Saturday, October 25, 2008

Cat Care-5 Common Disease Symptoms To Look For

When we have pain in our bodies, we can easily tell somebody that there is something wrong and that person 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 and in fact is the leading cause of death among cats. It is caused by a coronavirus infection and the worse part is that the symptoms are very common with other ailments, so it is really hard to tell if your cat has this.

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 may also be infected by Feline Leukemia Virus (FeLV). This is a is a retrovirus that causes fatal cancerous and non cancerous diseases. Fortunately, it can be easily treated by using some household bleach and detergents, also your pet must be kept warm. This disease is carried through the saliva, tears, urine and feces of other cats that are infected. unlike the other two diseases, it cannot live that long in the environment. Therefore, it is only transmittable when the infected cat stays with another cat for any period of time. 

Worms are another threat to cats and this is caused by a fungal infection that is spread through spores.. Since this disease is self limiting, you will not have do anything to make it clear up. It will in time clear up on its own, but it may take a few months to do so.

If you have a overweight cat, then the chances 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 unsure what is the cause of this, but recent research studies that have been done, have established that there is a link between pancreatic disease, hormonal imbalance and particular medications.

The symptoms of most of the diseases mentioned are very alike. These include diarrhea, vomiting, lameness lasting for more than 5 days in one leg, a reduction in sight, excessive panting, a seizure, blood in the stool or urine, hair loss, persistent coughing or gagging and breathing heavily or rapidly at rest. In order to find the answer, your cat will have to undergo some tests.

The veterinary will take some blood, urine and feces samples. Any input that you have observed and give will also be useful. When the tests come out, only then will the proper treatment be administered to the cat as each case varies, so what worked for one cat may not have the self same positive effect with yours.

Your cat could still be healthy if you gave it constant attention. This can be done by feeding it superior quality food, giving it fresh water, allowing it to exercise, proper grooming, making for sure it remains inside and taking it regularly to the vet.

If you miss any of these simple steps, then something wrong is sure 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.

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