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Cystitis:
Cystitis is defined as
inflammation of the bladder. It may precede or be secondary to
urolithiasis (stones in the urinary tract).
Symptoms include;
Straining to urinate, blood in urine, increased thirst, increased
frequency of urination, excessive genital licking, sudden halt in litter
box useage, crying in the litter box, urinating in places other than the
litter box.
Treatment depends on the cause & severity of the condition. Finding &
treating the underlying cause.
Some
ways to treat cystitis include; diet, increase water consumption, try
to feed a diet which keeps the urine pH below 6.5, antiboitics & some
medications such as
More on
cystitis
Hyperthyroidism:
Hyperthyroidism is the
over production of thyroid hormone usually due to a benign tumour of the
thyroid gland.
Symptoms include;
weight loss, increased appetite, increased thirst & urination, vomiting,
behavioural changes (nervous, jittery, overgrooming, increased
vocalisation), rapid heartbeat, poor coat.
There are three ways
to treat hyperthyroidism. Lifetime medication, removal of the thyroid
gland or radioactive iodine
treatment which involves a single injection of radioactive iodine
(radioiodine I-131). This concentrates in & destroys the diseased
thyroid tissue, while leaving the normal thyroid tissue intact.
More on
hyperthyroidism
Chronic kidney failure:
Chronic
renal (kidney) failure (CRF) is the progressive deterioration of
the kidneys, which happens over a period of time & is one of the leading
causes of death in senior cats.
Symptoms
include; increased thirst, increased urination, urinating outside the
litter tray, decreased appetite, loss of weight, poor coat, lethargy,
vomiting, bad breath.
Most cases of CRF are
irreversible & treatment is based on managing the condition With proper
treatment, your cat may still have many months or years of life ahead.
Reducing the level of toxins in the cat is important. Fresh drinking
water, available 24/7 is extremely important as these cats need to
compensate for large urine outputs.
Treatments may include;
prescription diet, phosphorous binders, antacids & anti nausea
medication & erythropoeitine.
More
on chronic renal failure
Feline Diabetes:
Diabetes Mellitus
("sugar" diabetes) is a common endocrine disorder in cats. There are two
types of diabetes, type 1 in which the pancreas doesn't produce enough
insulin or type two in which the body's cells don't respond
appropriately to insulin.
Symptoms include;
increased thirst & urination, weight loss, increased or decreased
appetite, vomiting, weakness in hind legs, bad breath.
In mild cases, the cat
may be managed with diet alone. If the cat is not ill, and has no
ketones it may be possible to manage diabetes without the use of
insulin. This may include dietary modification & or careful weight loss,
under the careful guide of your veterinarian.
Other treatments
include; oral medications, insulin injections.
More on feline
diabetes
Feline Immunodeficiency Virus (FIV):
Known as FIV or cat
AIDS, FIV is an infectious disease caused by a retrovirus belonging to
the lentivirus family. It is in the same family as the FeLV
virus, and is similar to the HIV virus in humans. FIV infects both
domesticated cats, lions, tigers, pumas & cheetahs.
Symptoms of FIV
include; weight loss, poor coat condition, anemia, gastroenteritis,
gingivitis & stomatitis, diarrhea, chronic or recurrent infections,
cancer.
There is no cure for
FIV, once a cat has it, it's for life. The goal is to provide supportive
care to the infected cat. This may include; regular vet check ups,
proper parasite control, feeding a high quality diet, limiting exposure
to disease, anti-bacterial & or anti-fungal drugs, maintaining a proper
vaccination regime, blood transfusions where necessary, high calorie
supplements.
More on feline immunodeficiency virus
Feline Panleukopenia:
Also known as feline
infectious enteritis, cat plague, feline distemper & feline ataxia,
feline panleukopenia is a severe & highly infectious disease caused by a
virus from the Parvovirus family. It has a high mortality rate of 25% -
70%. The name panleukopenia is derived from the very low white blood
cell count in infected cats.
Symptoms of feline
panleukopenia include; depression, listlessness, loss of appetite,
fever, vomiting, diarrhea, dehydration. Infected cats may hang off their
food or water bowl, they often have a hunched up appearance & their coat
quickly becomes rough. The skin loses it's elasticity due to dehydration
caused by vomiting & diarrhoea.
The prognosis for
kittens is poor, especially in younger kittens. There are no medications
available to kill the virus, therefore the cat is given supportive
therapy, giving the cat a chance to fight the virus off with it's own
defences. Strict isolation is essential during this period to ensure
other animals aren't infected.
Treatment may include;
blood transfusions if white blood cells drop dramatically, antibiotics,
fluid therapy to treat dehydration & replace lost electrolytes, lots of
TLC.
More
on feline panleukopenia
Upper Respiratory
Disease (Cat Flu):
Cat flu (also known as upper
respiratory tract disease) is a general term used to describe common set
of symptoms of the upper respiratory tract.
Cat flu is caused
several pathogens (disease causing organisms). The most common causes
are
Feline herpes
virus (FHV),
feline calicivirus (FCV),
Feline Reovirus,
Bordetella Bronchiseptica &
Feline
Chlamydophila.
Symptoms include;
sneezing, nasal discharge, eye discharge, mouth ulcers, eye ulcers,
fever, loss of appetite.
Treatment depends on
the cause of the cat flu. There are no drugs to treat viral infections &
supportive care is necessary. This includes keeping the nose clear of
discharge. Even if the cause is viral, antibiotics may be prescribed to
protect against secondary bacterial infections.
More on cat flu
Related articles:
Common Cat
Parasites:
Common Skin Disorders in Cats
Please
note:
The medical
articles on this site have not been written by a
veterinarian & should not be considered a replacement for a
veterinarian visit. The articles are provided for
informative purposes only.
Always seek
immediate veterinary advice for any problems (health or
behavioral) in your pets.
While great
care has been made in the creation of these articles, we
cannot guarantee the accuracy or omissions on these pages.
If in any doubt whatsoever, seek professional medical
advice. |
