Offer The Food By Hand
Sit down with your cat and try to offer their food by hand. While this can be messy, it often works. Place a small amount of food on your finger or in your hand and put it up close to their mouth. Often clients ask me, Should you force-feed a sick cat? I dont recommend force-feeding your cat because this could make them more upset.
Keeping Up With Your Kitty Care
Once your cat is properly diagnosed and a treatment plan is developed, it is important to follow through with all recommendations. If your kitty is prescribed medication and seems better after a few doses, keep giving her the medicine until the course is complete, and keep your follow-up appointment with the vet.
If your cat had fleas, be sure to deep-clean your house and vacuum the carpets well. Flea eggs can live in dark corners of your home for months. Since cats clean themselves and can ingest flea eggs it’s important to discuss with your vet the best methods for flea control and prevention in your individual household. Homes with several pets or a lot of carpet may require different flea control methods.
If your cat is having frequent digestive issues, she may be allergic or sensitive to something in your home or her cat food. While you’re in sick kitten care mode, try to keep her on one kind of vet-approved food, and also make sure other people in your home aren’t sneaking your cat tasty treats.
How Do I Give My Cat Her Medication
Give your cat any medication at the dose and frequency prescribed by your veterinarian, and complete the full course of treatment. Separate handouts are available that describe how to administer medications. If you are having difficulty giving tablets to your cat, you may be able to crush them and mix them with a little water so that they can be given by syringe. Ask your veterinarian if this is appropriate for the medication that your cat is taking. If this does not work, contact your veterinarian to see if a liquid formulation can be prescribed.
“Do not give your cat any medications other than those prescribed by your veterinarian.”
Do not give your cat any medications other than those prescribed by your veterinarian. Never give your cat over the counter medications unless specifically instructed by your veterinarian, who will tell you the exact dose needed by your cat.
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What Changes In Sociability Or Energy Level Would Indicate That My Cat Might Be Sick
Sick cats usually become withdrawn and may hide, although this does depend on the personality of the individual cat. Some cats become more clingy or demanding of attention, while others just become cranky.
As a general rule, cats that are sick will have lower energy levels. The only thing you may notice is that your cat sleeps more, does not play as much, or is restless. With some diseases, especially hyperthyroidism, your cats energy level may actually seem to increase to the point of hyperactivity. Cats with hyperthyroidism often are restless at night and may suddenly begin howling or waking family members up.
“As a general rule, cats that are sick will have lower energy levels.”
Cats with arthritis or other joint problems may have difficulty moving around and may no longer jump up on furniture or counters, or may change the way they jump onto higher surfaces. If your cat suddenly is unable to use its back legs, she should be seen by your veterinarian immediately.
Is He Regurgitating Or Vomiting
If your cat regurgitates food soon after eating, he may have a problem. Vomiting food after its been in the stomach can indicate poisoning, blockage or a host of other problems. If your cat vomits for more than a few hours or vomits repeatedly for more than a day, she probably needs to see a vet. And if any vomiting episode is accompanied by lethargy, diarrhea or reluctance to move, you should seek medical attention. When in doubt, it is always better to call the vet instead of waiting to see what will happen.
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What Changes Would I See In Overall Appearance
Cats that are not feeling well may just look a little off. The cat might sit in a hunched position, might not move as gracefully as before, might not lift its head properly, might have a head tilt, or might carry its tail in a different way than normal. Sometimes there is not any one thing that stands out, but instead a variety of subtle changes.
Dehydration is a common problem in cats that are not well. To see if your cat is dehydrated, gently grasp her skin near her shoulder blades, pull it up and away from her body, then let go. The skin should snap back into place right away skin that does not snap back into place, but stays tented up usually indicates dehydration, a condition that needs to be treated right away.
Cats that have some sort of chronic illness may develop slow and subtle weight loss that is only obvious when you actually run your hands along the ribs and spine. Cats that suddenly lose weight, particularly if they were previously overweight, are usually suffering from some sort of metabolic disease such as diabetes or hyperthyroidism.
What Changes Should I Look For In Breathing
Breathing difficulty such as shallow breathing, mouth breathing, or panting may indicate a problem with the airways or lungs. Cats with breathing problems often will have their head and neck extended or may be unable to sleep in a normal position. Repeated bouts of sneezing or coughing are signs of health issues.
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Symptoms Of Health Issues In Cats
In order to help you to recognize symptoms of illness in your cat, here are a few symptoms that indicate your cat is feeling unwell and may need veterinary care.
