If you own a cat or are thinking of welcoming one into your family, you should find out about many important things for its care. Among the most important things that we must have a knowledge base of to attend to our feline properly, are the diseases that it can suffer from.
In this new article on our site we are going to tell you about the most common diseases of cats We remind you that the best way to prevention against any of these diseases is to keep the visits to the veterinarian up to date and comply with the vaccination.
The most common serious diseases in cats
Like any living being, felines can also suffer from various diseases, some more serious than others. It turns out that in the case of cats, the vast majority of these diseases are caused by different viruses Fortunately, with proper prevention many can be avoided, because there are already vaccines for some.
Next we are going to comment on the most common serious diseases that felines suffer from:
Feline leukemia
This is a viral disease of cats caused by an oncovirus, that is, it is a type of cancer, which is Transmitted by contact with body fluids. For example, in cat fights there is usually a wound that bleeds, when they groom and lick each other they come into contact with each other's saliva, if they share the litter box they can come into contact with the urine and feces of other cats, a mother nursing young if infected can pass the virus through milk, among more possible ways of fluid contact transmission. This disease usually affects small and young kittens. It is common in large groups of cats such as cattery and street colonies. It is one of the most serious diseases due to its ease of transmission and the extent of the damage it causes, including death. Tumors occur in different organs of the body of the affected feline and present enlarged lymph nodes, anorexia, weight loss, anemia and depression among other symptoms. The best way to prevent this viral disease is vaccination and prevent our cat from coming into contact with possible individuals who are already sick.
Feline panleukopenia
This feline disease is caused by a parvovirus, which is somewhat related to canine parvovirus. It is also known as feline distemper, enteritis or infectious gastroenteritis. The contagion occurs by contact with bodily fluids of an infected cat. Its most common symptoms are fever and later hypothermia, vomiting, diarrhoea, depression, weakness, dehydration, anorexia and when performing blood tests we discovered a significant low in leukocytes and/or white blood cells This viral disease most severely affects kittens and young cats. The treatment basically consists of intravenous hydration and antibiotics among other things necessary depending on how advanced the disease is and the state of the sick cat. This disease is deadly and that is why we must quickly separate any cat that we know is sick from others that may still be he althy. Prevention consists of vaccination and avoiding contact with other possibly sick cats.
Feline Rhinotracheitis
In this case the virus that causes this disease is a herpesvirus The virus lodges in the respiratory tract causinginfections in the respiratory system Between 45-50% of respiratory diseases in felines are caused by this virus. It especially affects young unvaccinated cats. The symptoms include fever, sneezing, runny nose, conjunctivitis, tearing and even corneal ulcers. It is spread by contact with fluids such as nasal secretions and saliva. This disease can be prevented with proper vaccination. There is no specific treatment for this disease, so its symptoms are treated. Felines that heal become carriers because they no longer suffer from the symptoms but continue to harbor the virus and can infect other individuals. Prevention with vaccination is best.
Calicivirosis or feline calicivirus
This feline viral disease is caused by a picornavirus. Symptoms include sneezing, fever, a lot of salivation, and even ulcers and blisters in the mouth and tongue. It is a widespread disease with high morbidity. It is the cause of 30% - 40% of cases of respiratory infections in cats. The affected animal that manages to overcome the disease will remain a carrier for life and therefore will be able to spread this disease.
Feline pneumonitis
This disease is caused by a microorganism known as Chlamydia psittaci that produces a series of infections known as chlamydiosis that are characterized in cats for rhinitis and conjunctivitis. These microorganisms are intracellular parasites that are spread by direct contact with body fluids and secretions. It is not a fatal disease in itself, but to avoid complications which could end in the death of the feline, we must go to the veterinarian as soon as possible to start treatment. Feline pneumonitis, together with calicivirosis and feline rhinotracheitis, form the well-known feline respiratory complex. The symptoms of feline pneumonitis are excessive tearing, conjunctivitis, red and sore eyelids, eye discharge is abundant and can be yellowish or greenish, there are also sneezing, fever, cough, runny nose and lack of appetite among other symptoms. Treatment should be based on antibiotics in addition to eye cleaning with special drops, rest, a high-carbohydrate diet and, if necessary, fluid therapy with serum. As with most diseases, the best prevention will be to keep your vaccinations up to date and avoid contact with cats that may have this disease and spread it.
