Cat Symptoms Diagnosis

Disease may occur in felines and are caused by various factors. If your cat has symptoms, you can use these as a guide to determine what might be the problem. In some cases, the symptoms may be subtle; sometimes the symptoms will be very clear and they will prompt you directly to a vet clinic.

Sudden Behavior Changes

An ill cat may change his behavior due to pain or stress. Some cats do a good job hiding a health problem. However, hiding is a symptom that can indicate that your cat is ill.

An illness may also cause behavior changes such as depression and lethargy or may make the cat highly irritable and aggressive.

Typically, most diseases that cause pain will cause behavior changes in your cat, so you need to look for additional signs to diagnose your pet.

Vomiting and Diarrhea

Vomiting and diarrhea may be common symptoms in felines; if your cat is vomiting or has diarrhea this may point to different problems including:

  • Food intolerance or the ingestion of a disagreeable food/materials
  • Poisoning, which may be a consequence of the ingestion of alcohol, chocolate, onions or different poisonous house plants
  • Heat stroke
  • Stomach ulcer
  • Tumors in the esophagus, stomach or gastrointestinal tract
  • Intestinal parasites

Blood in the vomit or feces can be a warning sign, so you need to visit the vet.

Scratching, Chewing and Biting

Scratching, chewing or the skin and biting the paws can be caused by the presence of fleas or ticks, allergies, skin infections, stress or anxiety.

Sneezing and Coughing

Sneezing and coughing can be symptoms of a respiratory tract infection; however the same symptoms may be present in an allergic cat. Other symptoms of feline allergies may include ocular and nasal discharges.

Dry coughing can also indicate a lung problem or cancer; a lot of cancers metastasize in the lungs, but typically, you should be able to see other symptoms before this happens.

Dental abscesses may also cause sneezing in felines.

Weight Loss

Weight loss may occur in cats with diabetes (despite the increased appetite) and in cats with cancer.

The cat may also lose weight due to the lack of appetite, which may be caused by a variety of diseases ranging from dental problems to cancer.

Cat Spraying

If your cat suddenly starts to spray, this may indicate a urinary infection or stress.

A cat with a urinary infection may strain to urinate and drink more water than usual. Blood in the urine may be present in advanced cases of infection.

Elevated Fever

Fever is a typical sign of feline infection; the infection may be located in the respiratory tract or the urinary tract, but it may also originate in an untreated wound.

Fever is also present in cats that suffer from heat stroke.

Hesitation to Move and Limping

If your cat hesitates to move or is limping, this may be due to arthritis, a fracture or a dislocated hip. Painful injuries may also be signaled by limping.

 

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