SIMPLE HEALTH CHECKS
Ideally, you should begin routine health checks from an
early age so that the kitten becomes familiar with the experience and easy to
handle. If at any time you are concerned about your cat’s health, ask your vet
for advice. The following should all be part of your routine checks.
Mouth
Gently lift the lips and inspect the teeth and gums, making
sure that there are no excessive tartar deposits on the outside of the cheek
teeth and that the gums are a healthy pink colour.
Eyes
Check the eyelids for evidence of tears; if the lid-linings
are red, bathe them with a special eye-wash from your vet and seek help within
48 hours unless they become clear.
Ears
Gently clean away any extra wax in the outer ears using a
cotton bud moistened in olive oil (if the wax is copious or smelly, you should
take the cat for a check-up with your vet). Never poke a cotton bud into the
ear.
Claws
Check that the claws are not torn or overgrown; if so, you
will need to trim them (ask your vet’s advice if you are unsure of what to do).
Skin
Look at the skin for bare patches or sores. Early treatment
of skin disease is especially important, and often leads to rapid recovery
rather than the development of a chronic problem.
GENERAL SYMPTOMS OF ILLNESS
Identifying a sick cat is usually easy. It will be lethargic
and, if fevered, may feel hot to the touch. It may show signs of pain –
especially if handled – and its breathing may be fast or laboured when it is at
rest. Even a healthy cat may refuse food for a day or so after an experience
such as moving home or being badly frightened, but if your cat does not eat for
a longer period you must take it to your vet.
One awkward problem is that when a cat is ill or injured it
may well go off by itself and hide, perhaps in a shed or in some bushes. This behaviour
is thought to originate from life in the wild, where cats too weak to defend
themselves had to hide from predators such as jackals.
The following are some of the ailments that most commonly
affect cats.
Urinary disease
This is a common problem in cats. If your cat shows any
signs of a great increase in thirst, has difficulty in passing urine or passes
discoloured urine, seek veterinary treatment urgently.
Vomiting
Cats vomit quite frequently, particularly after eating
grass. Fur balls are also often regurgitated, and this is the normal way for
cats to expel fur swallowed while grooming themselves. However, persistent
vomiting needs urgent investigation, as it could be caused by an obstruction
such as a bone, or may even be linked with a tumour (especially in an older
cat).
Abscesses
These usually result from injuries sustained in fights with
other cats, and may need lancing by your vet followed by a course of
antibiotics. An abscess will swell up very quickly, often on the head (an early
sign may be that your cat is sensitive to being touched here). If you examine
the area closely, you may be able to see the puncture wound caused by the
opponent’s teeth. Unneutered toms are particularly likely to become involved in
fights with others in the neighbourhood, especially at dawn and dusk, so
keeping your cat in at these times is a good idea.
Vaccinations can now protect against most of the serious
viral illnesses likely to be encountered by a cat. However, as pet cats live at
relatively high densities, the risk of the spread of infection is higher than
would be the case in the wild, which is why routine vaccination is so
important.
Skin problems
An allergic skin condition caused by flea bites is fairly
common in cats; the reaction is to the saliva injected by fleas as they bite. Subsequently,
just a single bite can cause a severe reaction, so you must make every effort
to keep your cat free of fleas. Veterinary treatment is essential for an
allergy, and you will need to be vigilant to prevent exposure to fleas in the
future as far as you can.
If your cat’s allergy is severe your vet will recommend a
long-acting anti-flea treatment, or will advise you on what other treatment to
use. You must also treat your house with an appropriate product, and vacuum and
wash your cat’s bedding regularly, as fleas will spend more time here than on
the cat itself. Fleas are also hazardous to cats because they can spread
tapeworms.
In addition, cats can suffer from ringworm, a fungal ailment
which can spread to people and gives rise to red, circular patches on the skin.
Slight hair loss may be a symptom of ringworm, and your vet can carry out tests
to confirm the infection. It is treatable, but wear disposable gloves when
handling your cat and keep it indoors until it is no longer infectious (your
vet will advise you).
Eye conditions
A cat’s eye may be injured in a fight, or be scratched by
undergrowth; runny eyes may also be linked with various infections, including cat
‘flu. The appearance of the third eyelid at the corner of each eye, protruding
partially across the eyeball, may be another sign of illness. In each case, you
must take your cat to the vet for a check-up.
Tear staining around the eyes is common in Persians and
similar flat-faced breeds, but gently bathing the area with a special eye-wash
and cotton wool should help to resolve the problem.
Ear conditions
These are indicated by excessive build-up of wax, pain on
touching, or any unpleasant smell. Do not be tempted to treat such conditions yourself,
but go to your vet as soon as possible.
Repeated and persistent scratching is often indicative of
skin parasites – notably fleas.
No comments:
Post a Comment