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Medical Information
Author
Originally written 1991 & updated through 1997 by Cindy
Tittle Moore. Maintained by the Fanciers website as of July 1999.
Most cats will reach about 11 or 12 years of
age. Some make it 18 and very few to 20 and beyond. Much of this will depend on
whether or not a cat is indoors or allowed outdoors. Outdoor cats average about
8 years and indoor only cats quite often reach 15 or more years of age.
As for "cat years" versus "human years", according to material provided by
the Gaines Research Center, cats will age 15 years in the first year (10 in the
first six months!) and 4 years for every year after that. Other vets will say 20
years for the first year, 4 years for each year thereafter.
Here are some highlights from
the article in CATS Magazine, April 1992, pertaining to cats with allergies.
- Cats can suffer from a wide range of allergies.
- A cat with one allergy often has others.
- 15% of all cats in the U.S. suffer from one or more allergies.
- Cats' allergies fall into several categories, each with a parallel
complaint among human allergy sufferers. Inhalant allergies are caused by
airborne articles, such as pollen, that irritate the nasal passages and lungs.
Contact alllergies manifest themselves when the cat has prolonged contact with
a substance that it just cannot tolerate. Cats have allergies to foods as well
-- not so much to the chemical preservatives but to the grains, meats and
dairy products used. Some cats react badly to certain drugs, such as
antibiotics or anesthesia.
- Flea allergy is the most common of all allergies. As cats age, their
sensitivity to flea bites increases. Prednisone (oral or injection) is
commonly used for a bad reaction.
- Between 5 & 10 percent of allergy cases are caused by food. Like
contact allergies, food allergies will show up as dermatitis and severe
itching but in some cases will also cause vomiting and diarrhea. Also, the cat
may have excessively oily skin, ear inflammation, or hair loss (which can also
be a sign of hormone imbalance).
- A food allergy doesn't show up overnight. It can take from a week to 10
years of exposure to show itself; more than 80 percent of cats with food
allergies have been eating the allergen-containing food for more than two
years.
Studies are being done to determine possible connections
between food allergies and FUS, with some success in eliminating foods and
cutting down on FUS symptoms. Results are still experimental.
Food allergies are treated with a bland, hypoallergenic diet -- rice with
boiled chicken or lamb, and distilled water is commonly used. Two weeks is the
longest it usually takes for the bland diet to work.
Causes, symptoms, and treatments of some types of allergies:
- Plants, especially oily-leafed ones, such as rubber plants, that might be
brushed against. Other contact allergens include: carpet fresheners, wool,
house dust, newsprint, cleansers and topical medications. Even the carpet
itself.
Signs of contact allergens: dermatitis, pigmentary changes or skin
eruptions. Most noticable on the chin, ears, inner thighs, abdomen, underside
of the tail, armpits and around the anus.
Skin patch tests are used to determine cause of contact allergies.
- Medications that commonly cause skin eruptions: penicillin, tetracycline,
neomycin and panleukopenia vaccine.
Each drug causes different symptoms, but the symptoms differ from cat to
cat. There is no way to predict how a cat will react.
Antihistamines or steroids may be used to eliminate symptoms (after ceasing
administration of the drug)
- Kitty litter - when new brands of litter come out, vets frequently see a
number of cats that have reactions to it. Other inhalant allergies can
include: dust from the furnace esp. when it is first turned on; cigarette
smoke; perfumes; household sprays and air freshners; pollen.
Inhalent allergies can also result in skin loss, scabbing pustules, or
ulcerated areas on the skin. This in addition to the asthmatic symptoms.
Treatment uses...antihistamines, such as chlortrimetron.. More severe cases
are treated with systemic steroids, which can have drawbacks.
See
Feline chronic renal
failure is progressive and terminal but may be managed for some time if
diagnosed early. There is an excellent web page on this disease kept at http://www.best.com/~lynxpt/, maintained
by Carol DiFiori, carol@lynxpt.vip.best.com.
