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Cat Health Problems ContentsIntroductionThe method employed in drafting this. The Most Common Illnesses The method employed in listing them and the list. URI Upper Respiratory Infection - colds, flu etc. FLUTD Feline Lower Urinary Tract Disease - wide spectrum of lower urinary tract diseases. Diabetes Feline diabetes is on the rise and could be due to the increase in dry cat food. Distemper This is a very serious disease that makes you cat very ill and can be fatal. FIP Feline Infectious Peritonitis - Another serious illness with high fatality rate. FIV Feline Immunodeficiency Virus - causes immune deficiency and kills like HIV. FLV Feline Leukemia Virus (FeLV) - A devastating feline infectious disease. Hyperthyroidism In older cats, average age of 13 years, causes increased metabolism. Miscellaneous A short discussion on a range of health issues with links. Genetically Linked Diseases This looks at diseases that are inherited with certain cat breeds. [Note: these cat health problems are not transferable to humans] IntroductionCan a person who is not a vet talk about cat health problems? Yes, provided you keep within tight limits and research well. The Internet is awash with non-medically trained people talking about animal health and, in some cases, passing on their first hand experience. This is good. It widens the information pool and can even add to a vet's knowledge as some of the information comes from cat breeders who, in any event, do a fair bit of medical work themselves.The key is to discuss and not diagnose nor attempt cures. Articles such as this one can help people to spot an illness earlier and take steps quicker. I am not a vet but this information is carefully researched and sourced and people can have their say if they want to. There appears to be 2 general groups of cat health problems. Those that are illnesses common to all cats brought about by, for example, a viral infection and those that are more often seen in certain cat breeds and which are genetically based. A point worth making is that some breeds may have a predisposition to illnesses common to all cats. This may be because of the nature of breeding purebred cats. The process involves fixing the appearance of the cat through selective breeding. In doing so, the immune system may be compromised.  This is a Serval,
a wildcat
(probably tamed and domesticated in this instance but
I am confining myself to
common illnesses (the most frequently encountered cat health problems)
as the subject is too wide and to complex for a person who is not
formally trained. Recognizing these illnesses allows us to
better assess the most likely illness and take prompt and accurate
action.
There is no substitute of course for professional advice. It possible,
however, for the layperson to get an indication of illness by checking
your cat's pulse.I am not sure) on the operating table at a veterinarians. Photograph is © Sean94110 One problem with using the Internet to find out the most common illnesses is that most if not all the authors of the cat websites will have used the Internet to research cat health problems, so it becomes very incestuous and circuitous (circular). However, having followed that circuitous route, I qualified the results with a visit to a respected website on cat and animal health, the Cornell University College of Veterinarian Medicine and also by reference to these books, Veterinary Notes For Cat Owner by Trevor Turner DVM, The Veterinarian's Guide to Your Cat's Symptoms by Garvey DVM, Houpt DVM, Wallace DVM, Hohenhaus DVM, Pinkney DVM, Randolph and Your Cat by Elizabeth Hodgkins DVM). When I put together information from these sources I conclude that the following are probably the most common illnesses:
 Cat
Health Problems - Cat
at Vets - Love this picture
photo © foreversouls - under Creative Commons URIThese infections are caused by one of 4 viruses (2 mild and 2 severe). The viruses are:-
Humans cannot catch flu from cats. The more severe infections result in high fever, extremely thick eye and nasal discharges. There may be open sores and ulcers on the mouth. RHV can cause the cornea (front of the eyes) to become ulcerated. The sense of smell is diminished, which when combined with the ulcers leads to under eating and becoming thin. This leads to dehydration and weakness and becoming more ill. It can be fatal especially in the young. This is not like the common cold, being far more serious. Another sign is the swelling of the lymph nodes under the chin. The severe infections can be carried after recovery and be spread. Secondary infections can occur. It is useful to reminder ourselves as to the difference between cat colds and bacterial infections. An infection by Chlamydia can be mistaken for cat flu as it causes conjunctivitis. A Chlamydia infection is a URI and it causes pneumonitis. Cats can be immunized against these infections.  Cat
health problems - Cat at vets I believe for kidney failure. I
think his name was
