A guide to the ten most common diseases in cats, covering symptoms, how they spread, and how to prevent them. Useful for cat owners or anyone thinking about adopting.
Whether you already live with a cat or are thinking of adopting one, it is important to know the basic care that these animals need, as well as the possible health problems that they may develop. Like any living being, felines can also suffer from various pathologies, some more serious than others. And in this new video by Animal Expert, we will talk about 10 diseases and other most common health problems in cats. Let's get started. It is a viral disease caused by an oncovirus, so it is a type of cancer. It is transmitted through contact with bodily fluids such as saliva, blood or urine during pregnancy or lactation. The virus affects the white blood cells of the animal's immune system, causing the cat to have fewer defenses and therefore a greater risk of contracting infections and other complications. It is one of the most serious diseases due to its ease of transmission and the damage it causes, even causing death. The symptoms of feline leukemia are very varied and depend on the general health of the animal. The most common symptoms are fever, loss of appetite, weight loss, skin lesions, gastrointestinal problems, and inflammation of the lymph nodes. This disease is caused by a parbovirus that is so somehow related to canine parbovirus. It is also known as feline distemper or infectious enteritis or gastroenteritis. It is transmitted through contact with the bodily fluids of an infected cat. Its most common symptoms are fever and later hypothermia, vomiting, diarrhea, depression, weakness, dehydration and anorexia. In addition, when performing a blood test, we discover a significant drop in white blood cells. This disease is fatal, and that is why we must quickly separate any cat that we know is sick from others that may still be healthy. In this case, the virus that causes this disease is a herpes virus. The virus lodges in the respiratory tract, causing infections in the respiratory system. Between 45 and 50% of respiratory diseases in felines are caused by this virus. Symptoms include fever, sneezing, runny nose, conjunctivitis, tearing, and even corneal ulcers. It is spread through contact with fluids such as nasal secretions and saliva. There is no specific treatment for this disease, so its symptoms are treated. Felines that recover become carriers since they no longer suffer from symptoms, but they continue to harbor the virus and can infect other individuals. It is a highly contagious respiratory disease. Common among colonies of stray cats are cats that live in large groups. Symptoms include sneezing, fever, excessive salivation, and in some cases, ulcers and blisters in the mouth and tongue. The affected animal that manages to overcome the disease will remain a carrier for life and will therefore be able to spread it. Both the herpes virus and the feline paresivirus can cause feline flu. The most common symptoms of this respiratory disease are usually fever, sneezing, nasal and eye discharge, loss of appetite, cough, depression, mouth breathing, excessive salivation, and in some cases, mouth ulcers. This respiratory disease is caused by a bacteria that generates a series of infections known as chlamydiosis. It is transmitted by direct contact with bodily fluids and secretions. It is not a fatal disease in itself, but to avoid complications that can end the animal's life, we must go to the vet as soon as possible to begin treatment. The symptoms of feline pneumonitis are excessive tearing, conjunctivitis, red and sore eyelids, abundant eye discharge that may be yellowish or greenish. In addition, there is sneezing, fever, cough, nasal mucus, and loss of appetite. This disease is commonly known as feline aids. It is usually transmitted in fights and during reproduction. Since it occurs through a hard bite from one sick cat to another, symptoms that lead us to suspect this disease are an absolute depression of the immune system and secondary opportunistic diseases. These secondary diseases are usually the ones that ultimately cause the death of the cat. Work is underway to find a reliable vaccine, but some cats develop resistance to this disease by being in contact with already sick cats. The virus that causes the disease is a coronavirus that affects young cats more and occasionally older ones. It is mainly transmitted through the feces of infected cats, since when a healthy cat sniffs them, the virus enters through the respiratory tract. The most notable symptoms are fever, anorexia, an increase in abdominal volume, and accumulation of fluid in it. This is because the virus attacks the white blood cells, causing inflammation in the membranes of the thoracic and abdominal cavities. If it affects the pleura, it causes pleuritis, and if it affects the peritoneum, it causes peritonitis. There is a vaccination against this disease, but once contracted, there is no cure and it is fatal. This is a very common problem in domestic cats that can have serious consequences and even reduce their life expectancy. In general, sterilized cats tend to suffer from this condition more than intact cats. However, all cats can develop it if they do not follow an adequate diet or lead a sedentary lifestyle. Studies carried out to date link obesity in cats with the onset of diseases and health problems such as diabetes, respiratory failure, fatty liver, hypertension, infectious diseases of the urinary tract, or increased levels of bad cholesterol. Kidney failure is an alteration in the functions of the kidneys, being a disease that can be controlled but not cured. In general, the kidneys are responsible for filtering and eliminating harmful substances from the body through urine. And when there is a failure in the filtering system, the aforementioned kidney failure occurs. Among the best known causes that provoke its appearance, we have kidney damage due to toxins or poorly administered medications. Polycystic kidney disease common in Persian cats, which is hereditary tumors, elderly cats over 15 years old and bacteria, bacterial infections. The main symptoms of this kidney failure are loss of appetite and weight, increased thirst, increased urine volume, depression, vomiting, diarrhea, pale mucous membranes, dehydration, hair loss, bad breath and ulcers in the mouth and stomach. Can we prevent them? Most of the diseases and problems mentioned can be avoided through adequate preventive medicine based on correct vaccination and deworming. That is why it is so important to go to the vet and follow the vaccination and deworming plan established by the doctor. Likewise, at the first sign of symptoms, you should not hesitate to see a specialist. And that's it for today's video. If you liked it, give us a like. Don't forget to visit the channel to watch other very interesting videos and we'll see you in the next video. Until next time, experts.
