Cat illnesses symptoms

Cat Illness Symptoms for Diabetes, Diarrhea, FIV and FIP

Diabetes is caused by the failure of the pancreas to produce enough insulin to metabolize glucose. Older or obese cats with diabetes have high levels of glucose in their blood. Symptoms include excessive thirst, urination and hunger. If left untreated, diabetes can cause blindness and kidney damage. Your vet will recommend treatment, which could include dietary changes, pills or daily injections.

What are diarrhea symptoms? A stomach virus, dairy products, overfeeding, stress, spoiled food, or a parasitic infection often cause diarrhea. Kittens and older cats are less hardy than adults, and diarrhea can cause life threatening dehydration in them. If your cat has diarrhea, give him plenty of water and take him to the vet as soon as possible. She may inject your cat with fluids to prevent dehydration and take a blood or fecal sample to determine the cause of the problem.

What is Feline Immunodeficiency Virus or FIV? This virus attacks the immune system and makes a cat susceptible to chronic infections. FIV is transmitted through saliva and bites. If your cat goes outdoor, you should consider having him vaccinated against FIV as a precaution. However, if he does not get vaccinated, he will always test positive for the disease. This taints future testing for the rest of his life. If you have an indoor only cat, you probably will not need to worry about him contracting this virus. Discuss FIV with your vet and see if your feline needs to be inoculated against it.

What about Feline Infectious Peritonitis or FIP symptoms? There are two types of FIP. A cat who has dry form will drink a lot of water because his kidneys are dialing. A cat with the wet form will have trouble breathing because of fluid collection in the chest cavity or abdomen. This disease is common in kittens and older cats because their immune systems are not very strong. There is no cure for FIP. Some symptoms include an unkempt coat, loss of appetite, a swollen stomach, anemia, fever, and weight loss.

If you have an indoor only cat and he never comes into contact with other cats, your vet might recommend that you skip this inoculation.