Updated March 5, 2019: Pets are important members of our families, and they make our lives whole. Because they make us happy and healthy,...
Updated March 5, 2019: Pets are important members of our families, and they make our lives whole. Because they make us happy and healthy, it is particularly heartbreaking when they are sick and in pain, because we can feel helpless to make them better off. Cats make up about thirty to thirty percent of pets in American households, and since more than thirty percent of cats are purchased as strays (with an estimated 70 million living as strays in the U.S.), it is imperative that we protect our domesticated cats from disease.
One of the best ways to protect yourself financially from the high vet bills is to take out pet insurance. Learn more about pet insurance here.
These are some of the most common cat deaths. Since cats can catch these eight diseases from other cats in your home, on the street or in the shelter, it is important to keep an eye on them and take them to the vet when they start to show strange symptoms or behaviors.
Here are some basic ways to determine if your cat is sick.
Kidney disease
Symptoms: dry fur, weight loss, bad breath, sabbbing, increased urination and thirst
While kidney disease can affect all cats of age and race, it occurs especially in cats at the age of seven years and older and long-haired breeds such as Persians and Angoras. Acute renal failure can also occur if your cat is taking a toxic substance such as antifreeze, pesticides or human drugs such as ibuprofen.
"What is heart disease for humans is a kidney disease for cats - a major cause of suffering and death," says Dr. Roberta Relford, Chief Medical Officer of IDEXX Laboratories. "The older they get, the more likely they are to develop kidney disease.
If you suspect that your cat has kidney disease, take it to the vet immediately so that it can have blood and urine tests done. If the kidney damage is due to a blockage of the urinary tract, it is admitted to surgery so that the constipation can be eliminated. However, if constipation is due to obstruction, she receives hydration therapy, medication and kidney-friendly diets to treat the disease over time. The best way to treat kidney disease is to detect it early. Dr Relford says SDMA, a test that tests for kidney disease, is available to all veterinarians in the U.S. and Canada and can detect kidney disease months to years earlier than waiting until it's old or until you see symptoms.
Treating kidney disease can be expensive, especially if you don't have pet insurance. Here's what to do.
Felines Immunodeficiency Virus (FIV)
Symptoms: weight loss, dry fur, skin disease, diarrhea
FIV (related to HIV but cat-specific species) is transmitted through bite wounds, and as soon as it enters the bloodstream and attacks the immune system, it is fatal. In addition, FIV is classified as a "slow virus", so infected cats can look normal for years as the virus slowly weakens their immune system. Although most vets check for FIV if your cat is a kitten, most FIV tests slow down with your cat's age, so you should request an annual examination, especially if it shows signs of the disease. To prevent your cat from becoming infected with FIV, keep them away from territorial and feral cats in the house and keep them informed about vaccines.
If you believe your cat has FIV, take it to the vet so that an antibody test can be performed to make sure. If he has FIV, he should be locked up in the house so that he cannot transfer it to other cats or animals, be neutered if he is not already neutered, maintain a healthy diet and are often taken to the vet for inspection. Although considerations regarding specific life expectancy and how to deal with a cat infected with FIV vary from veterinarian to veterinarian, most veterinarians agree that FIV severely affects and shortens a cat's life.
Diabetes
Symptoms: increased urination and thirst, weight loss, vomiting, plantigrade posture (if your cat runs on her hind legs instead of on her toes)
Both types of diabetes are widespread in cats and appear to be on the rise as cats live longer, are more likely to be obese and eat high-carbohydrate foods. Type 1 is rarer and occurs when there is insulin deficiency, while type 2 occurs more frequently and occurs in insulin resistance. Although there are two different types of diabetes, the treatment is generally the same.
To determine if your cat has high glucose levels and ultimately diabetes, your veterinarian will perform urine and blood tests. If your cat suffers from diabetes, it needs to be injected with insulin twice a day, and its diet and weight are closely monitored. To keep them healthy for long periods of time and hopefully achieve diabetic remission, you should take them regularly to the vet for check-ups, monitor their blood and urine at home, and put them on a high-protein/low-carb diet.
If you're not sure if your pet is healthy or not, here are some ways to determine.
