Cat Ailments

Keep Your Cat Healthy With Annual Exams

Your Cats Annual Vet Visit

Cat owners are sometimes skeptical as to whether their cat needs to visit the veterinarian every year. However, those routine annual visits are very important for the health and well being of our furry friends. Cats are notorious for hiding symptoms of illnesses until they become quite sick. An annual wellness visit will help to maintain good health.

Annual Wellness Exam

A thorough exam of your cats eyes, ears, heart and entire body for new lumps, bumps and skin issues can help to treat issues that may have gone unnoticed to an untrained eye. Yearly dental exams can assure that your cats teeth are in good condition. Dental disease left untreated can lead to abscesses, tooth and even bone loss. Your veterinarian will also track your pets weight. An increase or decrease of your cats weight can be an indication of many different illnesses, which can be diagnosed and treated with further diagnostics. Cats (especially seniors) often benefit from routine annual lab work, such as blood work, fecal analysis, and urinalysis. Ailments can be detected at an early stage, and measures can be taken to treat these conditions, particularly in older cats.

Vaccinations

As a kitten, your cat received antibodies from its mother to protect it from exposure to viruses. However, by the age of six weeks, these antibodies begin to fade and need to be replaced. Vaccines are killed or modified live strains of infectious diseases, which, when injected into the body, cause it to react to the virus. This reaction causes antibodies to form, in order to fight off the disease, providing a defense system for your cat. Kittens are boostered more than once until the antibody levels are sufficient. After this initial series, vaccines are administered once a year, or less frequently, depending on your veterinarians recommendations.

Your veterinarian can best suggest which vaccines are needed for your pets lifestyle and locale, but most states do require Rabies vaccination. Even if your cat does not go outdoors, bats, which can carry Rabies, can enter a home and expose your cat to this virus.

The second most common cat vaccine protects against multiple viruses, particularly Feline Distemper (Panleukopenia), Feline Calcivirus, and Feline Herpes (Rhinotracheitis). Feline Distemper is a very potent virus, highly contagious, and often results in death. Feline Calcivirus and Herpes cause most feline upper respiratory infections. Feline Herpes is especially lethal to young kittens.

Additional vaccinations include Feline Leukemia, Feline Infectious Peritonitis, Bordatella, and Giardia. Your vet can best recommend which additional vaccines may be beneficial or necessary for your pet and pet insurance will help you cover the costs.

Your kitty may not thank you for that yearly car ride, but dont forget the importance of the annual trip to the vet office.

Any suggestions for a cat with swollen lips?
One of my cats has developed swollen lips. He also has a cold like symptom- his nose is sometimes stuffy. Other then that he is fine. I am keeping him separate from my others. I believe it might be a form of herpes. I have given him Clavomox and now I am trying Bytril. I have given him L-Lysine, but perhaps I didn't give him enough because nothing seems to work. I work with a rescue group and know a lot about vet medicine. I have succefully treated many cat ailments. I have seen this symptom before, but I don't recall how I have treated it. I have not had a chance to discuss this with other members of the group I volunteer with, and thought someone out there can also give me some insite. If anyone out there can tell me what has been prescribed for their cat or any veterinarians out there with some free advise for someone who has spayed/nuetered 1000's of cats, I would greatly appreciate it. Newsflash Wisk- Allthough many vet meds and human meds are simalar, I E Clavomax is a lower dosage of the human form of Augmentant, which is a very low dose antibiotic, vet medicine and human medicine are quite different. Although I don't know a lot about human meds, I have done a lot of research on vet meds.I thought I could find, and still hope to find, someone more knowlwdgable then someone who has done research on "cat food" on this website. By the way, I have never had a cat die because I didn't know what to feed it, based on your previouse answere, you at one time needed help in that area. Can you explain the causes, symptoms and treatment for say-Feline Infectious Peritonitis--I can, and my vet of several years can attest to that. Newsflash Wisk- Allthough many vet meds and human meds are simalar, I E Clavomax is a lower dosage of the human form of Augmentant, which is a very low dose antibiotic, vet medicine and human medicine are quite different. Although I don't know a lot about human meds, I have done a lot of research on vet meds.I thought I could find, and still hope to find, someone more knowlwdgable then someone who has done research on "cat food" on this website. By the way, I have never had a cat die because I didn't know what to feed it, based on your previouse answere, you at one time needed help in that area. Can you explain the causes, symptoms and treatment for say-Feline Infectious Peritonitis, or Panleukopenia, I can, and my vet of several years can attest to that. Because of my background of working on the other side of the table from a vet doing spays/nueteres and discussing everything in detail with my vet, I would also know the differance between "free advise" that was ligitamate or not. Newsflash Wisk- Allthough many vet meds and human meds are simalar, I E Clavomax is a lower dosage of the human form of Augmentant, which is a very low dose antibiotic, vet medicine and human medicine are quite different. Although I don't know a lot about human meds, I have done a lot of research on vet meds.I thought I could find, and still hope to find, someone more knowlwdgable then someone who has done research on "cat food" on this website. By the way, I have never had a cat die because I didn't know what to feed it, based on your previouse answere, you at one time needed help in that area. Can you explain the causes, symptoms and treatment for say-Feline Infectious Peritonitis, or Panleukopenia, I can, and my vet of several years can attest to that. Because of my background of working on the other side of the table with a vet doing spays/nueteres and discussing everything in detail with my vet, I would also know the differance between "free advise" that was ligitamate or not.