Dexter and he died not too long after this photograph was taken by his human companion who misses him badly. This photograph is reproduced under creative commons so permission is granted (as are all the photographs on this page). . Photograph © pilipala9 I dedicate this page to this little adorable boy cat {return to contents} FLUTDThis covers a wide range of lower urinary tract disorders (diseases) from mild Cystitis to total blockage and is a very common cat health problem. A common disorder is a blockage in the urinary system (urethra or bladder) which may cause a bacterial infection (UTI - Urinary Tract Infection or Inflammation) due to the immobile urine being a good medium for bacteria to multiply. The blockage is often caused by the formation of crystals and stones. The infection can be presented as Cystitis (bladder inflammation). The infection can also lead to kidney failure and be fatal.The most common cause of the blockage is not certain. Elizabeth Hodgkins DVM believes it is due to diet (see below). The crystals are magnesium. Magnesium crystals are formed in an alkaline solution (low pH). The pet food manufacturers added acid (high pH) to the food and lowered the magnesium content to reduce crystal formation. Elizabeth says that this misses the point. She says that it is dry cat food that results in alkaline urine and crystal formation. Since the introduction of dry cat food there has been an increase in UTI a modern cat health problem. She recommends wet cat food. Dry cat food also requires the cat to drink more and they often don't. I have personal experience with my cat of this, which caused Cystitis. Once fed watery fish the problem disappeared.  Cat health problems - Cat in
surgery sink relaxing - No problem! Photo © iCAS
{go to contents} {go to most common illnesses list} DiabetesThis is one of the cat health problems that is on the increase and a disease occurs in about one quarter of one percent of cats, quite a high figure. The symptoms are similar to those of humans. 5-20% of cats, with diabetes, have type-1 diabetes and the remainder have type-2. Type 1 needs treatment with insulin.In type-2 diabetes prompt treatment can cure the condition. The most obvious symptom is excessive thirst and urination. You will notice this. The appetite is either very good or absent. My cat had early signs of diabetes caused by eating a dry food diet recommended by a vet. The diet also caused cystitis (or contributed to it). Elizabeth Hodgkins DVM in her book Your Cat says that a dry cat food diet, which is high in carbohydrates is a major cause of diabetes in cats. She also says that dry cat food can cause other cat health problems such as obesity. She recommends wet cat food. Of course raw home made cat food with proper supplements such as Taurine is perhaps best. Read more about: Feline DistemperThis is a serious viral disease. The virus in very contagious. The virus can be carrried by humans on their feet for example. The condition is most common in kittens prior to vaccination. The cat will be very ill. The symptoms are: gastrointestinal symptoms, diarrhea, dehydration, high fever, severe depression and vomiting. The white blood cell count will be low.Bacterial invasion can take place and without proper white blood cell protection the bacterial infection can spread and infect the bloodstream leading to death. Cats can be immunized against this disease.  Cat
Health Problems? - Nice picture, hope he or she is OK - photo
© Mirandala
{go to contents} FIPThis disease is caused by the feline coronavirus. It is not highly contagious. It is thought that cats with FIP are infected early in life and the virus lies dormant for months to years. It is futher believed that a combination of the virus and cat's antibodies cause an unflammatory reaction damaging tissue.A range of conditions result. In young kittens effusive or "wet" FIP is the more common condition. The lining of the chest and abdominal cavities become inflamed and a watery fluid builds up accompanied by fever, vomiting, anorexia and diarrhea. It is usually fatal. In older cats the more common form of FIP is "dry". In this from chronic granulomatous inflammation destroys an organ that has been infected. A wide range of symptoms are present including jaundice, bain swelling and more. Visible symptoms could be breathing problems, lameness and fading kitten syndrome. The prognosis is poor as there are no specific therapies. This a one of the cat health problems for which there is a vaccine. FIVThis is a cat retrovirus that is contagious (but not highly contagious) to cats but not dogs. The common form of transmission is through bites in cat fight, usually male cats. There is a long incubation period before symptoms are seen. FIV will kill most cats eventually. It causes serious immune deficiency and bone marrow suppression (white blood cell production).There is no vaccine and no specific treatment. There is though some discussion about the benefits of colloidal silver treatment. A new cat should not be introduced into a household without testing for FIV in the existing cats.  Cat
Health Problems - Vet's surgery photo © Hayley Bouchard
