Pet Haven

For many years, cat treatments were simply extensions of treatment given to dogs.  Cat disorders of the skin, the eyes, the ears, the circulatory, respiratory, urinary, digestive, nervous, skeletal, and the blood, as well as contagious cat diseases and external and internal parasites have been extensively studied.

Despite this, cats die because their ailments become fatal before their general conditions changes sufficiently to reveal any symptoms of illness and  many symptoms used in diagnosing cat ailments are not definitive for given disorders. Signs of illness include general symptoms such as a dull coat, lack of appetite, and listlessness. Diarrhea may be a result of serious illness or simply reflect a change in diet. Tearing of the eyes, especially when accompanied by sneezing, may indicate conjunctivitis or a cold. Since, however, sneezing is the cat's only mechanism for blowing its nose, not all sneezing indicates illness.

Open sores, usually at the base of the ear, around the mouth, or on the toes, can point to an ear mite or a ringworm infection or to a fight with another animal.

Cats are attacked by several kinds of external and internal parasites. External parasites are often found in kittens, although they can occur in adults. Frequently they are fleas, but lice, ticks, and ear mites occur. Internal parasites include roundworms, tapeworms, and protozoan coccidia. Once diagnosed all these diseases are easy to treat successfully.

Panleucopenia, often called feline distemper, is the best-known viral disease in cats. Highly contagious, with a high mortality rate, it is most evident in young cats. Vaccines are effective protective measures. Rabies is less of a problem with cats than with dogs, but all free-roaming cats should be vaccinated. Vaccines have also been developed for other feline diseases, including feline leukemia, pneumonitis (chlamydiosis), viral rhinotracheitis (cat influenza), and calicivirus infections.

Cats permitted to wander outdoors are exposed to a variety of hazards, including accidents, attacks from other animals, poisoning, fleas and other parasites, and contagious diseases such as feline acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS). Cats that kill and eat rodents and other small animals can become infected with the parasitic protozoan Toxoplasma gondii, which can be transmitted to humans and causes the disease toxoplasmosis.

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