Cat Q&A

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Abdominal pains, vomiting, dehydration and watery stool are all signs that a cat is suffering from feline coccidiosis. Kittens and debilitated cats are prime candidates for its more severe manifestations.

Coccidia is not actually just a cat ailment, dogs can also be affected. Recent surveys suggest that about 37% of cats and dogs are infected by coccidia. They don’t, however, all show signs of having contracted it.

Protozoa, which are one celled organisms, are the cause of coccidiosis. These organisms take residence in the intestinal tract of the cat and may cause symptoms that resemble other parasites such as worms.

However, though the symptoms of worms and coccidia are similar, the conditions must be cured using different treatments. You should therefore take your cat to a veterinarian for a diagnosis before proceeding with any treatment, to ensure that you get the correct medicine.

So, how does your cat get it? Through coming into contact with infected fecal matter. Oocytes, which are immature protozoa, reside in cat stool and mature in the open environment. Once they mature, they may infect the cat once again. Another way of cats developing coccidiosis is from licking or eating protozoan infected mice.

There are various things that, as a pet owner, you can do reduce the risk of your cat or dog getting coccidia. You should:

1. Keep basic sanitation for catteries and kennels. You should make sure your catteries and kennels are tidy and well-maintained. Of particular importance is the disposing of stool within a day or two of it appearing.

2. Disinfect. Before doing this, you may want to move your pets to a different location for the time being. You don’t want your pets to inhale the potentially harmful fumes from disinfectants. You may then spray the area with a disinfectant that contains a considerable amount of ammonia or a little bleach mixed with a good amount of water.

3. Not forget to tend to crevices, and hard to reach areas. Pets, being curious, end up sniffing around in lots of places that you might not expect. They are exactly the places that parasites lurk in so don’t forget about cleaning and disinfecting those areas too.

4. Consider repainting. Coccidian oocytes living on the walls of your house will instantly be killed should you repaint the areas where they are.

Get more cat health information right now. Explore how your cat should be acting from day to day. This knowledge can help save the life of your cat or kitten. Learn more right now : http://pet-comfort-products.com/cat-health.html

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We all know there are lots of different cat breeds but for many people their preference will always be the Persian. On a Persian cat you will notice it has long hair and it is very attractive, with a very gentle disposition. They are great companions for virtually anyone, and not very demanding. However, it is always a good idea to take note of cat health care tips, whatever breed you have.

White is the most common colour for Persian cats but there are also other colours too. If Persian cats are entered into competitions then they will get separated into seven different colourway categories, such as silver and gold, tabby, smoke and Himalayan.

You should always keep Persian cats inside the home, as this helps to protect the beautiful fur coat. Letting Persian cats outside can easily damage their coat. It is also important to brush your Persian daily to prevent hairballs and stop the fur becoming tangled. Bathing is also essential. So that your cat gets used to bathing, wash it from an early age. Although some breeds can maintain their coats on their own, Persians can’t. This is because the Persian fur is long and dense, so regular brushing keeps it in pristine condition.

In order to make sure your Persian cat stays healthy, these cat health care tips should be useful. Make sure you take your pet to the vet on an annual basis for him to check over your cat’s general health. Persian cats can live up to 20 years providing you look after them properly and keep their health in good order. One thing you’ll need to be aware of that’s common with Persians is their eyes. Persia cats have large eyes and this means they sometimes cant clean them efficiently. This is a common healthy problem with the breed, and should be checked on a regular basis to ensure that it doesn’t get out of control.

Cat Feline Health

One of the best friends a person can have is a kitty cat and that is why they are loved by many pet owners. In order to show your love for your kitty cat and provide the best possible cat feline health that you can, you need to educate yourself on kitty cat health issue’s so that you will know the best way to feed and groom your feline friend to ensure proper kitty cat health.

Basic Cat Care

There are several things that cat owners will need to know and deal with. In order to provide basic care for your kitty cat and provide for your cats feline health, you need to purchase water bowls, brushes to keep her teeth clean, a litter box, as well as grooming items to keep your kitty cats coat clean.

If you are not careful about cat feline health you might end up having to deal with health complications including diabetes. Kitty cats also have allergies, acne, and asthma are other aspects to cat feline health that must be looked out for by the kitty cats owner. Certain cats even develop problems such as blood and lymph disorders and another cat feline health issue that often causes a lot of concern is the one known as fading kitten syndrome.

Cat feline health issues also include diseases such as inflammatory bowel disease, diarrhea, and constipation, while other issues include inappropriate defecation, while cancer is certainly a more serious cat feline health issue.

To ensure that cat feline health issues do not turn too serious it is recommended that you periodically take her to the vet in order to get a monthly checkup done. However, in case you have brought home a kitten the first thing that you will need to address is knows the right age at which to take the kitten to the vet for her first medical check-up.

You also need to take other steps to ensure proper cat feline health and these include socializing your kitten (or cat) and also making provisions for weaning time which should ideally begin when the kitten is between nine and ten weeks old.

Signs of poor health in your kitty cat could be your cat sneezing, not eating, or watery eyes. At these times it is necessary to get your kitty cat vaccinated (though only after she is healthy enough to be vaccinated). Also, providing the vet with a fecal sample can help the vet deal with the cat feline health issue in a more effective manner.

