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Health issues in Cats
What are the most common health issues in cats?
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3 Replies
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For male cats it is urinary blockage. For female cats, it is pilemetreosus which is urinary infection.
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By the way, both of these urinary infection is considered very serious and progresses fast.
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Various diseases can afflict cats regardless of their breed or age. Following are the health issues that cats face quite frequently:
Dental Disease
Description: Dentin dysplasia, gingivitis, tooth resorption, and periodontitis are some of the dental issues that are often seen in older cats. These can result in tooth loss, pain, and even infections if not treated.
Symptoms: Bad breath, difficulty chewing or eating properly, salivation, and movable teeth or swollen gum tissues.
Prevention: Maintaining good oral health includes regular visits to the vet for a dental examination and seeking professional help for cleaning. Providing dental treats or toys is also beneficial.
Obesity
Description: An alarming number of cats struggle with obesity. Especially indoor cats, as they don’t exercise enough. If a fat cat does not exercise enough, it may build up to more complicated health issues like diabetes, arthritis, and heart disease.
Symptoms: Excess fat in an individual causes a round-shaped belly to protrude. It is also associated with trouble moving the body.
Prevention: An individual can avoid obesity by eating a well-balanced meal, ensuring smaller portions, and promoting regular exercise. Interactive games and toys can also be beneficial.
Feline Lower Urinary Tract Disease (FLUTD)
Description: This term covers various issues affecting the bladder and urethra, such as bladder stones, urethral obstruction, and cystitis. Urethral obstruction is common in male cats but may result in fatal blockage.
Symptoms: A person may notice their furbaby is straining to pass urine, persistently interested in the litter box, blood appears in the urine, and cat meows while peeing or licking the grandmother’s area.
Prevention: Cats should be fed a well-balanced diet; gluten or foods with high magnesium should be avoided, and your cat should ensure it is well-hydrated. It likely manages FLUTD.
Kidney Disease
Description: Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is a progressive disorder that is seen commonly and mostly in the older populations of cats. As the disease progresses, the ability of the kidneys to extract wastes and toxins from the bloodstream gradually becomes impaired.
Symptoms: The cat’s thirst increases, and it needs to drink water often. Weight loss is also common; the coat is in poor condition, and vomiting is noted.
Prevention: Cats above the age of 7 should be routinely screened for CKD and placed on diets with restricted phosphorus content to reduce or slow its progression.
Hyperthyroidism
Description: This condition occurs when there is a moderate increase in the amount of the thyroid (T4) hormone circulating in the body. The increased production of thyroid hormone is mostly caused by a benign tumor located in the thyroid gland. Cats of older age groups specifically succumb to this for several reasons.
Symptoms: Occasionally overweight pets with increased appetite and dieting who have low energy levels, increased thirst along with urination, continuous vomiting, and diarrhea.
Prevention: There is no effective prevention, but early diagnosis through a blood test may assist in treating the condition, either through medication, a medically modified diet, or surgery.
Diabetes
Description: Cats are subject to diabetes mellitus, which is the inability of a cat’s pancreas to produce adequate insulin, resulting in high glucose levels in the cat’s blood body. This is common in overweight cats and also older cats.
Symptoms: Frequent urination, excessive drinking, weight loss, increased food intake, extreme tiredness, dry mouth, and sweaty skin.
Prevention: Diabetes can be avoided by restricting the cat’s weight to ideal levels and feeding it low-carb, high-protein meals.
Respiratory Infections
Description: Cats can become ill with upper respiratory infections (URI). The feline herpes virus or calicivirus typically causes them. These infections are prevalent among shelter cats or multi-pet families.
Symptoms: Discharge from the pet’s nose while sneezing, cough, elevated body temperature, presence of pus or green discharge coming from eyes, and lack of gorging appetite.
Prevention: Many of these infections can be prevented through vaccination (FVRCP vaccine), and maintaining some sanitary conditions can help prevent the spread of germs in multi-cat households.
Parasites
Description: Cats may get infested with internal (like worms) and external (like fleas, ticks, and mites) parasites. These can lead to a handful of health complications and discomfort.
Symptoms:
Internal parasites: Loss of appetite, consistent vomiting, persistent diarrhea, and bloating.
External parasites: Continuous itch, loss of fur, rashes, and granules.
Prevention: Flea and tick and regular anti-worm medications can help prevent infestation in your cat.
Feline Immunodeficiency Virus (FIV) & Feline Leukemia Virus (FeLV)
Virus description: Feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV) and leukemia virus (FeLV) can also invade the cat’s immune system, showing a greater susceptibility to other diseases and infections. FIV is contracted through bites, while FeLV is contracted through exposure through close contact or sharing food bowls from which the other infected cat has eaten.
Symptoms: Weight loss, fever, and infection of the gums or mucous membranes. Recurrent infections and thickened, crusted, and red gums.
Prevention: Vaccination against the virus FeLV may also decrease the risk of exposure to infected cats. Building facilities that allow cats to roam freely may also help control exposure to infected cats.
Arthritis
Description: This is common with old age in cats and, most particularly, osteoarthritis, as this condition has been shown to increase pain and stiffness in the affected joints. In most instances, this could be pain that the cat would rather not express.
Symptoms: Reluctance to jump or climb, stiffness after rest, a gait either limp or near, and decreased activity.
Prevention:
For older cats, especially those diagnosed with obesity, controlling the diet may help relieve stress on the joints’ tissues. Hydrolyzed special diets or vitamin supplements containing glucosamine and chondroitin may be administered to the affected cat to help support the overall health of the joints.
Hairballs.
Description: With the frequency of times that cats groom themselves and the fact that there is hair within that environment, accumulation, and ingestion of hair result in the formation of hairballs. Although hairballs are common in many cats upon vomiting, the latter is a sign that the cat’s digestive system might be experiencing some form of dysfunction.
Symptoms: The presence of vomit composed of hairs, retching or yelling, and occasional constipation.
Prevention: Regular grooming, such as trimming the hair in the ear and chin follicles, and a hairball diet accompanied by dietary fiber supplements, fiber-containing diets, and cigarette foods can all help reduce the frequency and severity of hairball formation in cats.
Cancer
Description: As a cat becomes older, the feline will likely develop cases of cancer-osteo sarcoma, lymphoma, skin cancer, or mammary carcinoma. If someone is diagnosed with cancer while it is heavily advanced, chances of effective treatment later are reduced significantly.
Symptoms: Unexplained weight loss, abnormal lumps or swellings developing under the skin, trouble eating, lesser maturation activities, and behavioral changes, among other things.
Prevention: Routine vet visits can help catch the early stages of diseases, such as cancer. Spaying female cats is also in the best interest, as they are at lesser risk of developing mammary glands.
Most of these problems can be controlled if you take your cat to the vet regularly, offer a nutritional diet, and ensure your feline maintains an adequate weight. Monitoring your cat for any new signs of illness and seeking medical attention as soon as possible are both very important in protecting your cat’s health in the long term.
If you wish for more advice on any specific conditions or cat care techniques, please do not hesitate to ask!