Repeated vomiting
- There are a host of reasons why your cat may vomit, ranging from eating grass or spoiled food to more serious issues of bacterial or viral infections. If your cat is having multiple bouts of vomiting over the course of 24 hours it may be best to head to the vet. Severe or chronic vomiting can lead to secondary problems, such as dehydration and electrolyte imbalances. Serious health concerns that may cause chronic or severe vomiting in cats include intestinal obstruction from a foreign body, liver disease, or thyroid disease.
Diarrhea
- Every pet parent needs to know that ongoing bouts of diarrhea can easily lead to dehydration, which can be fatal. If your cat has diarrhea for more than 24 hours contact your vet for further advice. While diarrhea may be caused by something as simple as a change in diet, other causes of ongoing diarrhea include inflammatory bowel disease, colitis, intestinal parasites, cancer and hyperthyroidism.
Litterbox Issues
- If your cat has always been good about using the litter box when they need to go, then suddenly begins making messes around the house, there’s very likely a problem. A few of the health concerns that can lead to litter box issues include urinary tract infections and kidney disease.
Weight Changes
Increased Thirst
Breathing Issues
Discharge from Eyes
Determine The Underlying Cause Of Inappetence
The first step in getting your sick cat to eat is to determine the underlying cause of your cats sickness. I recommend taking your cat to the vet if they have missed more than 1 or 2 meals. Your veterinarian can determine and treat the underlying cause of your cats illness which will get your cat on the road to recovery faster. If you do not address the underlying illness, your sick cat will probably not get better.
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Pets Can Share Diseases With Humans
Different animals get different diseases but sometimes they can spread from species to species. When a disease spreads from a pet to a human or vice versa it is called a zoonotic disease. If you have certain types of illnesses, it is possible that you may pass the sickness on to your pet.
What Can I Catch From My Dog
Anyone whos watched their dog go through a bout of diarrhea or the sniffles has probably wondered if they, too, were at risk of getting sick. So, can you get sick from your dog? The answer is yes. There are a number of diseases you can contract from your pet, and they are known broadly as zoonotic diseases. The word zoonotic is used to designate any disease that is transmitted from animals to humans. The best known and most feared example of a zoonotic disease is rabies. Other common zoonotic diseases in dogs include:
- Ringworm
- Harvest mites
Yikes! Is my dog really that risky?Now for the good news: although its possible to catch a zoonotic disease thats been bothering your pup, its not likely. That being said, your chance of contracting a zoonotic illness does increase if you have a compromised immune system due to a pre-existing disease or medical condition. Examples include:
- Persons infected with HIV or suffering from AIDS
- Pregnant women
- Patients being treated with chemotherapy or radiation therapy
- Elderly people
- People with chronic diseases or congenital immune system deficiency
- People who have received organ/bone marrow transplants
Prevention
The best way to reduce or eliminated your risk of contracting zoonotic diseases from your dog is simple and boils down to hygiene and common sense. Here are some more specific suggestions:
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Some Of The Signs That Your Cat Isn’t Grooming Themselves As Well As They Usually Do Are As Follows:
- A greasy, unkempt coat
- The coat may appear less shiny
- An increase in dandruff
In many instances, there is not just one change that stands out. Rather, there are several subtle changes. Keep a close eye on your cat, and consult with their veterinarian if you begin noticing changes in their appearance.
How To Tell If Your Cat Is Sick
Cats are cunning creatures. Most are not known for showing their emotions, which can make it tough for caring pet owners to tell if their cat isnt feeling well. Here are signs and symptoms you should look for to determine if your cat is indeed sick and at what point you should see a veterinarian.
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What Diseases Cause Sneezing And Coughing In Pets
Just because the common cold can’t be passed to your exotic pet doesn’t mean that they can’t cough and sneeze for other reasons.
Similar symptoms of the cold may show up in a pet that isn’t the cold but may be influenza, bordatella, or another type of respiratory infection. None of these symptoms or diseases should be ignored though. We may not always seek medical treatment for our sniffles but if your exotic pet starts to act like they’ve caught a cold you should definitely get them to an exotic pet veterinarian near you and keep them warm. Radiographs , bacterial cultures, cytology, or other testing may be recommended but antibiotics are most likely needed.
Ferrets. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2020
Is My Cat Sick Here Are Some Symptoms To Look For
According to the American Pet Products Association, there 78 million dogs and 86 million cats are owned in the United States. But did you know that veterinarians often see more dogs than they do cats?
It happens all too often by the time an owner realizes their cat is sick, the cat is VERY sick. Cats tend to hide their illnesses, or sometimes they even hide from us altogether!
