Posted by Jeanne on March 12, 2009
It’s too much to expect that you will learn enough veterinary medicine to spot accurately all the troubles your cat may encounter. There are far more of them, far more complex, than the few situations described here. Almost anything that hits a cat adversely, however, is reflected in a few basic symptoms that any cat owner can recognize. If you pay reasonably close attention to your cat, you should be able to tell fairly quickly whether she’s up to snuff or below par.
Here are clues to look for:
- A coarse, dull coat, or one that sheds heavily and begins to look patchy.
- Sluggish behavior and loss of appetite for several meals in a row.
- Diarrhea.
- Any swelling or lumps which can be felt in or on the body, particularly if there is any indication of growth.
- Repeated coughing or vomiting.
Posted by Jeanne on December 29, 2008
Part of having a cat involves keeping an eye on their general health and well being. This is why it’s important to have a good veterinarian that you can go to when you have any questions or concerns. You need to be able to ask questions and receive helpful answers; after all, you need to keep in mind that your cat’s health is at stake.
After many question and answer sessions with your veterinarian, you will begin to be able to decipher when something is wrong with your cat. It won’t hurt if you make it a regular habit to check out your cat for any indicators that he may have a health problem. Below are the main characteristics you need to look for:
- Eyes: a healthy cat has bright and clear eyes. If you notice any irritation such as discoloration or discharge, you might want to ask your veterinarian.
- Ears: a healthy cat has clean ears that don’t stink or have anything icky coming out of them. If you notice that there is any discharge or discoloration, your cat might have ear mites. Refer to your veterinarian for questions on how to clean your cat’s ears.
- Mouth: a healthy cat has pink and healthy looking gums. Indicators that there might be a problem are stinky breath, swollen gums, or sores.
- Body and Fur: a healthy cat has a thick and lustrous coat. If your cat’s coat is not shiny and thick, there might be a health problem, such as lumps, ticks, dandruff, and fleas.
- Nose: a healthy cat should have a clean nose.
If there is any cause for concern, you should speak to your veterinarian immediately. Even if you keep your cat clean, well fed, and vaccinated, there is a good chance that your cat is going to be sick at one time or another in his life. This is similar to people. No matter how hard you try, eventually you get sick.
As with people, there are things that you need to look for in your cat to recognize if they are sick or not. Below is a list of symptoms that might trigger some concern:
- Unexplained weight loss
- It’s hard for your cat to breathe
- Your cat is constantly throwing up
- Really bad diarrhea
- The cat doesn’t want to eat or drink
- Abnormal inactivity
- Lumps on the body
- Blood in urine or not urinating at all
- Abnormal behaviors
- Sneezing and hacking
- Abnormal aggressiveness
- He isn’t using the litter box
If any of these behaviors catch your attention, you should take your cat to the veterinarian.