Sicknesses and cats

One of the top diseases a cat can get is called Feline Leukemia. Feline Leukemia is a disease that spreads through urine,saliva and nose discharge. Cats can get this though bites ,sharing water and food bowls, and even living together. The mother cat can pass this disease to her kittens, because kittens are more likely to catch it that the adult cats.

The symptoms include; System wide infections, diarrhea, skin infections, eye disease, respiratory tract infections, bladder infections, infertility, anemia, and cancer. Some cats will immediately become sick once catching the virus, while other cats manifest this disease right away. Any severe chronic illness can be a sign of Feline Leukemia.

Although this disease is incurable, it is easily preventable. By keeping cats indoors, restricting exposure to other cats, maintaining a clean living space, and keeping your cat vaccinated can help prevent leukemia. According to the Merck Veterinary manual, Veterinarians rarely see cases of Feline Leukemia among vaccinated cat populations.

One of the other main cat diseases is kidney disease/renal failure. Renal failure, caused by kidney disease is one of the main causes to the death of older cats. The causes for kidney disease include old age, genetics, and environmental factors like access ingesting poisonous substances. There are two forms in Renal failure in cats: Acute or chronic. Acute renal failure is associated with stopping of a kidney function, while chronic renal failure results from a progressive deterioration of kidney function.

Some of the symptoms include; excessive urination, increased thirst, nausea, a grinding or cracking sound in the jaw, vomiting, dehydration, constipation, loss of appetite, weight loss, halitosis (ammonia smell) and lethargy. If your cat is experiencing any of these symptoms, your vet can test for kidney disease and renal failure. Urinalysis can test to see if the cat’s urine is diluted, which show that its kidneys aren’t passing waste. Blood tests can check on creatinine and BUN (blood urea nitrogen) levels. A higher creatinine level can be a sign of loss of kidney function.

Although there is no cure, you can treat it by making adjustments to your cats diet, medication, and diuresis (hydration therapy). According to the Merck Veterinary manual, the animal receiving treatment can survive for long periods of time using only 5 to 8 percent of their renal tissue.

Feline panleukopenia, another important cat disease, also known as Feline distemper, is a highly contagious viral disease. This disease is mainly at risk for kittens, they almost always die even if they have gotten a treatment. It can spread through bodily fluids, feces and fleas, and is usually transmitted by contaminated food and water bowls, litter trays and clothing.

Feline distemper affects the cat's intestinal tract, and attacks there immune system. Some of the symptoms include, depression, loss of appetite, lethargy, tail and back leg biting. A vet can diagnose feline panleukopenia through fecal and blood tests. Treatment of feline panleukopenia is aggressive, since the disease can kill within a day of getting this illness. Cats usually receive blood transfusions, antibiotics and vitamin injections to combat the disease. According to The Merck Veterinary Manual, vets see few cases of feline panleukopenia among vaccinated cats, but infection rates remain high in unvaccinated populations. In order to prevent feline panleukemia, you should vaccinate your cat and keep it away from unvaccinated and feral animals.

Another disease a cat can get is called Feline rabies. According to The Merck Veterinary Manual, cats are reported rabid more often than any other domesticated animal in the United States. Feline rabies is one of the most dangerous cat diseases, because it doesn’t infect just cats, it can be passed along to humans, too. Rather than cat-to-cat transmission, feline rabies usually spreads to cats through bites from wild animals.

Feline rabies can be slow moving; the disease can incubate in a cat’s system for as many as two to five weeks, according to VetInfo.com. Some of the symptoms include poor coordination, conjunctivitis, yowling, drooling, fever, strange behavior, depression and weight loss. There is no treatment or cure for feline rabies. All you can do is make sure your cat is vaccinated against the disease, and keep it inside to avoid contact with infected animals.