Making Sure Your Pet Is Happy and Healthy

Cat Illnesses That Warrant a Visit to the Animal Hospital

5 March 2018 by Linda Sullivan

Your cat may seem to be one of the most independent members of your household, but your furry friend is just as vulnerable to illness as you are and your loved ones are. And although some cat illnesses are simply a passing bug that will not pose any serious risk to their health, some diseases require critical care, or they can become exacerbated into something more serious.

Pet owners who have never cared for a cat before may not know how to discern the difference. Fortunately, educating yourself on the various health problems can enable you to ensure the wellness of your pet. Here are some cat illnesses that warrant a visit to the animal hospital.

FLUTD

Feline Lower Urinary Tract disease, typically abbreviated to FLUTD, is one of the common infections that cats can develop. Overweight cats are especially vulnerable to this disease as their health is already compromised. When your pet develops FLUTD, changes in their urinary habits will be the first change that you will notice. For example, blood streaks may appear in your cat's urine. Alternatively, your cat may experience difficulty urinating altogether.

FLUTD can also be accompanied by other additional symptoms such as a drastic decrease in appetite, sudden onset of vomiting and severe dehydration in your pet. When you begin to notice that your pet is finding it challenging to relieve themselves, it is best to rush them to the nearest animal hospital for medical intervention before the FLUTD becomes aggravated.

Parasitic infestation

Your pet may be a house cat, but this does not make it invulnerable to pest infestations. The trick to successfully dealing with these feline pests is to catch them in good time and have your pet treated as soon as possible. Fleas are the most common pests that will latch on to your pet. Be on the lookout for signs such as excessive scratching, skin irritations and steady loss of hair. You may also notice tiny black dots or red streaks on your cat's bare skin. These dots are the actual fleas, while the red marks are blood, and it is not advisable to touch them.

The reason why flea control is essential is that if left undeterred, the pests can make your pet susceptible to a tapeworm infestation. Tapeworms are much more dangerous to contend with as they can have an adverse effect on the digestive health of your pet.  Therefore, every pet owner should routinely visit their closest animal hospital to have their cat treated of fleas and dewormed of parasites.

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