It’s important to detect what disease a cat is suffering from early on. Because if the cat with a serious illness is not taken to the vet on time, unfortunately, it can die.
In this article, we have explained the most common diseases in cats in order to raise awareness for cat owners.
The disease that causes us to startle when we hear its name: Cancer
Don’t say, “Do cats get cancer too?”, it’s okay. In cancer, cells grow uncontrollably and invade other tissues of the body. Although it is difficult to understand the exact cause of cancer, this disease can be caused by both hereditary and environmental factors in cats.
When we look at the types of cancer that can be seen in cats, we can often come across skin cancer. Especially in the ear, eyelid or nose, a type of cancer called squamous cell carcinoma can be seen due to too much exposure to the sun. Cats that are lighter in color are at risk for this cancer.
Lymphosarcoma or lymphoma (LSA) is also a type of cancer that cats often get. These diseases are caused when cats develop a lump in their stomach or intestines. So if you’re worried about “could my cat have cancer?”, you should look for lumps anywhere on your cat’s body.
Apart from this, if your cat has suddenly lost a lot of weight or if your cat has a change in behavior, bad breath, persistent sores, loss of appetite or skin infections, it would be beneficial to take your little friend to a veterinarian.
Unfortunately, cats also have diabetes.
Diabetes in cats occurs because the hormone insulin is secreted less. Or, if the cat’s body responds insufficiently to insulin, this disease can also be seen. Let’s say the cat ate something and then the cat’s digestive system couldn’t break down the glucose into equal parts. In this case, insulin is not secreted enough and the amount of sugar in the blood increases. This is how hypoglycemia occurs.
If you suspect your cat has diabetes, don’t worry because it can be easily controlled. Moreover, if your cat has diabetes, you can easily understand this.
For example, if your little friend has an unusual breath odor, eats too much or too little, consumes too much water, is lethargic, urinates very often, urinates outside the cat litter, it would be good to take him to a veterinarian.
Urinary tract infection, which is also the fearful dream of cats:
Did you know that urinary tract infection is deadly for cats? In general, 3% of the diagnoses made in cats are urinary tract infections. This disease is mostly seen in cats that are overweight, consume dry food and are under stress. If there are too many cats in a house, the incidence of this disease increases.
If there is already such a disease, your cat will show symptoms such as drinking a lot of water, bloody urination, urinating in places he does not normally do, crying while peeing, licking the place where he pees, loss of appetite and vomiting. In short, if your cat is having trouble defecating, alarm bells are ringing.
That disease we usually dread when we hear its name: Rabies
Rabies is the nightmare of mammals. The reason why rabies, a viral disease that especially affects the brain and spinal cord, is so feared is that it is 100% fatal.
We think that rabies is generally seen in dogs, but cats can be affected by this disease at least as much as dogs. The disease is most often transmitted through the bite of an infected animal. Sometimes, although rare, the saliva of a rabid animal touching an open wound also creates a risk of contagion.
Unfortunately, it is not possible to immediately recognize the disease of a rabid cat because it takes months for the symptoms of this disease to appear. If you suspect your cat has rabies, be sure to observe its movements. A rabid cat will be irritable, unappetizing and unstable.
In addition, since this disease will cause your cat to suddenly have a stroke and die, it is useful to take your cat to the veterinary check regularly.
Cats get ringworm too.
A fungus that grows on the skin, hair and nails of cats causes this disease. This disease is also known as hair fungus. Hair fungus is very contagious and can even cause cats to go bald. When your cat has ringworm, don’t say “don’t worry, nothing will happen”, the disease can also infect you and other pets in your home.
If you are asking, “How is ringworm diagnosed?” Or, if you have seen sudden baldness and redness in the area of baldness in your cat, you may suspect a hair fungus again.
Some cats can carry this fungus throughout their lives without showing any symptoms, so it’s very important to be careful.
Danger from mosquitoes: Heartworm
When mosquitoes bite cats, they can infect them with heartworms. Unfortunately, this causes cats to experience discomfort in their lungs. If the place you live in is notorious for mosquitoes, you need to make an extra effort to protect your cat from this disease.
Cats are not normally suitable hosts for heartworms. Therefore, heartworms cannot complete their life cycle in cats’ bodies and cannot fully reach the hearts of cats.
So while most heartworms die before they can complete this cycle; those that live can overwhelm the cats immune system and make them sick. Fortunately, this is an easily recognized disease.
If your cat is breathing hard, not eating like he used to, is displaying depressive behaviors, or is losing too much weight, you may suspect this disease. Also, the scariest thing about heartworm is that it causes sudden death.
Beware of! Viruses or bacteria in the throat, nose and sinus areas of your little friends can cause upper respiratory tract infections.
Those that cause these infections are viruses such as deline calicivirus or feline herpesvirus with a rate of 80%. This disease usually occurs when there are too many cats in a household or in animal shelters.
If you want to protect your cat from this disease, it is a good idea not to allow him to share food from a common bowl with other cats. Because the virus that causes upper respiratory tract infection; spread through sneezing, coughing and licking.
A cat can be a lifelong carrier if it has been infected once in its life. In other words, these types of diseases can pose serious dangers to the health of cats. A cat with an upper respiratory tract infection may experience symptoms such as runny nose, sneezing, sputum, coughing, high fever, loss of appetite, ulcers in the nose or mouth, and open breathing.
Taking these symptoms seriously will help you understand what your cat is going through. So whenever you notice unusual behavior in your cat, don’t hesitate to take him to a vet. So let’s ask those who have cats: Has your cat had one of these diseases before? You can share your experiences with us in the comments.
- Sources: ASPCA, Petlebi
- Image Sources: Better Vet
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