Feline urinary syndrome or
FUS is the name given to a group of symptoms that occur in the cat secondary to
inflammation, irritation, and/or obstruction of the lower urinary tract (urinary
bladder, urethra, and penile urethra). A cat with FUS can exhibit one, some, or
even all of the symptoms.
FUS is NOT a specific diagnosis: there are many known and some unknown
factors that may cause or contribute to FUS. Any cause resulting in particulate
debris in the urine is capable of causing obstruction in the male cat.
Males are much more likely to get this disease than females. There is no
known means of prevention. Treatment can vary from diet to surgery. Cats usually
recover if the disease is caught in time; often the cat must be watched for any
recurrence of FUS.
May appear periodically during the life of
the cat.
- Females: straining to urinate, blood in the urine, frequent trips to the
litter box with only small amounts voided, loss of litterbox habits.
- Males: In addition to the above symptoms, small particles may lodge in the
male urethra and cause complete obstruction with the inability to pass
urine-this is a life and death situation if not treated quickly.
Obstruction usually occurs in the male cat and is most often
confined to the site where the urethra narrows as it enters the bulbourethral
gland and penis; small particles that can easily pass out of the bladder and
transverse the urethra congregate at the bottleneck of the penile urethra to
cause complete blockage. (note that the female urethra opens widely into the
vagina with no bottleneck).
Symptoms of obstruction are much more intense than those of bladder
inflammation alone; this is an emergency requiring immediate steps to relieve
the obstruction. Symptoms include:
- Frequent non-producing straining-no urine produced, discomfort, pain,
howling.
- Gentle feeling of the cats abdomen reveals a tennis ball size
structure which is the overdistended urinary bladder.
- Subsequent depression, vomiting and/or diarrhea, dehydration, loss of
appetite, uremic poisoning, and coma may develop rapidly within 24 hours.
- Death results from uremic poisoning; advanced uremic poisoning may not be
reversible even with relief of the obstruction and intensive care. Bladders
can be permanently damaged as a result.
In general: any condition that causes
stricture, malfunction, inflammation, or obstruction of the urethra. In
addition, any condition that causes inflammation, malfunction, or abnormal
anatomy of the urinary bladder.
Known causes
- Struvite crystals accompanied by red blood cells-generally caused by a
diet too high in magnesium relative to the pH of the urine.
- Fish-flavored foods tend to be worse
- The ability of a given diet to cause problems in an individual cat is
highly variable: only those cats with a history of this kind of FUS may
respond well to strictly dietary management. Many cats do not have problems
with a diet that may produce FUS in some individuals.
- Bladder stones, may occur from struvite crystals, or be secondary to
bladder infections. There are metabolic disorders (not all are understood)
that result in a higher concentration of a given mineral that can remain in
solution; hence stones are formed. Diet may greatly modify the concentration
of a given mineral in solution in the urine. Water intake may modify the
concentration of all minerals in the urine, and bacterial infection
increases the risk of stone formation.
- Anatomical abnormalities such as congenital malformations of the bladder
and/or urethra (early neutering is NOT a factor) OR acquired strictures of
the urethra and/or scarring of the bladder.
- Trauma.
- Neurolgenic problems affecting the act of urination (difficult to diagnose
except at institutions capable of urethral pressure profiles)
- Primary bacterial infection-RARE!
- Tumors (benign/malignant)
- Protein matrix plug (generally urethral obstruction of males); can be
from non-mineral protein debris, viral-based, other causes are unknown.
- Suspected or unknown factors include non-bacterial infections, toxins,
stress, and seasonal influences.
Obstruction of the male cat is
a medical emergency. The obstruction must be relieved immediately.
Failure to produce a good stream of urine after relief of obstruction is
indicative of urethral stricture and/or stones or matrex plugs. Failure of
bladder to empty after relief of obstruction suggests bladder paralysis (usually
temporary unless present prior to obstruction). In either event, a urinary
catheter must be placed to allow continual urination.
