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Health
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Written by Kurt Schmitt
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Since your cat can't tell you where it hurts, you'll have to be on the
look out for problems. Let's talk about some cat illness symptoms you
should know about. Pay attention to changes in your cat's behavior as this can indicate
signs of illness. Cats tend to disguise signs of pain and illness as a
throw-back to their wild days.
Elimination problems -- Cats may experience a number of issues involving urination, defecation, and litter boxes.
Some urinary tract problems can be life threatening. FLUTD (feline
lower urinary tract disease) is a label for a group of problems that
can involve crystals, stones, infection, or inflammation.
Cats self-groom regularly, but excessive licking in the anal or groin
area can be a sign of illness. If your cat is urinating more often than
normal, this can be a sign of an illness such as diabetes.
Occasional constipation is common in cats, and is most often caused by
hairballs. Treatments are available for this, and include store bought
hairball remedies as well as veterinarian prescribed treatments such as
lactulose.
Constipation over the long term may lead to a serious bowel condition
known as megacolon. Impacted anal glands may present and will require
treatment.
If your cat is howling or crying out while using the litter box, or
makes frequent but unsuccessful trips to the box, she may have some
physical problem that needs to be looked at. Also, a common sign of
trouble is scooting across the floor while dragging the rear end.
If you notice that your cat is not using the litter box, always assume
a physical cause may be at fault. If your cat is not urinating or
defecating or is missing the litter box, contact your veterinarian.
Other problems to look for are blood in urine or feces, including black
tarry stools. If your cat has diarrhea, it may lead to dehydration,
which can be fatal.
Eye and mouth problems -- Check your cat's eyes for pupils of uneven
size, cloudiness, or discharge. The nictating membrane, or haw, is a
"third eyelid" that you will sometimes see when a cat's eyes are open.
This is often an indication of disease.
Ulcers in the mouth, bad breath, and loose teeth are signs of disease.
Pallor of the gums and lips is a sign that your cat may be anemic.
Hair and skin problems -- Poor coat or problem skin can be a sure sign
of cat illness. In fact, the coat and skin of your cat can be used as a
measure of overall health.
Certain cat illnesses will manifest as poor or oily looking coat. In
addition, if a cat stops grooming, it's a sure sign of trouble.
Also look for excessive dryness or flaking, skin growths, hair loss,
and any kind of swelling or skin eruption. Parasites on the skin are
usually easily spotted. Check your cat at least once a week.
Domestic felines may experience other health problems for sure, but
these are a few of the major categories. Keeping an eye on your cat's
normal routine, and being sensitive to any of the above problems is an
essential part of cat care.
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Dr. Rosenberg is the owner, CEO & Chief of Staff at Veterinary Cancer Group.
Kymythy Schultze has been a trailblazer in animal nutrition for over two decades.
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