Leukemia
Symptoms: diarrhea, skin disease, cystitis, infertility
Leukemia is a cancer of white blood cells that is spread by a virus in saliva and urine. Cats that live with or come into close contact with infected cats pose the greatest risk of disease - cats transmit the virus via common food bowls or fights or even via the mother's placenta.
To determine if your cat has leukemia, a viral test is performed, depending on the stage of infection you are at. Unfortunately, leukemia in cats is often fatal. Even cats with leukemia that respond to chemotherapy have an average survival rate of less than a year. Since there is no cure, the best way to protect your cat from leukaemia is to take it to the vet regularly, get it vaccinated and keep it away from infected cats and animals.
Rabies
Symptoms: fever, weight loss, hyperactivity, aggression, muscle spasms, sabbing
Rabies is a viral infection spread by a bite or saliva of an infected animal. As soon as the virus enters the body, it attacks your cat's nerves, spinal cord and brain and is fatal. Because of its severity and because it can be easily transferred from animals to humans, cats need to be vaccinated in many cities, states, veterinarians and dog caregivers.
And if you thought that rabies primarily affects dogs, you would be wrong. In fact, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), cats are more likely to be affected by rabies: "Cats are often in close contact with both humans and wild animals, even those that primarily transmit rabies.
Unfortunately, there is no treatment for cats once they have rabies, and it is fatal. The best way to prevent this is to get them vaccinated and protect them from rabid wildlife.
Infectious cat-like peritonitis (FIP)
Symptoms: weight loss, lethargy, fever
FIP is a disease caused by a felina coronavirus (FCoV) and transmitted by feces. FIP has two shapes - wet and dry. The damp form results in deposits in the chest, which lead to bloating of the abdomen or breathing problems. The dry form produces inflammatory lesions throughout the body, called pyogranulomas, which infect vital organs and systems such as the kidneys, liver and nervous system. The FIP mainly affects young cats under the age of two and is often fatal.
Unfortunately, due to limited research and studies, it is difficult to prevent your cat from using FIP and diagnose it at all. There are no screening tests to detect an infection, and although a vaccine is available, it is not recommended due to limited evidence of success. Until further studies are carried out, the only treatment of FIP is palliative care, which helps your cat to feel as normal and comfortable as possible until the decision to euthanasia.
Heartworm
Symptoms: cough, vomiting, weight loss, seizures
The heartworm is a dangerous and sometimes deadly disease that infects your cat's heart and lungs. It is spread by mosquitoes and has been reported in all fifty states, regardless of weather and climate.
The American Heartworm Society says heartworms are harder to detect in cats than in dogs (in fact, sometimes the first sign of heartworms in cats is sudden collapse or death). Cats should be examined, tested and prescribed preventive drugs to prevent heartworm infection. Unfortunately, unlike dogs, there is no drug used to treat heartworm infections in cats. Therefore, a long-term plan for adequate veterinary care and the maintenance of monthly preventive measures (such as pills, topical drugs or syringes) is crucial. You can order popular heartworm treatments on websites like Chewy.com.
Thyroid overfunction
Symptoms: vomiting, diarrhea, increased urination and thirst, dry fur, change of appetite, heart disease
Thyroid overfunction is caused by an overproduction of thyroid hormones, which increases the metabolic rate of your cat's body and strains its kidneys, heart, liver and other vital organs. If left untreated, it can be fatal.
To find out if your cat suffers from thyroid hyperfunction, your veterinarian will perform a physical examination in which he will look for enlarged glands and check her heart rate and blood pressure. If she has the disease, you have three options for treating her: medication, surgery or radioiodine therapy. While medications such as thyroid medications and surgical interventions are important treatments, radioiodine therapy is rapidly becoming the most popular form of treatment due to its low risk, high success and lack of side effects.
Keeping pets healthy
Dr Denise Petryk, DVM and pet doctor at Trupanion, says that while you don't have some health problems and diseases under control, the best way to keep your cat healthy is to go to the vet for a regular check-up at least once a year, after which she is seven years old, request routine blood and urine tests, discuss the diet with your veterinarian and keep an eye on your cat's diet and weight.
Learn more about how to keep the cost of all these checks low.
Keeping your cat away from the house and from unknown feral cats and keeping regular vet visits and a healthy diet reduces the likelihood of your cat getting sick and make the most of their nine lives.
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