Treatment of uremic poisoning requires IV fluid therapy with monitoring of
blood levels of waste products until uremia is no longer present.
Permanent urethral damage with stricture, inability to dislodge a urethral
obstruction, or inability to prevent recurring obstructions are all indications
for perineal urethrostomy (amputation of the penis and narrow portion of the
urethra to create a female-sized opening for urination). This procedure is
usually effective in preventing reobstruction of the male cat, but this
procedure should be a last resort
If FUS is indicated without obstruction, 75 to 80% of FUS cats without
obstruction may be sucessfully managed by diet alone if urine reveals typical
crystals and red blood cells. Unobstructed male cats or non-uremic obstructed
males who have a good urine stream and bladder function after relief of an early
obstruction may be managed as above initially. Cats who are symptom-free after 7
to 10 days of dietary management and who have normal follow-up urines at 21
days, may be maintained indefinitely with dietary management only.
DL-Methionine is often prescribed for cats with FUS. Most commonly,
FUS-specific diets contain this acidifier. Antibiotics may be used. Distilled
water for FUS-prone cats is often recommended as well.
Diabetes occurs when the cat cannot
properly regulate its blood sugar level. Symptoms may include excessive thirst
and urination; it may lose weight or develop diabetes because of obesity. Older
cats are more likely to develop diabetes than younger ones.
Treatment may consist of a carefully regulated diet to keep blood sugar
levels consistent (especially if the diabetes was triggered by obesity). In most
cases, daily injections of insulin are needed. Regular vet visits are required
to determine the proper dosage. In between visits, using urine glucose test
strips available from the pharmacy helps you determine whether the dosage of
insulin is sufficient.
A bottle of Karo syrup or maple syrup kept handy is essential for bringing
the cat out of dangerously low blood sugar levels. Diabetic cats should be kept
indoors to prevent accidental feeding (and thus disturbing the regulation of
blood sugar levels).
If your cat has persistent diarrhea, take
the cat to the vet if symptoms have continued for more than 2 days. Bring a
stool sample with you and have the vet check for parasites and/or fever.
You can try changing (temporarily) the cat's diet to one or more of the
following (depending on the cat's preferences):
- boiled rice
- cottage cheese
- bread
- plain yogurt
- boiled chicken
- chicken broth
- baby food (strained meat varieties)
The emphasis on the above
being as bland as possible. No spices allowed as they tend to aggravate
the stomach. This procedure may be advisable to reduce the possibility of
dehydration from the diarrhea.
The vet may or may not prescribe medication. One-half teaspoon of kaopectate
(NOT peptobismol, it contains asprin) usually works pretty well too. The vet may
recommend withholding food for 24-48 hours to give the GI tract a rest before
starting with some bland food.
Usually diarrhea lasts only a few days. If it lasts longer than that, as long
as the cat does not have a fever, it usually does not mean anything
serious, but you must protect the cat from dehydration by making it take in
plenty of liquids.
From: Colin F. Burrows.
1991. Diarrhea in kittens and young catsi. pp. 415-418 IN J.R. August.
Consultations in Feline Internal Medicine. WB Saunders Co., Philadelphia.
Causes of acute (sudden onset) diarrhea
- Infections
- Viral
- Panleucopenia (distemper)
- Feline Leukemia Virus
- Coronavirus
- Rotavirus
- Astrovirus
- Bacterial
- Salmonella
- Campylobacter
- Escherischia coli (not documented in cats)
- Parasitic
- Roundworms
- Hookworms
- Coccidia
- Giardia
- Toxoplasma
- Diet esp. dietary change or raid on the garbage
- Toxic or drug-induced
- Acetominophen (tylenol)
- antibiotics
- Miscellaneous
- partial intestinal obstruction
Most common causes are
viral infections and dietary changes.
