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home <<< cat illness symptoms
Recognizing cat illness
symptoms
is tricky because ...
cats
are masters ... at hiding the fact that they are not well.
Your pet cat still has the same instincts as
a cat in the wild. To avoid attracting the attention of would
be predators ... cats will hide any sign of weakness,
illness or pain.
Early detection of cat illness symptoms increases the likelihood
that treatment will be successful … and it can also cut
down on the vet bills. It pays to be observant and know
what is normal for your cat.
Some cat illness symptoms are obvious
and others easy to miss
... have behavior or habits changed … even
slightly
... does your cat react when you touch it or
try to pick it up
... are there changes in physical appearance
or the ability to move about easily
... discharge from any body opening, or a lump,
sometimes hidden beneath all that fur
... changes in eating or drinking patterns …
weight … litter box behavior or
contents
A sick cat or a cat in pain will often find a quiet, dark
place to hide – crouching
in a corner, under the bed, in a closet … in an effort to
conserve energy or
avoid painful movement.
Don’t let a sick cat outdoors, it could find another hiding
spot.
Other sick cat symptoms and signs include:
Lethargy
... which is a general decline in activity
or a lack of interest in anything that goes
on. A lethargic cat may slow down, move very little, appear
to be in a daze, show no interest in family and sleep
more than usual. Illness can cause depression in cats,
which doesn’t help matters.
Is your cat talking to you?
Is your cat unusually quiet or loud? Yowling
and other odd sounds might be a cry for help.
A purring cat is not always a happy cat
Cats purr when they are sick, in pain, and even when
they are dying.
We lost a foster kitten to distemper. Jelly was a little slow
in the morning and died about ten that night. That little guy
purred off and on for for hours, while he suffered, until he
passed on.
Monitor your cat’s food
and water intake carefully
... Increased thirst can be a symptom of
diabetes or other illness. You can’t always monitor
your cat’s drinking habits but you may be able to keep
an eye on the litter box activity
... Advise your vet if you notice an unexplained
increase or loss of appetite
... Contact your veterinarian immediately if your feline
is not drinking, having trouble with
urinating (peeing) or not urinating at all
Your cat's weight
Loosing a pound or so might be a triumph for some of us but
for the average house cat, even half a pound (227 grams) can
be a significant weight loss.
A sick cat will often loose its appetite. Unexplained
changes in weight, up or down, sudden or gradual
should be reported to your veterinarian.
Feline Fatty Liver Disease
If your overweight cat stops eating for a few days, he or
she could develop “fatty liver disease” (hepatic
lipidosis or HL).
To compensate for lack of food, the bloodstream delivers
fat to the liver; the liver then converts the fat to protein,
a source of energy for the body. The liver basically becomes
overwhelmed and felines then become seriously ill.
Cat illness symptoms can include:
... vomiting
... diarrhea
... weight loss
... dehydration and
... jaundice (yellowing of the skin).
Fatty liver disease can be
fatal
and it requires immediate medical treatment. My friend's
overweight cat disappeared for a few days; she was accidentally
locked up in a shed. When she was finally able to return
home, it was too late to save her.
If you plan to put your fat cat on a diet, ask a veterinarian
first.
Keep an eye on ...
changes in litter box behavior and contents
If your kitty is going to drop a few hints that it is not well,
it will probably be in the litter box.
Cat illness symptoms to watch for:
... changes in the color and consistency of feces (poop)
... increased urination, caused by excessive
thirst,
resulting in larger litter clumps or wet
spots
... dribbles of urine that could signal a blockage
of the urinary tract
... the presence of blood or mucus in urine or stools,
dark streaks in
feces could be digested blood.
FULTD – Feline Urinary Lower Tract Disease
or FUS
FULTD is a common and serious disease and deserves immediate
attention. In some cases, it can be fatal
if not treated.
Cat illness symptoms of feline urinary tract disease include:
... frequent trips to the litter box
... excessive urinating (pollakiuria)
... squatting and straining to urinate (pee)
with little or no results
... crying or howling because urinating is painful
... dribbling urine or unable to urinate at all
... incontinence
- inability to control urinating of defecating (pooping)
(often confused with a behavior problem)
... blood or mucus in the urine
... excessive licking of the genitals
A blockage of the urinary tract (the urethra or bladder) can
cause kidney failure. A blocked urethra tends
to occur in males more frequently because their urethra is shorter.
It is a life threatening condition and must
be treated immediately.
(Straining to urinate is easily confused with straining to
poop.)
Some veterinarians believe that the increase in urinary tract
problems and problems involving the bowels are directly related
to the introduction of dry cat food (kibble) … which is
a creation of the pet food industry.
Dry cat food does not resemble a cat’s natural diet,
which is meat (protein based) and moist.
Were a cat's organs designed to process and eliminate dehydrated
kibble? That's food for thought.
Feline vomiting
Cats often vomit hairballs
and grass because they irritate the stomach, which is usually
normal. When your kitty eats too quickly or too much he might
vomit the food back up shortly after. If your cat vomits once
or twice but appears normal after, the problem usually is not
serious.
On the other hand, vomiting is a cat illness symptom
common to many diseases, infection or intestinal parasites.
Cats will vomit if they have eaten anything poisonous.
Prolonged vomiting can cause dehydration.
If your cat or kitten vomits repeatedly, or you see blood or
anything unusual in the vomit, get in touch with your veterinarian
right away.
Diarrhea
Diarrhea is a cat illness symptom that's hard to miss. Contact
your veterinarian if it lasts more than a day
or contains blood, mucus or dark stools. Diarrhea
is a symptom shared by many diseases and health disorders. It
can cause dehydration in your pet. Take a sample
of the diarrhea with you if you’re taking your cat to
the vet.