Feline immunodeficiency
The virus that causes this disease is the lentivirus. We commonly know this disease as feline AIDS Its transmission usually occurs in fights and during reproduction since it is caused by the bite of one sick cat to another. It greatly affects unsterilized adult cats. The symptoms that will make us suspect this disease are an absolute depression of the immune system and secondary opportunistic diseases. These secondary diseases are usually the ones that ultimately cause the death of the affected cat. Work is being done to find a reliable vaccine, but there are cats that develop resistance to this disease by being in contact with already sick cats.
Infectious peritonitis
In this case the virus that causes the disease is a coronavirus that affects young specimens more and occasionally older ones. Its contagion occurs, above all, through the feces of infected cats and when a he althy cat sniffs them, the virus enters the respiratory tract. It occurs more commonly in areas with many cats such as shelters, cattery, colonies and other places where there are large numbers of felines living together. The most notable symptoms are fever, anorexia, increased volume of the abdomen and accumulation of fluid in it. This is because the virus attacks white blood cells causing inflammation in the membranes of the chest and abdominal cavities. If it occurs in the pleura, it produces pleuritis and if it affects the peritoneum it produces peritonitis. There is vaccination against this disease, but once contracted there is no cure and it is fatal, so it is better to follow the vaccination protocols and thus prevent our cat from contracting it. Only supportive symptomatic treatment can be given to relieve the cat's aches and pains. The best prevention is to have up-to-date vaccinations, avoid situations that weaken our cat and cause stress, and avoid interacting with cats that may be sick.
Rage
This disease caused by a virus is widespread throughout the world and is transmitted between various species of mammals, including humans, making it a zoonosis. It is spread through saliva inoculated with the bite of one infected animal to another. Luckily it has been eradicated or at least controlled in many areas of the world since there is reliable vaccination, which is mandatory in several countries.
Other common he alth problems in domestic felines
In the previous section we talked about the most serious main diseases, but we also want to comment on other he alth problems and diseases that are also common e important that cats can suffer:
- Allergies. As happens to us, cats also suffer from allergies of very different origins. You can consult this article on our site to learn more about allergies in cats, their symptoms and treatment.
- Conjunctivitis. Cats have delicate eye he alth, which is why they easily get conjunctivitis. You can read here everything about conjunctivitis in cats, its causes and symptoms.
- Periodontal disease. This disease that occurs in the mouth of our feline is common especially in older cats and if not treated in time can be fatal. You can also consult tips to remove tartar in cats on our website.
- Otitis. Otitis is not only very common in dogs, in cats it is one of the most frequent easily solvable he alth problems. You can consult this article to know everything about otitis in cats.
- Obesity and overweight. Obesity is a very common problem in domestic cats today. See all about how to prevent obesity in cats.
- Resfriados. The common cold among cats, even if only due to a draft, is also very frequent in these little furry ones. In this article you will be able to consult home remedies for a cat's cold in case you think yours might be.
- Poisoning. Poisoning in cats is more common than we might think and it is a he alth problem for cats. our feline very serious. Here you can consult everything about poisoning in cats, its symptoms and first aid.
General prevention against feline diseases
As we mentioned at the beginning of this article, the most important thing to prevent our cat from suffering from any of these diseases is regular prevention of the agents that can cause them. We must go to the vet periodically and whenever we detect any symptoms or anything that does not fit with the normal behavior of our cat.
We will respect the vaccination schedule, as it is vital that our cat is vaccinated since the vaccines provided are precisely for some diseases common and very serious.
It is vital that we maintain both internal and external dewormingIn the case of internal deworming, there are products such as pills, tablets and other chewables with the appropriate dose of antiparasitic for cats. For external deworming we have sprays, pipettes or spot-on and collars. We will never use any of these products that are not specifically made for cats. Well, we must think that no matter how much we give less than the indicated dose for dogs of a product of the aforementioned, it is quite likely that we unintentionally poison our cat.
Finally, we must avoid contact between our feline and others whose he alth status we do not know, especially if their appearance already makes us suspect some symptoms of possible problems and diseases.
