Posted by Jeanne on December 30, 2008
No matter how clean you keep your cat, there is always the chance that some little parasite is going to call your cat’s body its home. If you are keeping a good eye on the health and well being of your cat, you might be able to determine when one of these pesky parasites is moving in.
Listed below are some of these parasites that you need to keep a look out for and how to treat them if they invade your cat’s body:
- Ticks and lice can be a very annoying problem for you and your cat. To determine if your cat is suffering from ticks and lice, you need to check your cat’s body. You can decipher a tick because you will either see the parasite or will feel it like a bump on your cat’s skin. You can actually remove these yourself if you know what you are doing. You just have to pull the tick out with tweezers, but don’t break the body while doing so.
After the tick is removed, you should clean the area with an antiseptic. Lice are much easier to remove; you might notice your cat scratching a lot and find that these pests are the cause. Just use a spray or powder to send these parasites packing.
- Fleas are a common problem with cats. Again, you can find these parasites with a quick examination of your cat’s body. This can even be done while grooming your cat. Fleas are not something that you can get rid of on your own; you will need your veterinarian’s assistance for this.
You may also need to look over your cat’s environment to see if there is a particular reason they contracted the flea infestation. Make sure that after you have treated your cat that you do a thorough cleaning of your cat’s things, wash beds
, vacuum, and use other flea killing products to help clear these pests out of your home and away from your cat.
- Ear mites are quite common in cats and can lead to many other health problems. This is why it is recommended to clean your cat’s ears on a monthly basis. If your cat’s ears begin to look a bit questionable and are not pink and clean but waxy and icky smelling, your cat might have ear mites. You should take this concern to your veterinarian and have your cat treated right away.
- Mange can be transmitted by a variety of different mites, but you should be wary because this is something that humans can be affected by as well. If your cat begins to lose fur in patches, bleeds, or has issues around the ears, nose, and ears, your cat might have mange. You need to get your cat to your veterinarian right away if this is a concern for your feline friend.
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.