It is difficult to contemplate such cute little balls of fur falling sick. But to face reality, cats are more susceptible to falling ill due to various factors like digestive issues and hairball. Even though cats are good at self maintenance and are very hygiene conscious too, still there are some common diseases that they cannot prevent from happening. If you are a cat parent, it is best that you should be aware of these common cat health problems. This will help you remain alert when the first signs happen and you will be better equipped to handle if and when such situations arise.

Vomiting- Due to a multitude of causes, vomiting is very common in cats. Cats like to nibble on things around, whether they are some plants or maybe strings lying around. Eating something poisonous or inedible may upset their digestive system and cause vomiting. Hairballs is another common vomiting cause in cats. When they ingest a lot of hair, it causes discomfort and they spit out hairballs as vomit. Other than these the cause of vomiting could range from infections to diabetes or urinary tract disease. The symptoms include drooling and abdominal heaving. Vomiting leaves your cat dehydrated, so if it continues or if your cat feels ill, call your vet for medical assistance.

Feline lower urinary tract diseases; FLUTD - This is another common disease in both male and female cats. FLUTD often occurs in cats that are overweight or unfit. Cats who eat dry food consume less water in turn are also affected by this disease. The reasons might range from stress or sudden changes or multi cat household. The symptoms are many and varied. It could be drinking more, straining to urinate, urinating more frequently, bloody urine, urinating in unusual places, crying when urinating, licking around the urinary area to ease the pain, depression, loss of appetite, dehydration or vomiting. The treatment depends on the kind and severity of the disease. Since it is an emergency if your cat cannot urinate, call your vet immediately for medical support.

Fleas- Fleas infestation is a common external feline health problem. If you happen to notice that your cat constantly scratches its skin or licks it frequently, it could be a sign of fleas swarm. Fleas often appear as dirt or tiny black dots on skin and results in hair loss, skin infections or red and irritated skin. If the flea infection continues, the cat risks anaemia as the fleas feed on blood of the host. Fleas can be controlled easily by oral medication, powders, foam and topical medication and can be avoided altogether by medicines and body oil.

Tapeworm- When flea infection continues, cats might swallow them accidently and get tapeworms in their stomach. Tapeworms can be as long as 2 feet but they are segmented and usually break apart when expelled. If you see small white worms that look like grains of rice or sesame seeds, your cat most likely has tapeworms. Look at its faeces, around the anus or in the bedding to tell if your cat has worms. Usually tapeworms come out of your cat’s anus while it is sleeping or relaxed. Symptoms of tapeworm infection can be subtle but may include vomiting and weight loss. Treatment includes injection, oral or topical medication. Also be sure of handling any flea problems your cat has as cats almost always get tapeworms as a result of ingesting fleas.

Diarrhoea- Loose, watery or liquid stool are symptoms of Diarrhoea which might stay for a day, a week or last for months. This could be due to intestinal parasites, spoiled food, allergies, infection, liver diseases, cancer and more. Since loose stools lead to dehydration in patients, you should remember to give your kitty plenty of fresh and clean water to make up for the loss of water in the body. Take your cat to a vet if it does not stop even after a day or if it is accompanied by vomiting, fever, lethargy, dark or bloody stools or loss of appetite. If your cat is straining to defecate, then also it could be serious and requires immediate medical intervention.

Eye problems- As in humans and dogs, cats also tend to suffer from various eye ailments. These include conjunctivitis, corneal ulcer, cataracts, glaucoma, trauma, viruses, inflammation and retinal disease. If you notice your cat having watery eyes, tear stained fur, cloudiness, red or white eyelid linings, gunk in the corners of the eyes, squinting, pawing at the eye or a visible third eyelid, then it means your cat has eye infection. Depending on the severity of the symptom treat it as a medical emergency and consult your vet immediately.

Even though these are common cat health problems they should never be ignored and dealt with instantly. Keeping your cat clean and hygienic and ensuring that you keep your home cat proof helps a lot in ensuring their good health and their not falling prey to poisonous or inedible stuff. Waggfluence feels that prevention is better than cure and so consult your pet to keep them off flea infections. For pet grooming supplies try the quality products at Waggfluence because we aim at a happy you and a happy meow!