Cat Health - Common Problems

No matter what breed of cat and no matter how well you look after your cat, like us humans, they will suffer from common cat health problems during the course of their life. As a cat owner, you will need to be aware of the most common problems, some of which can be avoided with the right awareness and by taking basic precautions. The most common cat health problems are colds, bite wounds, digestive problems, urinary problems and diarrhea, and eye problems. Cats are sensitive to many respiratory viruses and infections such as the common cold and like humans they can usually rely on their own immune system to deal with it. However, if your cat is off its food and appears listless and in some distress then you should consult your vet for appropriate medication. Cats, particularly Tom cats do fight a lot. Often with other cats and sometimes with dogs and more dangerously with the dreaded fox. This can lead to various wounds which will need treatment from a vet to avoid infections setting in. Eyes are particularly vulnerable. Fleas are also a common cat health problem, especially if your cat is outside a lot. Tapeworm and other parasites are common problems cat health problems too and often cause symptoms such as vomiting and diarrhea. Your vet will have medication to deal with these issues. Another common cat health problem, mainly associated with Tom cats that have not been neutered, is urinary tract infection. If your cat stops using the litter box, or the urine is particularly strong smelling then these are clear signs and your vet should be consulted without delay. Although not normally a cat health problem on its own, hairballs or fur balls are very common and can lead to problems under certain circumstances. Cats naturally swallow fur from their constant grooming and although it will normally pass through the cats digestive system, there are times when it gathers into a fur ball and may become lodged in the digestive tract or intestine with serious consequences if not treated quickly. Symptoms are not eating properly, constipation and listlessness. Often a cat will cough up a fur ball if it gets caught in the throat. You can help prevent hairballs or fur balls occurring if you brush your cat regularly. Feline leukemia used to be a very common cat health problem and was often fatal. These days, however, with modern vaccines available the disease can be prevented. Always have you cat vaccinated if there is a risk of infection because this is a highly contagious disease. The main message here is to monitor you cat's health, visit the vet regularly for check ups and take advice from your vet on suitable vaccinations. About the Author: For more information on Cat Health visit http://www.aboutcathealth.info/ Read more articles by: Richard G M Taylor Article Source: www.iSnare.com Share: Del.icio.us Google Y! MyWeb Digg

Cat Medication - How To Give Medication To Your Cat

Anyone who owns a cat will know what a struggle it can be to get your cat to take medication. This brief article on Cat Medication covers some useful techniques which will help you give medication to your cat. If the cat medication is in pill form then try crushing the pill (you can do this between two spoons) and mixing the powder in the cat's food. Sometimes the cat will sense that something is not quite right and ignore the food so try maybe giving them something different for a change which they may perceive as a treat. Also wet food is easier for disguising the powder. If the cat medication is the form of a capsule then break open the capsule and sprinkle the contents into the cat's food as above. If the above techniques fail to work, then talk to your local pharmacy or vet and see if they would prepare the medication in a special flavored gel or liquid which your cat is more likely to consume. Other techniques require almost forcing the medication down your cat’s throat. You can buy what is usually called a 'pet pillar' which is quite simply a plastic tube which you insert into your cat's mouth and drop the pill or capsule so that it goes to the back of the cats throat. Some of these come with a fancy trigger mechanism which shoots the pill or capsule into the cat’s mouth. You can also try doing this by hand without the pet pillar but you may find the cat will struggle and not open its mouth for you. If all else fails then I can almost guarantee that this final technique will work but most cat owners hate to do this. Pick the cat up with one hand by grabbing the loose skin/fur behind the neck (sometimes described as grabbing by the scruff of the neck) and then tilt the cat's head backwards so that its mouth is facing upwards. You will find that this temporarily paralyses the cat with its mouth open making it easy for you to drop the medication inside. You then simply lower the cat's head and let go of its neck. Usually it will swallow the medication with an instinctive reaction. The reason why many cat owners do not like to do this is because they think they are hurting the cat in some way and get very frightened when it goes motionless when tilting the head back - but believe me the cat does not feel a thing and is much better that struggling to force the cat's mouth open in any other way. About the Author: For more information and articles on cats and cat health visit http://www.aboutcathealth.info/ Read more articles by: Richard G M Taylor Article Source: www.iSnare.com Share: Del.icio.us Google Y! MyWeb Digg