If you are looking for more information about how to to provide basic care for kitty cat or more information about cat feline health in general, Dr. Andrew Jones’ Veterinary Secrets Revealed will provide you with those answers.  Dr. A doctor of veterinary medicine for 17 years and the owner of Nelson Animal Hospital in Nelson BC, Canada, Jones incorporates his education as well as his work and life experiences to provide you with more kitty cat health information.

heart disease

As cats get older, problems with their heart, kidneys and other organs can occur. Cancer, renal or kidney disease, diabetes, hyperthyroidism (disease of the thyroid gland), dental disease and heart disease are the most frequent diseases found in aging cats. Cats age seven times faster than humans and examinations done by your veterinarian twice a year can help detect diseases earlier when they can still be treated. Diagnostic tests such as blood work, ECG, ultrasound and blood pressure monitoring can help detect problems sooner.

The most common heart diseases that affect cats is hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM). Cardiomyopathy is found more frequently in cats than in dogs. HCM is an acquired heart disease that affects the muscular walls of the ventricles causing them to become abnormally thick. As the disease progresses the pumping capabilities of the heart decreases. The wall of the heart gets thicker and stiffer reducing it’s ability to contract and pump the blood efficiently. The chamber of the heart is smaller, so less blood is pumped out of the heart., This results in the amount of blood that once filled the heart is less than it should be and the heart muscle can’t contract as well to move the blood out of the heart into the body. The diseased heart now has to pump harder and faster than it once did just to keep the blood flowing throughout the body. As the blood backs up into the lungs, edema develops resulting in congestive heart failure.

Sometimes, the faulty heart can have changes in the conduction system that tells the heart when to contract. Irregular conduction can occur in the diseased heart resulting in sudden death, similar to young athletes that die during practice.

Another problem that can occur from the cardiomyopathy is a disease called feline aortic thromboembolism (FATE). Occasionally, blood clots can dislodge and clog the arteries going to the rear legs. The dislodged blood clot causes blockage of the blood flow to the legs resulting in severe pain and paralysis. This condition is sometimes referred to as a saddle thrombus. About 40% of the cats recover from a saddle thrombus with intensive therapy and may regain use of their legs over time. However, these cats can still risk develop another episode and will continue to suffer from the primary heart condition.

Cats are very good as masking underlying physical problems so early detection is key to helping these cats live a full life. A cat that is fat and lazy and doesn’t move around a lot, may actually have a heart disease. Of course not all fat and lazy cats a have heart disease, but the only way to tell is with full exams by your veterinarian. Diagnostic tests, such as, EKG, blood pressure monitoring and ultrasound can help the veterinarian detect heart disease. The thickened walls of the heart can be seen with ultrasound and is a screening tool for cats as well as our young athletes.

Medications can help cats with their heart function, reduce the edema in their lungs and may help reduce the blood clot formations. The prognosis for a cat that has already developed the congestive heart failure is guarded, and even with medication, survival rates are 12-18 months after diagnosis and sudden death can occur at any time.

Develop a wellness plan with your veterinarian for early detection and diagnostics. By detecting diseases earlier, small changes in diet or medications can help your cat live longer.

You can find more on Cat Health Care at LuvUrCat.com

In North America people love to have a cat as their pet.  They are loving pets, capable of providing you years of companionship.  Like other pets, catscan sometimes get sick.  There are several different types of ailments that cats can get, one of which is feline diabetes.  Feline diabetes is a serious disease, although it can be treated by a veterinarian.

Diabetes is more common with humans than with cats or other animals. The cause of diabetes is actually quite simple.Glucose, or sugar is found in the systemic circulation.  The level of blood sugar in the body or the animal is kept under control by hormone insulin, which the pancreas produces.When the insulin is not produced in sufficient quantity by the pancreas, diabetes manifests.

The symptoms of feline diabetes will vary.  The most common symptoms include an increase in urine and an increase in thirst.Loss of appetite, weight loss, and a poor coat are other symptoms of feline diabetes.  An increase in thirst is easy to detect, as you can easily notice the water dish empty throughout the day.

If you don’t get your cat treated for feline diabetes immediately, the cat will eventually become inactive, vomit on a regular basis, and eventually fall into a coma.On the other hand, if the diabetes is treated in time by your assistance, the cat will lead more normal and healthy life.  Keep in mind that treatment doesn’t happen overnight – it takes time and dedication.

Cats that have feline diabetes will need to be given food at the same time every day. They should be prevented from going outside as well.  If your cat has diabetes, you’ll need to give him insulin shots once or twice or a day.  Once your veterinarian checks your cat, he will tell you how many shots and how much insulin you need to give your cat. 

Before you give your cat his insulin shot, you should always make sure that he has some food first.  If he hasn’t eaten and you give him a shot anyway, he could end up with a hypoglycemic shock.It can result from too much insulin also.  A hypo can be really dangerous, and should be avoided at all costs.  If your cat gets a hypoglycemic shock and you aren’t around, he may end up dying. 

