When to Call the Vet for Your Cat

The most important thing you can do when caring for a vet is make sure that he or she is healthy. When you have a cat, this is very important. Because a cat cannot tell you what is wrong, you must be alert to changes in your cat. Knowing when to call your vet is very important, but it can be hard to know if there’s really something wrong or not. Knowing your cat’s normal behavior is important. First of all, what are his eating and elimination habits? Some cats eat their meals in one sitting, while others eat bites all day. If your cat has had a chance in appetite, this could indicate a problem. Your cat should also be using the litter box regularly, and diarrhea, constipation, and straining to urinate are all causes for concern. Ever cat is different, so make sure to notice how your cat normally eats and eliminates in order to notice when something is wrong. Your cat’s daily activities should also be somewhat regular. If your cat is always playing and then suddenly seems less active, you may have cause for concern. However, slowly becoming less active is a natural part of aging, and some cats are naturally just not as energetic as others. Make sure you note sudden chances and call your vet if you are concerned. Watch for problems with gait as well, as this could indicate arthritis or injury, among other things. Along with activity, watch grooming habits. Cats are very neat and tidy creatures by nature, so your cat should be grooming him- or herself regularly. Over-grooming may also be dangerous to your cat’s health. It is also important to know when there is an emergency situation. In general, if there is any doubt in your mind, call your vet or even take your cat straight to the vet’s office. For example, if your cat gets hit by a car, but is not bleeding, you should still have him or her examined, as internal problems could be of concern. You should also consider it an emergency if your cat suddenly has an extreme change in health. For example, if your cat suddenly begins vomiting frequently, he or she may have been poisoned, which can be fatal. Pet cat health care may be similar to caring for other pets. But such care may also have its own differences. One of them is that pet cats may suffer from a host of different diseases that other pets may not go through. Here is a list of some feline diseases that pet cats may suffer from at some point. Feline Distemper

This disease usually affects pet cats at a young age. Known medically as feline panleukopenia, this type of viral infection lowers down the immune defenses of young kittens by severely affecting the production of white blood cells. This infection can make young kittens pass, liquid stool with blood due to the severe hemorrhaging that happens in their small intestine. Fever may also be expected and will lead the young kitten to become depressed and then refuse to take any food and water. It may seem to the pet owner that the cat has a temperamental personality, hence the name feline distemper. The infection actually has no effect on the cat's personality in any way. Sadly, recovery for such conditions is very rare for a cat.

Feline Infectious Peritonitis This is another viral infection that is also fatal in cats. Once your pet cat shows signs of this infection, it can take years and years of trouble. This infection is usually common mostly in young adult cats and can be transmitted to other cats. There are two known types of this infection. There is the "dry" type where the young adult cat is affected by high fever as well as problems with internal organs such as the kidneys, lungs and the intestines. With this type of infection, the cats never seem improve no matter how well the treatment is given.

There is also the "wet" type of the disease has the young adult cat having a fluid discharge within the abdomen. Occasionally the cat's chest displays a golden and dense liquid that contains flakes within. This infection makes the cat run a high fever and would usually not eat well. The only protection that cats can have over the disease is vaccination. But vaccines should be given to pet cats prior to any exposure to the virus or else the vaccine would not be very effective to prevent any infection.

Feline immune Deficiency Viru

This disease is similar to the Human Immune Deficiency Virus or HIV in humans. This virus in only found in cats and is being spread mainly through a bite from an infected cat. This disease suppresses the cat's immune system and leads the cat to be more prone to all sorts of infection. There is an intranasal vaccine available to protect cats from the FIV infection although some veterinarians are not that convinced that it can protect more effectively as compared to other vaccines.

The important thing is to never take matters into your own hands if you are unsure. A vet can make sure that your cat is healthy and happy. As a guardian for your pet, it is your responsibility to provide this care whenever necessary, and its always best to be safe.