Cat Health Problems

Diabetes

This is one of the cat health problems that is on the increase and a disease occurs in about one quarter of one percent of cats, quite a high figure. The symptoms are similar to those of humans. 5-20% of cats, with diabetes, have type-1 diabetes and the remainder have type-2. Type 1 needs treatment with insulin.

In type-2 diabetes prompt treatment can cure the condition. The most obvious symptom is excessive thirst and urination. You will notice this. The appetite is either very good or absent. My cat had early signs of diabetes caused by eating a dry food diet recommended by a vet. The diet also caused cystitis (or contributed to it).

Elizabeth Hodgkins DVM in her book Your Cat says that a dry cat food diet, which is high in carbohydrates is a major cause of diabetes in cats. She also says that dry cat food can cause other cat health problems such as obesity. She recommends wet cat food. Of course, raw homemade cat food with proper supplements such as Taurine is perhaps best.

Read more about:

• feline diabetes (this deals with the subject in some detail)
• Cat Diabetes Treatment – the first-hand experiences of a good person who has treated and cared for his diabetic cat “Babe”
• low carbohydrate cat food
• dry food and obesity

{return to contents}

Feline Distemper

Feline Panleukopenia. This is a serious viral disease. The virus in very contagious. The virus can be carried by humans on their feet for example. The condition is most common in kittens prior to vaccination. The cat will be very ill. The symptoms are: gastrointestinal symptoms, diarrhea, dehydration, high fever, severe depression and vomiting. The white blood cell count will be low (see a full page dedicated to feline distemper symptoms)

Bacterial invasion can take place and without proper white blood cell protection the bacterial infection can spread and infect the bloodstream leading to death. Cats can be immunized against this disease. Read about a cat rescuer’s experiences of panleuk.

FIP

This disease is caused by the feline coronavirus. It is not highly contagious (one vet says it is simply not contagious). It is thought that cats with FIP are infected early in life and the virus lies dormant for months to years. It is further believed that a combination of the virus and cat’s antibodies cause an inflammatory reaction damaging tissue.

A range of conditions result. In young kittens effusive or “wet” FIP is the more common condition. The lining of the chest and abdominal cavities become inflamed and a watery fluid builds up accompanied by fever, vomiting, anorexia and diarrhea. It is usually fatal.

In older cats the more common form of FIP is “dry”. In this from chronic granulomatous inflammation destroys an organ that has been infected. A wide range of symptoms are present including jaundice, brain swelling and more. Visible symptoms could be breathing problems, lameness and fading kitten syndrome.

The prognosis is poor as there are no specific therapies. This a one of the cat health problems for which there is a controversial vaccine.

Somali cat (long haired Abyssinian) dies of FIP

See more on Feline FIP

Update July 2010: A discussion on the prevalence of feline infectious peritonitis in specific cat breeds and a short post on Dry FIP (new window).

FIV

This is a cat retrovirus that is contagious (but not highly contagious) to cats but not dogs. The common form of transmission is through bites in cat fight, usually male cats. There is a long incubation period before symptoms are seen. FIV will kill most cats eventually. It causes serious immune deficiency and bone marrow suppression (white blood cell production). It is the cat equivalent of human AIDS.

There is no vaccine and no specific treatment. There is though some discussion about the benefits of colloidal silver treatment. A new cat should not be introduced into a household without testing for FIV in the existing cats. However, as transmission of this disease is through sex and penetrating bites the risk of transmission can be greatly controlled.

Update 19th Sept. 2010: See more on Feline Aids