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cat ailments?
My 7 year old DSH has orange discharge coming out of his eyes? What is this?

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Is my kitty sick? :(?
I'm debating whether or not to take him to the vet just yet. I was petting him and I noticed there was this like, lump near the back of his neck... like lower behind his ears not on his head. I was reading up on cat ailments and I thought it was abscesses but he doesn't have a cut that's all swollen and stuff. So... what could be the problem?: He hasn't changed in appetite or behavior wise... is this just some part of cat anatomy I haven't heard of... or could he have cancer? :(

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What cat ailment is this?
A stray cat started hanging around my house a couple of weeks ago, and it was obvious she was very sick. My neighbor, who had no cats, took her in, and is taking her to the vet tomorrow to get her treated. Neither of us has ever come across a cat with her symptoms: Wheezing, runny nose, sneezing, coughing, hair loss, very skinny, diarrhea, and small appetite. Like I said, she is going to see the vet tomorrow, but does anybody know what could be making her sick like this? She's about the size of a typical female cat, but my neighbor said that she only weighs about 3-5 pounds (weighed her), and she looks to be a year old or more. Before anyone starts ranting to me about not taking her myself: 1. She is a stray. 2. I have cats and they are all fixed, vaccinated, and receive vet care when needed. 2. I would've took her, but my neighbor wanted to. 3. I love cats, and I am concerned about her. I'm just curious to see what she has before she sees the vet tomorrow

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What kinds of topical treatments can I put on a stray I take care of for flees and other things?
Hi! I have asked numerous questions aobut this kitty all winter long. We made it thru (with your help) the longest snowiest coldest winter in a long time. So this cat is a stray or feral. But he has grown to trust me. I have had him for a full year now. He rubs me and lets me pick him up and pet him. He lived here outside 24/7 (since Nov) pretty much. Now that the snow is gone and it is in the 40's he goes away for a few hours but then comes back. Some of you have mentioned in your answers you have put on topical treatments. Now that it will get warm I am worried about flees and other things. What topical (food or body) products are there out there and for cat ailments? I do have an indoor cat that is on Revolution. He goes out in our back yard only with us for about 30 mins a day 3 times a week starting in May thru Oct. I have tried to put the outdoor cat in a cage to take him some where to get checked out but he runs away then...so he must know what that is. He may have been taken to a Trap Neuter Return place in the past...he looks like he has been neutered. Would it be obivous?!!! 8^) I will add info should you ask for info so please check back! THANK YOU ALL! I am in a northern suburb of Chicago! BOB N....thank you for all of your information. All great info on trapping him and other things for when / if I go that route. Good tips and things I need to know. PET COMPANION...thank you for all of your information too. Very informative on all the flea details things I need to know. Thanx for the link.

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