FLV - FeLVThis is a very serious illness. The virus is a retrovirus, the same type that causes HIV in humans. Neither dogs nor humans can catch it. It is not highly contagious but cats living together can transmit the disease.There is a long time between infection and symptoms (years sometimes). Infection results in a range of "syndromes". These include leukemia, which is cancerous lymphocytes in the bloodstream and lymphoma (cancer of the lymph nodes). The virus also results in immune deficiency leading to an inability to protect the body and bone marrow supression (white blood cell and platelet production is compromised), which has the same effect. As treatment is poor the best action is prevention of this cat health problem. FLV can be detected by a sensitive test. New cats shouldn't be introduced into a new household before the other cats are tested. There is a controversial vaccine. Read more about adoptable FeLV cats here. HyperthyroidismThis is a disorder of the endocrine system. The organ concerned is the thyroid gland. It produces too much thyroxine and tri-oidothyronine in an uregulated manner. The reason is the presence of a tumor in the gland. 98% of the tumors are benign (non-cancerous).This cat health problem arises on average at 13 years of age. No case has been diagnosed in a cat under 6 years of age. The cat's meatabolism increases. The cat suffers weight loss and increased appetite. The cat grooms less and looks messy. Other symptoms could be, hyperactivity, nervousness, panting, vomiting and diarrhea. Increased thirst and urination can be present. This condition can be confused with renal disease. Another disorder of the endocrine system is Cushing's Disease in cats.  Cat
Health Problems are resolved here - Vet's
surgey - photo © caterina
{go to contents} MiscellaneousSome cat health problems can be assessed initially by the keeper. As I have mentioned a cat owner can take a cat's pulse to ascertain if your cat is possibly feeling unwell. In the section about diabetes I referred to the importance of cat food to promote health. The convenience of dry cat food keeps it on the shelves but it could be argued that it also has a negative impact on a cat's teeth causing cat teeth neck lesions. Some cat food manufacturers promote dry cat food as good for cleaning your cat's teeth. Is this correct? If you feel it necessary to try and clean your cat's teeth and vets seem to be saying we should (although I don't really see it as practical) you could try cat dental gel. This is another post on the subject of cleaning a cat's teeth.Living indoors continuously as some do and with other pets can be stressful. One cause of stress is being separated for long periods from the human keeper. This may cause cat separation anxiety. Dr. Bachs Holly remedy can help. It can also help deal with a cat's anger and jealousy. Cat skin rashes can be due to a defective immune system or environmental factors. Sometimes your cat may be allergic to an ingredient in her food. This can be analysed by the use of hypoallergenic cat food. Taurine is an essential amino acid and a supplement in cat food. It has been argued that rice in cat food can impair the metabolism of the Taurine. Rice is frequently added to cat food. Cat parasites are never far away. A common one affecting dogs more than cats is the tick. Although not a worm, cat ringworm is not uncommon and it can be transferred to humans (zoonotic). It is a fungal infection of dead skin. Cat sneezing can be caused by various conditions. Another fairly common condition is ear infections.It may be possible to alleviate the condition in a natural way. Genetically linked diseasesGenetic disorders are Important cat health problems.I have divided this section into two. The first part deals with cat breeds that are breeds due to a genetic mutation and the mutation has accompanying cat health problems. In the second part I deal with "normal" cat breeds that to the best of my knowledge have a propensity to a genetically linked disorder. Breeders always strive to minimize and eventually eliminate these disorders. Both are in summary form with links. This list is not complete and will be updated as and when required.Cat breeds due to genetic mutation
"Normal" cat breeds
Some terms briefly explained in respect of cat health problems: Virus - tiny organisms consisting of a genetic blueprint of DNA or RNA and a protein container. The depend of getting into an animal's cells to multiply and make protein. Infectious Disease - a disease caused by the presence of what is called a "pathogenic microbial agent". These are viruses, bacteria and fungi for example. Medical Disorder - this desribes a condition where the body does not function normally. This term is interchangeable with "disease" and "illness". Granulamatous - inflammation consisting of localized nodular (nodes, lumps) inflammation Retrovirus - a virus composed of RNA but not DNA. This virus can integrate into the DNA of the host cell. A human example is HIV in humans. Lymphocytes - these are small white blood cells which help to prtect the body from disease. Endocrine System - a system of small organs that work togethe and which produce hormones. Hormones alter the rate at which paticular reactions take place. {go to contents} Sources:
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