Areas PDF Print E-mail
Written by Kurt Schmitt   
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.
by KurtSchmitt


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.

Some urinary tract problems can be life threatening. FLUTD (feline lower urinary tract disease) is a label for a group of problems that can involve crystals, stones, infection, or inflammation.

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.

Occasional constipation is common in cats, and is most often caused by hairballs. Treatments are available for this, and include store bought hairball remedies as well as veterinarian prescribed treatments such as lactulose.

It should be noted that long term constipation may lead to a serious bowel condition known as megacolon. Impacted anal glands my also be a factor which will require treatment.

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 you notice that your cat is not using the litter box, always assume a physical cause may be at fault. If your cat is not urinating or defecating or is missing the litter box, contact your veterinarian.

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.

Mouth and eye problems -- Check your cat's eyes for uneven pupils, 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 can be an indication of disease.

Pallor of the lips and gums is a sign of disease and could indicate anemia. Other possible cat illness symptoms include bad breath, ulcers in the mouth, and obviously, loose teeth.

Hair and skin problems -- Poor coat or problem skin can be a sure sign of cat illness. In fact, the coat and skin of your cat can be used as a measure of overall health.

A poor or oily looking coat is a sign of illness. If you notice that cat has stopped grooming, it's a sure sign of a problem.

Parasites are usually easily spotted on the skin or coat on the belly. Your cat should be checked at least once per week. Also look for excessive dryness or flaking, hair loss, skin growths, and any kind of swelling or skin eruption.

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.

About The Author:


Kindly provided by 4Girls.dk You are welcome to use this article on your own website, if you include this link.
 
Members : 2569
Content : 3681
Web Links : 3
Content View Hits : 468415