There are many issues that a cat owner or a cat parent face. Most of them are negligible. Many of them are nothing to worry about. However, there’re a few of them that could pose a lot of stress, worry, and concern for a cat parent. In this article, we will explore some of the common cats’ diseases that cause fear to their owners. We will examine here some of the symptoms and signs to verify if the cat has the disease stated. We would also tell you some of the ways that you can cope with these conditions so that you can address them quickly. For more detailed explanations, visit a cat vet near to you.
Cancer
This is the first disease that worries cat owners today. Cancer for cats is referred to as a class of the many life-threatening diseases that should be identified the soonest time possible. It’s that dangerous.
When cancer happens to cats, there’s an abnormal and increased growth of cells around the tissue of the cats. These cells spread around the body, and can also be confined to a selected area of the cat. You should also learn that there’s no single identified cause for cancer in cats. The term used for this is “multifactorial”. The cancer disease in cats may come from the environment, or they can be caused by hereditary factors.
Some of the varieties of cancer that cats can experience include squamous cell carcinoma, which can be found in the ear or nose, and lymphosarcoma. Squamous cell carcinoma is a skin cancer that’s caused by constant sun exposure. If you observe the following symptoms in your cats, you may want to get them checked by your vet:
- Lumps
- Swelling
- Bad Breath
- Skin Infections
- Lack of Energy
- Abnormal Defecation
- Sores that are hard to heal
- Weight loss
- Vomiting
- Skin Patches
- Behaviour Changes
Feline Lower Urinary Tract Diseases
Commonly called as FLUTD, these diseases affect about 3% of the cats being checked in America by all vets. You should know that this health condition is not gender-centric. It can affect both male and female cats. This usually happens to overweight cats that don’t move about often. Their sedentary lifestyle could also worsen their problem. Felines who don’t eat healthily and don’t vary their food are also prone to experience FLUTD. There are also various triggers to getting FLUTD. Some of them include stress and having a lot of people in the household. Some of the symptoms you should check for FLUTD include:
- Urinating in uncommon places
- Difficulty urinating
- Urine contains blood
- Cat licks the area near its urinary tract, mainly caused by intense pain.
Fleas
Another common illness that felines usually experience is fleas. They’re not a disease, but they’re still a worrisome issue that cat owners deal with regularly. Of course, there are easy treatment options for cats with fleas. If these signs and symptoms are found in your cats, then you should get her checked with a vet:
- Flea dirt found on their skin. This dirt would look like little black dots.
- Hair loss
- Skin infection
- Licking that happens way too frequently.
What you should remember about fleas is that they can last for about a year. They can also worsen if you’re not careful. To make sure that you get rid of the fleas from the cats, treat it immediately. Treating it the first time you detect it will also prevent further infestations.
Diabetes
This is also a surprising disease that’s also common to cats. You should watch out for the following symptoms so you can detect diabetes from a cat early on:
- Appetite changes
- Thirst that’s excessive
- Urinating in areas outside the litter box
- Increased frequency of urination
- Weight Loss
- Lethargy
- Sweet-smelling breathing that’s unusual
- Hair coat that’s usually unkempt
There’s no known cause yet of diabetes, but some of the more likely factors that contribute to the issue are genetics and abnormal levels of protein deposits in the pancreas. Obesity and medications could also be a contributing factor in diabetes. For your doctor to check if your cat has diabetes, s/he will conduct urinalysis and other clinical exam on your cat to gather information about its blood.
Conclusion
In this article, you learned some of the common diseases that felines face. We hope that this enlightened you the next time you’re checking your cat’s health. Get a Cat Care Plan to Ensure a Long and Healthy Life!