If you have to give insulin shots to your cat due to feline diabetes, you should always keep a watchful eye on him after you have administered the shot.  After your cat has been on insulin for a period of time, your vet may reduce the amount of insulin.He will lead a healthy life, even though he may have to stay on insulin throughout his life. 

To keep your cat healthy a majority of time, all you really need to do is give him good shelter, food, and plenty of water.  Like other living things however, cats can get sick from time to time no matter what you do. 

As a cat owner, you’ll want to ensure that you feed your cat only the best.  Premium cat food is the ideal for cats, as the food is designed to keep your pet happy and healthy.  You’ll also need to pay attention to his behavior, so you’ll know when he’s sick and when to take him to the vet.  Most of the more common ailments and sicknesses are minor, although there are some cases where a vet can be the determining factor between life and death for your cat.

Your cat’s behavior will be one of the most critical factors when you are trying to determine whether or not he is under the weather.  Acting sluggish, laying around all the time, lack of energy and not eating are all signs that you need to take him to the vet immediately.  His coat is also a good thing to watch as well.  If you notice his coat dull and patchy or notice him shedding abnormally, you should contact your vet as soon as you possibly can.

Diarrhea and vomiting are sometimes common, even with basic sickness.  On the other hand, if your cat seems to be doing either one of the two for more than a day, you should contact your veterinarian.  Coughing is common as well, simply because coughing will cats dislodge hairballs.  If your cat seems to be coughing for another reason, you should have him checked out as soon as possible.

To ensure that your cat isn’t subjected to various diseases, you should always make sure that he stays up do date with his vaccinations. There are several diseases out there that require vaccinations, including rabies and feline distemper.  Feline distemper is one of most devastating diseases a cat can get, yet it is also one of the easiest to prevent as well.  The disease strikes cats very fast, and leaves you as an own very little time to seek treatment.

Feline leukemia is another disease that is very deadly, yet can be prevented early on with the proper vaccinations.  Although the disease isn’t possible for humans to contract, it can be spread quickly among cats.  There are vaccinations that can treat the disease these days, although you’ll still want to be careful and not expose other cats around a cat you know has feline leukemia.

One more problem, that is associated strongly with Cats that spend time outdoors , is worms.  Cats that have worms will normally have a lackluster coat and little to no appetite.   There are several different types of worms, including ringworm and hookworm.  Worms can come from fleas, lice, or even the organs of dead rodents that cats consume.  Normally, the cat will digest the eggs which will later mature and attach themselves to the walls of the intestines.If you include garlic in your cats feed on regular basis then you can surely reduce the risk of worm infestation to your cat drastically.

Only if you actively monitor all aspect of cat care, the probability will remain that your cat will live a healty life with you for all it’s years.  You should always make sure he has quality food, and doesn’t miss any of his scheduled checkups with the vet.  If he gets the proper vaccinations when he is required to get them, he should be safe against numerous pests and diseases.  Taking the proper steps with your cat now will prevent anything from happening in the future.

Proper cat health relies heavily on preventative measures; this includes routine veterinary care as well as grooming on a regular basis. To make sure you cat stays both happy and healthy it is a good idea to watch for any changes in their condition. An excellent time to monitor for cat health is during grooming sessions.

Cat Health According To Life Stages

The best way to keep on top of your cats health is by knowing the life stages and what proper cat health is for each stage. This way you can easily recognize when something is going wrong with your cats health and seek medical attention as soon as possible.

The first life stage is from birth of sixteen weeks. At this stage the feline animal begins to grasp survival tactics form the surrounding environment. Often cats are playful during this stage of life but they shy around human beings. Cat health is also extremely important in this stage so that they can grow up to be healthy throughout the rest of their life.

The second stage starts from week sixteen and continues till one year. During this period, cats are often still very playful. To maintain cat health you should make sure you cat is spayed or neutered at about six months old unless you are planning on using them as a breeding cat.

Next comes the one to eight year period, which are the prime years for cat health. During this stage of your cat’s life, it is very important to have yearly visits to the veterinarian. From there is the eight to twelve year stage of a cats life. This is when pre-geriatric cat health comes into play. Your cat will often slow down but their behavior will remain the same.

Geriatric cat health will start when they turn twelve. At this age, you will start to notice health problems in your cat and they will often become worse as they age. Cats will often move very slowly since their joints will start to become stiff. Old cat often behave as irritated.

Common Cat Health Issues

There are varieties of health conditions that can affect your cat. A big part of keeping your cat healthy is proper prevention. Contact your veterinarian right away, if you notice any health problems. The following are some of the more common conditions your cat may get.

Flea allergy is a common problem for cats. A cat’s sensitivity to fleabites will increase as they age. Similar symptoms can be observed in an event of a food allergy or a flea bite allergy, the symptoms are vomiting or diarrhea , skin rashes and severe itching.

Hairballs are a persistent cause of vomiting in cats. You can manage this situation by keeping a schedule of coat brushing and rigorously following it. Even with short hair cats, they can get hairballs if you don’t keep them down with routine brushing. You should take your cat into a veterinarian if they have persistent vomiting since this can also be a sign of thyroid or kidney problems.