Causes of chronic diarrhea
- Viral and Bacterial
- FIV
- FeLeuk
- Salmonella
- Campylobacter
- Clostridium
- Parasites
- as above, except Toxoplasma
- Dietary sensitivity
- Miscellaneous
- Inflammatory Bowel Disease
- Drug Sensitivity
- Inappropriate use of antibiotics
- Bacterial overgrowth??
- Partial intestinal obstruction
- Idiopathic (no known cause)
You should enlist the help
of your vet if symptoms persist for more than a few days, or if your kitten is
weak or listless, or refuses to take fluids. Dehydration can rapidly kill a
kitten.
Please see the Feline Leukemia Virus
FAQ.
There is no vaccine for this. FIV is passed through
open wounds, such as cat bites.
This disease impairs the cat's immune system and it will often fall prey to
some other opportunistic disease. While the virus is related to HIV, it is
NOT possible to contract AIDS from a cat with FIV.
FIV-positive cats should be kept inside and away from other cats. With this
and other precautions, they may live a fairly long time. Because of their
subsceptibility to secondary infections and complications, these cats are rather
vet-intensive.
They do not often die directly from FIV, but rather one of the diseases that
they can get when their immune system is impaired. FIV appears to involve three
stages: acute (swollen lymph glands, fever, depression, bacterial infections);
latent (apparent wel being, can last months to years); and chronic (cat is
susceptible to all kinds of other viruses, fungii, and bacteria). Survival over
two years is rare.
Please see the Feline Infectious Peritonities
FAQ.
Upper
respiratory disease ("cold" or "flu"-like symptoms) is generally caused by viral
or bacterial infection. Some common causes are feline herpes virus type 1
(FHV-1); feline calicivirus (FCV); and Chlamydia psittaci (a bacteria-like
organism). In many upper respiratory infections, viral infections are
complicated with secondary bacterial infections. Also, one or more viruses may
be involved at the same time.
Vaccines for FHV-1, FCV, and Chlamydia are available and are generally given
as part of the standard kitten shot series. These vaccines protect against
systemic infection (symptoms like fever, diarrhea, pneumonia) but they do not
give such good protection against local infection of the upper respiratory tract
(symptoms like sneezing, runny eyes).
FHV-1 (previously
known as feline rhinotracheitis virus) can cause a variety of different clinical
syndromes. The most common symptom is a runny nose and sneezing (rhinitis) which
may be combined with reddened, squinting, runny eyes (conjunctivitis). FHV can
also cause corneal ulcers, oral ulcers, fever, and diarrhea. In kittens, FHV
infection can be severe. FHV is generally transmitted through direct contact or
sneezing, and may be transmitted from a mother to her kittens before they are
born.
A vet will usually prescribe a broad spectrum antibiotic to clear up
secondary bacterial infections, but there is no real cure for the viral
infection, just management of it. As in human herpes virus infection, cats may
develop a latent infection that causes virus shedding or mild recurrent attacks
when the cat is stressed. If you know your cat has had herpes virus infection,
try to keep your cat from getting stressed (when that's possible). If he is
under stress, he can begin to shed the virus again without showing any signs of
being sick himself, which means he may infect other cats. Note that FHV affects
only cats. Don't worry, you can't get herpes from your cat!
FCV can also cause a
variety of clinical syndromes similar to those caused by FHV. FCV infection is
more often associated with oral ulcers, fever, and joint pain, but may also be a
contributing factor in rhinitis, conjunctivitis, and gum disease. A vet will
usually prescribe a broad spectrum antibiotic to clear up secondary bacterial
infections, but there is no real cure for the viral infection. As with FHV, cats
may develop a latent infection and may shed virus even though they have no
symptoms. Unlike FHV, shedding is not influenced by stress.
