Cat Care-Tips On How To Keep A Healthy Cat
Friday, October 24th, 2008When we experience pain in our bodies, we can easily tell somebody that there is something wrong and that individual will be able to bring you to the infirmary. Pets cannot do that but watching them can tell you a lot of things. which is why owners should exercise cat care and be aware of the symptoms.
Here are a few diseases you should watch out for and their symptoms.
Feline infectious peritonitis (FIP) is the most feared disease by cat owners. It is a well-known fact, that it is the leading cause of death amongst cats. It is caused by a coronavirus infection and what is yet worse, is that the symptoms are very much like other diseases so it is really difficult to diagnose.
There is also Feline Immunodeficiency Virus (FIV) that is similar to HIV (human immunodeficiency virus). Just like the version in humans, it is a life long infection that progresses slowly and kills the cat.
Cats can as well be infected by Feline Leukemia Virus (FeLV). It is a retrovirus that causes fatal cancerous and non-cancerous diseases. Fortuitously, it can be treated using some household detergents and bleach as well as warmth and drying. It is transmitted through the saliva, tears, urine and feces of infected cats. Unlike the other two, it cannot survive that long in the environment so it is only contagious when the infected cat stays with some other cat for a long period of time.
Worms are as well another threat to cats and this is caused by a fungal infection that is spread through spores. Since it is a self-limiting disease, you do not need to do anything to make it go away. It will eventually clear up but it may just take a few months.
If you have a overweight cat, then the prospects are it will already have feline diabetes. The symptoms of this disease are pretty easy to see and are excessive urination and thirst as well as weight loss or gain. Vets are of yet uncertain what is the cause of this, but recent research studies that have been done, have demonstrated that there is a link between pancreatic disease, hormonal imbalance and particular medications.
The symptoms of most of the above diseases mentioned are very similar. These include diarrhea, vomiting, lameness lasting for more than five days in one leg, a decrease in vision, excessive panting, a seizure, blood in the stool or urine, hair loss, persistent coughing or gagging and breathing heavily or rapidly while at rest. In order to find the answer, your cat will have to undergo some tests, at your local vets.
The veterinarian will take some blood, urine and feces samples. Any input that you have observed and give will also be helpful. When the tests come out, only then will the proper treatment be administered to the cat as every case varies, so what worked for one cat may not have the identical positive effect with yours.
Your cat should still be healthy if you gave it constant attention. This can be done by feeding it leading quality food, giving it fresh water, allowing it to exercise, proper grooming, making for certain it stays indoors and taking it regularly to the veterinary surgeon.
If you miss any of these simple steps, then something wrong is bound to happen to your cat and you will soon detect a change in the behavior of your cat and if you do nothing about it, it is just going to make matters far worse. So you need to keep proper cat care and watch out for any symptoms.
For further Free information on Long Term Cat Care try visiting Caring For Your Cat Help.