Seven signs your cat might be sick: changes in eating or drinking, poor grooming, excessive urination, vomiting, weight loss, and low energy. If you notice any of these, see a vet.
Hello and welcome to Happy Pets and Families. Today we're going to talk about seven key things you need to look for to know if your cat is healthy Sharing your life with a cat can be great, but it does have a small drawback. Cats often hide to try to avoid you noticing when they're sick. If you have a cat, you've probably noticed that when they come home from the vet or something happens that's out of their control, their natural tactic for protecting themselves is to hide. On one occasion, the family of a kitten told me that their little one went missing. They lived in a large house and had been looking for her for a few days. Three days later, they found her behind a piece of furniture where she had gone to hide. When they brought her to the clinic, we noticed that she was seriously ill and that's when we were able to start treating her. What things should you look for to know if your cat is healthy? How much food does she eat? The amount of food she eats is a very reliable indicator of whether your cat is in optimal health. Cats should eat frequently. They cannot go too long without food. A cat that has been fasting for several days may begin to show signs of an altered metabolic state. This is triggered after several days of prolonged fasting. The cat no longer has energy and has to start burning its own fat. This massive burning of fat leads to liver degeneration. What causes can make your cat stop eating? Cats lose their appetite in almost any stressful situation. We usually have to check if their mouth is healthy because it is one of the areas where infections that cause the cat to stop eating are usually located. Other diseases such as kidney problems, cause the cat to stop eating. You must pay close attention because it may seem like the cat is eating, but it really is not, especially if you live with more than one cat because the other cat may be eating the food of the sick cat. You will see that it approaches the food bowl and tries to eat. But if you observe it for a while, you will see that it hardly eats any food. This case occurs almost every day in the clinic. I have just seen a case in which the kitten had stopped eating, is extremely thin and its skin has turned yellow. Normally, these types of cases do not evolve favorably. Do you control how much water your cat drinks? A cat's daily water consumption is difficult to quantify because felines tend to drink from sources that are always running and clean, such as flower pot dishes, shower water, or sometimes even from the tap. So when is it a problem if your cat drinks too much water? When the amount of water you have observed your cat drinking changes over time and becomes much higher than it used to. It may be due to a kidney problem or it may also be due to diabetes. If you have any doubts about whether your cat is drinking a lot of water, you should see a veterinarian who will tell you how to measure it to see if it is properly hydrated. Sometimes the owner comes to the doctor because their cat is drinking less than they expected. In these cases, we need to carefully review their diet because if you increase the amount of wet food they eat, they will likely consume less water. When I talk about wet food, I am referring to food that is found in cans and which usually has a higher water content. So don't worry. The water that your cat is not drinking in liquid form is being taken directly from their food. If you want to help your cat's kidney health, you should try to ensure that your cat drinks enough water. What I usually recommend is giving your cat a daily dose of wet food or providing a water dispenser. These types of gadgets are not very expensive and greatly encourage your cat to drink water. Your Cat Grooms its Fur we all know how flirtatious cats can be. They are animals that love to wash and groom their fur. This is a sign of good health. If you see that a cat is not grooming its fur, it may be because it is in pain and therefore cannot move properly, or it may be very depressed and does not want to do any physical activity. Pay attention to the number of times your cat urinates. Frequent urination by a cat can be due to infections in its bladder. You will notice that the cat goes to its litter box frequently and urinates less than usual. If your cat urinates more and you have to change the litter much more often than you did before, it may be due to a problem with its kidney function. A cat's kidney function is essential because felines often suffer from kidney diseases, so always keep this in mind. Be careful. If your cat goes to the litter box a lot and doesn't urinate, this is a sign of urinary obstruction which is usually caused by kidney and bladder stones. If your cat exhibits this behavior, you should urgently see your veterinarian. Your cat is vomiting Whenever an animal vomits, it is a sign of poor health. Normally, if the animal vomits or if it cleans its stomach, which may be the case, it is because there's already discomfort in the stomach. There are very common diseases that cause vomiting, such as liver or kidney problems, as well as gastrointestinal problems. The presence of hairballs or foreign bodies in the stomach or intestines can cause intestinal or stomach obstruction, which can lead to vomiting. In the case of foreign bodies, not so much hairballs. An X ray or ultrasound is usually required. Don't forget that poisoning can also cause vomiting. On the channel, we've already talked about toxic plants that can affect your cat's health. If you want more information on the subject, you can go to the video that we've left the link to in the description box to find out more. Another thing you should keep in mind is if your cat is losing weight. When a cat loses weight in an alarming way, that is when it loses a large amount of weight in a very short time, it usually indicates a serious illness. The owner usually notices this because when petting their cat, they can see the prominence of the spine and other bones in the body. It could be due to hormonal problems such as hyperthyroidism, or to chronic problems, kidney problems, or even undiagnosed diabetes. Last week, a kitten came to the clinic that had lost weight and the owner hadn't given it much importance. When I examined her, I noticed that she had a thyroid problem. This can be avoided if you see your vet. When you notice a change in your cat's weight, your cat gets enough physical activity. A decrease in physical activity can be due to heart problems, joint problems, or even systemic problems that affect your cat in a more general way. Therefore, you should pay attention to this behavior. These seven clues are a tool for you to identify problems in your cat, but don't get overwhelmed either. What you should do is observe your cat because no one knows better than you if your cat is acting strange. Cats don't have an instruction manual. When in doubt, always go to your vet because we are always here to help you. I hope you found the information in the video useful. If you liked it, give it a like, subscribe or share it with your friends because this information can help many more people. Thank you very much for following Happy Pets and Families and I'll see you in the next video.