Cats are very smart, indigenous, stoic creatures that tend to show little emotion to injury or illness, however, there are 8 signs/symptoms that you can look out to determine your pet is sick and is need of medical attention.
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Caring For Your Sick Cat
Sick cats should be kept indoors with a litter tray if they are allowed to roam free they may not come back! Never give your cat your own medications many are poisonous to cats. If your pet is ill, always consult your vet. The following information is intended only to assist you in caring for an animal that is undergoing veterinary treatment.
What to do if your cat is being sick or has diarrhoea
In young or elderly cats the risk of dehydration is greater and tummy upsets can be very dangerous. Consult a vet as soon as possible. Any pet that has been vomiting for more than 24 hours should see a vet. If your pet is vomiting and unable to keep food down, you can try missing one meal, although still allow access to water. Then, offer a teaspoonful of boiled skinned chicken or white fish, such as cod or coley. If this is tolerated, give a little more after two hours. Keep this diet going for a couple of days, then gradually mix with normal food. For pets with diarrhoea don’t skip a meal, but feed as outlined above. Consult your vet if diarrhoea persists for more than two days or if your pet seems dull or weak and does not want to eat.
Symptoms Not To Sneeze At
If you notice your kitten has discharge coming from her eyes or nose, is sneezing, or is breathing heavily, she may have an upper respiratory infection. In many cases some simple antibiotics from your vet will resolve the problem if they suspect that the infection is anything other than viral. However, your vet may recommend doing some blood work to rule out that the upper respiratory infection is not linked to a more serious underlying problem like feline leukemia virus or feline immunodeficiency virus , writes Pet Health Network. Although an upper respiratory issue may seem like something that you could treat at home, it is crucial that kittens with eye or lung symptoms see a vet as soon as possible.
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Dog Colds: Can Dogs Get Colds
Luckily, your furry friend is more than welcome to help nurse you back to health if youve got a cold. Dogs can absolutely get colds, but the kind of cold that infects dogs and the kind of cold that infects humans are two entirely different strains. Therefore, if youve caught a bit of a cold, your dog will be perfectly safe to help keep you company while youre sick at home without requiring an unexpected trip to a veterinary specialty center.
However, dogs can pass colds to one another, in much the same way that humans can pass colds back and forth. If your dog has a cold, be careful and limit their contact with other dogs until a few days after theyre back to full health. That way you can make sure your friends and familys dogs dont catch a cold as well.
Do You Need To Stay Away
If youre a dog parent, you probably spend a lot of time trying to make your dog feel better whenever hes sick. But have you ever wondered if you could catch an illness by being around your sick dog?
While there are some illnesses that can spread from dogs to people , your risk of getting sick is fortunately low if you generally keep your dog healthy and follow some simple safety tips.
The Dodo spoke to Dr. Erica Irish, a veterinarian at All Care Animal Hospital, to find out what you need to know about catching diseases from your dog and how to prevent it.
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A Sudden Dietary Change Can Cause Illness In Your Cat
When you have the luxury of time, you can slowly transition your four-legged family member to a new cat food. Maybe Mr. Tribble started out on a dry food diet, with no canned food at all. Once your vet explained the importance of canned food to your cat’s health, she taught you that cats aren’t great water drinkers. Because of this, some cats are more prone to developing urinary crystals and even kidney problems. Canned foods are an important part of keeping your feline healthy.
Your Cat = A Creature of Habit Kittens get used to eating a certain type and possibly even brand of cat food. While you may worry that your cat might get bored eating the same type of food day in and day out, he doesn’t care about this. He’s used to what he’s used to–period, end of story.
If you try to change him from dry to wet, you will pay! Or, if you try to change from one brand to another, he may be able to detect those minute differences in taste. It’s difficult, though not impossible to get him to make the change. Just stock up on your usual stores of patience. You’ll need every single bit of that virtue.
Once he’s reliably eating scheduled meals, begin mixing a small quantity of the new food into his old food. All together, the new and old foods should equal his usual food portion. By removing all his food once he’s done, you’re trying to make him hungry enough that he’ll actually give the new stuff a chance.
A good rule of thumb in making the change is to follow this schedule:
º Vomiting
Dog Flu: Can Dogs Get The Flu
Unfortunately, if youve caught the flu, you wont be quite as lucky. Dogs can catch and develop the dog flu from their humans, and they can pass the flu to humans as well. Because humans and dogs are able to pass the flu back and forth, youll need to take extra care to not spread the infection. Be careful when feeding or giving water to your dog wash your hands any time you refill either dish. Additionally, make sure your dog doesnt get into any used tissues or anything that might make them develop the dog flu.
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