Feline constipation
A common health problem in cats – in its mild form. Feces
remain in the colon for two to three days and later appear in
the litter box as small, hard and dry stools or softer stools,
somewhat like diarrhea.
Cat illness symptoms - straining to poop,
possibly painful. With chronic constipation or megacolon, hard
stool matter fills the large intestine, resulting in a bloated
appearance, loss of appetite and lethargy.
Feline dehydration symptoms are easily overlooked
Dehydration is an excessive loss of body fluids
(and electrolytes), often resulting from prolonged vomiting
or diarrhea, fever or overheating. For some cats (homeless),
there is simply no clean water available to drink.
Cat illness symptoms in a dehydrated cat are easy to miss.
A cat's skin will loose its elasticity. To
check for dehydration, gently pull a clump of skin on the back
of the cat’s neck up, into a fold and let go.
Normally, the skin will immediately snap back into place. If
the skin remains in a ridge and does not return to its normal
position instantly, your cat is likely dehydrated.
Another symptom is dryness of the mouth.
Gums, which should be wet, are dry and tacky to the touch. For
overweight and older cats, whose skin has already lost
its elasticity, use this test to check for dehydration.
Feline dehydration can be life threatening.
Coughing
Felines do cough up or vomit hairballs, which usually takes less
than a minute. Persistent coughing is not normal
and may be a symptom of asthma, an upper respiratory infection,
parasites or other disease.
Sneezing can be a reaction to irritants - sometimes cleaners
and air fresheners - or pollen in the air. Sneezing can also be
a symptom of a flu virus.
Upper Respiratory Infections
These viruses produce some cat illness symptoms that are similar
to our colds or flu – sneezing, coughing, runny
nose and eyes ... but are far more serious. A
sick cat might run a fever and loose interest
in eating or drinking. Secondary bacterial infections
can also develop.
URI is highly contagious. In some cases, a shelter
with an infected cat will close its doors to all incoming felines
until the virus is under control. Some cats recover fully and
some do not survive. Ask a vet to be on the safe side.
Cat Eye Problems
Eyes are considered to be windows to the soul but they can
also provide some clues to your cat’s overall health.
When your feline is well, eyes are bright and clear; the pupils
are centered and of equal size and the eyes are moist.
Cat illness symptoms include: Discharge from
one or both eyes, which can be a symptom of infection or disease.
Pupils that are not equal in size can be a symptom
of head injury. Eyes should not be dry or hazy
… swollen, bulging or sunken.
The third eyelid (nictitating membrane) is
a somewhat transparent white fold of skin which appears from
the inner corner of a cat’s eye. Normally not visible
when a cat is awake, its appearance can signal
that your cat is sick and possibly in pain.
A feline ear infection can become serious and complex
Cat ears should be clean, free of odor, discharge, swelling,
scabbing and injury.
Cat illness symptoms of ear irritation or infection are discharge,
scratching, fussing with the ear and head shaking.
Hearing and balance can be affected by infections of the middle
and inner ear.
If the infection is serious and allowed to progress
cat illness symptoms are obvious and disturbing.
Your cat’s face may become partially paralyzed on the
infected side and the head will be held at a tilted angle. Eyes
may dart about in a jerking manner. As with other health problems,
the third eyelid may appear and partially cover the eye.
Do contact your vet for a professional diagnosis.
Ear mites are easy to miss.
These creepy little creatures look like tiny dark specks,
sometimes moving. Look deeply in the ears for
a dark waxy discharge that may have a foul
odor.
Cats typically shake their heads and scratch
at their itchy ears - which can create areas of rawness,
scabbing, loss of hair … and possibly a secondary bacterial
infection. Ear mites can easily infect other cats and
dogs. Your vet can recommend treatment.
Your cat's mouth and teeth
It’s fair to say that some of the same symptoms that
send us running to the dentist are affecting your cat’s
dental health as well.
Teeth should be clear of excessive tartar,
especially at the gum line and the gums should be pink and moist.
Loosening teeth, bleeding gums or swelling are not good.
If your feline is having difficulty eating or is eating
less ... drooling or dropping food it may be suffering
because of a painful abscess in the root of a tooth or other
dental disease.
The mouth, tongue and lips should be clear of any sores, lacerations
… or anything that looks unusual. Bad breath
may be caused by bacteria or infections in
the mouth but can also be a symptom of diabetes
and other diseases.
Lumps or bumps
Don’t ignore wounds, sores, blemishes, lumps or bumps that
do not heal in a few days. Periodically run your
hands over your cat’s body (which you can do while brushing
your cat) so you can identify anything new or unusual.
Is your cat continuing
to groom itself?
Cats that are healthy and content spend about ten percent of
their waking hours grooming.
A well maintained coat protects their sensitive skin from sunburn
and injury. Their fur insulates them ... keeps them warm ...
and when it is hot, their saliva cools them down. A cat's saliva
also has antiseptic properties.
If this critical part of your cat's daily care is faltering,
it might be experiencing some sort of health problem.
Pets are totally dependant on their people to provide them with
health care when they need it … do fine tune your antennae
so you can easily recognize the earliest cat illness symptoms.
Our article on cat illness symptoms provides general information
only.
It is not intended to replace the professional diagnosis and care
provided by a veterinarian.
We wish you and yours good health.
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cat illness symptoms
Further information
Feline incontinence - how
to help your cat when it cannot control when or where it urinates
or poops.
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