The common saying that cats have nine lives can be very misleading. If you fail to take good care of your cat, it will die and do not expect it to come back eight more times.
The cat seems to be a self-sufficient animal but in a real sense, she relies on you to take care of her and make sure she is healthy. It is also important for you to arrange for scheduled visits. By knowing the common cat health problems, you will be in a prime position to notice the symptoms early enough to take the necessary action to save your pet’s life.
Lower urinary tract disease
Feline lower urinary tract disease includes a number of conditions that tamper with the cat’s urethra and bladder. Some of the symptoms that signal a urinary tract infection are a failure to use the cat litter and straining when relieving herself. Other symptoms are blood in the cat’s urine and excessive licking of the genitals. When you spot these symptoms, contact your veterinary doctor immediately.
Infectious diseases
The most common and prevailing infections for cats are respiratory-related. While some can be prevented through vaccination, most of them have to be treated. Some infectious diseases include watery eyes, sores in the mouth, coughs, and running noses. Sadly, most of the respiratory diseases are viral so it is not much you can do other than take them to the vet soon as you suspect that they are infected.
Cancer
The most common cancer in cats is the cancer of the lymph known as Lymphosarcoma. It is associated with the feline leukemia virus. Symptoms of cancer in cats are persistent skin infections, lumps, weight loss, difficulty in breathing, vomiting. You should take the cat to a vet who is a specialist in oncology. The treatment will depend on the stage and location of cancer in the body. If it operable, the vet can arrange for an operation to remove it. Otherwise, the cat may need to go through chemotherapy, radiation, or immunotherapy.
Heartworm disease
Since a cat is not a normal host for the heartworm, some cats may not exhibit any symptoms at all. Others may show signs such as vomiting, respiratory problems, and coughing. Heartworm can be fatal in cats since there is no effective cure or vaccination against it. The bright side is that the cat’s immune system is usually able to fight it on its own eventually. In case of a severe infection, the vet may suggest surgery to remove the worms.
Fleas
Parasites such as fleas feed on your cat’s blood and may kill it if left to fester. You can tell if your cat has fleas if she has patches on her hair, scratches herself a lot, and has considerable hair loss. A closer look may reveal the fleas themselves or their eggs on the cat’s fur. Fleas are easier to deal with since you can apply products designed to deal with fleas in cats. Be careful not to use products meant for dogs as those might be too strong for cats and may kill them.