SYMPTOMS OF CAT ILLNESSES
Cat Illnesses can be as diverse and complicated as yours and mine. Did you know your little feline friend can get feline arthritis? Or feline allergies? Or cat diabetes and need cat insulin every today? Cat medicine is in many cases the same exact medicine that we take. Pet meds include antibiotics for cats, feline eye drops identical to what we use, and inhalers for feline asthma. Feline constipation or feline colitis can have the same causes and symptoms as that of a person.
Cats get the same conditions we do because they have almost identical anatomy. Of course, there are some differences such as the ability of cats to acquire heartworm disease or FIP or their need for cat flea medicine wuch as Frontline Plus for Cats. More often than not, however, the similarities are much greater. The shelves in a pet pharmacy look very similar to those in our own. Cats have a pancreas so cat diabetes is no surprise and of course, cat insulin is required for treatment. They have cat thyroid glands just as we do so they can also acquire feline hyperthyroidism. A cat's urinary tract is like ours so feline kidney disease exists as does a cat urinary tract infection. Feline anemia can result from cat kidney disease in the same way it can for us. The cat medicine needed to treat these conditions is often the exact same medication we take for these conditions. However, NEVER get your cat any medication without the direction of your veterinarian! You can kill your precious feline friend!
The similarities go on and on. There is very little difference in feline asthma and human asthma. You may be surprised to learn that the same inhalers used by people are at the forefront of cat treatment for feline asthma. Feline illnesses symptoms are likewise the same as yours when either you or your cat get a "cold".
 
Anatomy can be a daunting subject to anyone. Fortunately, good cat care doesn't mean you have to become an anatomy expert. Just be aware that cats have a liver, kidneys, lungs, heart, pancreas, stomach, intestines, gall bladder, urinary bladder ...and these organs are almost identical to human anatomy. Cat health prevention and treatment is therefore almost identical also. Out of the many cat health questions I receive both online and in my practice, I often find that pet owners are surprised to find out just how similar their cat's bodies and diseases are to their own. They are amazed that Cat Illnesses can include your feline friend having an infection, becoming a feline diabetic when their pancreas malfunctions, acquiring irritable bowel syndrome when their intestines are inflamed, heart failure, liver infection or inflammation such as hepatitis, kidney disease, asthma, pneumonia, lung cancer ...the list goes on and on.
Cat illnesses are just like human illnesses and cat illness symptoms are therefore similar to the symptoms exhibited by people under the same conditions. The important thing is that you learn what cat illnesses symptoms are and how to recognize them.
This website contains pages and pages of information about the types of illnesses cats can acquire, but the first and most important thing you need to learn to maintain good pets health is how to detect cat illnesses early. I would much rather practice preventative medicine or diagnose cats illness symptoms while the condition is still early and treatable rather than finding it's too late. I know you want that for your cat also. We want to PREVENT cat illnesses rather than treat them when possible.
Many of the major diseases that cats can get have very similar symptoms, especially elderly cat health problems. But don't worry. If you notice any of the cat symptoms of diseases that are mentioned here, your veterinarian can match those symptoms with the appropriate disease with a thorough exam and usually blood work. Occasionally, x-rays, urinalysis, or even ultrasound may be needed. Fortunately, veterinary medicine has the same methods of testing, diagnosis, and cat treatment these days that human physicians use. Please remember that your cat's chances of being helped are much greater AND your expenses much less if you go to the vet at the first sign of something unusual.
The most common symptoms of cat diseases are simple and easy to remember. There's only five things to remember and they are all right in front of you.
What five things are the main things your cat does? Eat, Drink, Urinate, Defecate, and Sleep. Right? Well, those are the most important behaviors you need to watch.
Is your cat eating more or less? Drinking more or less? Urinating more or less? Having more frequent bowel movements or less frequent and is the stool harder or softer?
Last, but not least, has your cat's activity level changed? Is he sleeping the same amount and acting the same as usual when he's awake? Or is he sluggish, less active, sleeping more?
If any one of those 5 functions change, observe carefully, even take notes, and call your vet right away. It could be nothing OR it could be early feline kidney problems, diabetes, hyperthyroidism, a urinary tract cat infection and a few other things, 99% of which can be cured or controlled IF CAUGHT EARLY.
It's worth repeating those 5 things one more time. Appetite, Thirst, Urination, Bowel Movements, Activity Level. Pay close attention to those bodily functions of your cat. Your observations are free and your vet bill cheaper when disease is diagnosed and treated early, but the value when your observations save your cat's life.....PRICELESS!
Click on the following link for an expanded version of this article with more tips on examining your cat at home.
How To Determine When Your Cat Needs Veterinary Attention
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Click Here To Read About Feline Vestibular Syndrome
If you don't know the signs, its sudden onset can be quite scary.
Learn About One of the Cat Illnesses Known As Feline Leukemia
Return From Cat Illnesses to Home page
What Fellow Cat Owners Have Asked
Click Below To See Questions From Other Cat Lovers.
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