Chlamydia is a
bacteria-like organism that inhabits mucous membranes, primarily the tissues
around the eyes (conjunctiva). Chlamydia can cause a variety of clinical
syndromes similar to those caused by viruses and other organisms. The most
common symptom is conjunctivitis, which (unlike that caused by FHV) is generally
seen in one eye at first, then spreading to both eyes. Chlamydia can also cause
rhinitis, fever, pneumonia, and diarrhea. Chlamydia infection responds well to
topical tetracycline (given as an eye ointment). It is sometimes treated with
other topical antibiotics or with systemic antibiotics (given in pill form). A
similar organism, Mycoplasma, also causes conjunctivitis and is treated with
antibiotics. Be careful to wash your hands after treating a cat with
chlamydiosis, as it is possible for humans to develop a mild form of the disease
through contact.
Cats are far more prone to
hyperthyroidism, in which too much thyroid is produced, as opposed to too little
(hypothyroidism). Symptoms include ?.
- Regular doses of Tapazol.
- Surgery to remove most of the thyroid. This is a difficult and potentially
dangerous operation (especially for an older cat), and it is not necessarily
effective. That is, it will reduce the thyroid activity, but not necessarily
stop the runaway thyroid growth--it may only reduce or delay the problem and
you'll have to give Tapazol anyway. At the other extreme, you might also end
up having to give the animal thyroid supplements...
- Radioactive Iodine treatment of thyroid. This is reported to be very
effective in solving the problem. The troubles are it is very
expensive, and it means leaving your cat at the facility where it is done for
up to two weeks (they have to monitor the cat to make sure all the
radioactivity is gone before letting it go home). Leaving a cat at a facility
where there are other cats can expose it to the health problems of the other
cats there.
Some cats vomit all the time; other cats
do so relatively rarely. Vomiting is not a sign of the same sort of distress as
it is in humans. Because they are carnivores, they need to be able to vomit
quickly and almost at will without feeling sick.
On the other hand, a cat that suddenly starts to vomit, or vomits more than
usual or in some way demonstrates a departure from its normal habits should be
checked by the vet.
Most commonly, a cat vomits because it has
hairballs. To check for this, examine the vomit carefully for small grayish
pellets or lumps (it doesn't matter what color your cat's hair is). If these are
present, then hairballs is the problem. Hairballs occur even with shorthair
cats. All cats benefit from regular brushing to help minimize shedding and
ingestion of hair. If your cat is vomiting because of hairballs, its normal
behavior is not affected. That is, it will be its usual self immediately before
and after vomiting.
To help prevent this kind of vomiting, feed your cat on a regular basis some
petroleum jelly (aka as Vaseline). If they don't like it, you can try Petromalt,
a malt-flavored petroleum jelly. Pats of butter will also work. To give it to
them, if they won't eat it of their free will, smear some on top of their paw
and they will lick it up as they clean it off. Be careful to rub it in
thoroughly, otherwise when they shake their paw, you'll have gobs of vaseline go
flying onto the walls or carpet. Give it to them daily for a few days if they've
just upchucked or are in the midst of dry heaves; go back down to a weekly dose
once they've gotten rid of existing hairballs and this should keep them hairball
free. Frequent brushing also helps; every bit of hair on the brush is less hair
in your cat's stomach.
Another common reason for vomiting is overeating, particularly dry food. The
dry food absorbs water and swells, and then they have to throw it back up. If
the vomit looks like a semi-solid tube of partially digested cat food, that's
probably what it is.
A cat may vomit when it is allergic to its food. You can check this out by
trying another brand of food with substantially different ingredients and no
food colorings.
Sometimes cats vomit when they have worms. Consult your vet for a worming
appointment.
If the vomit is white or clear, that can be one of the symptoms of
panleukopenia, feline distemper. If such vomiting occurs a coule of times over
the course of a day or night, a phone call to the vet is in order.
If cats eat something that obstructs their digestive system, they may try to
vomit it back up. If you can see some of it in their mouth, DO NOT PULL IT OUT,
especially if it is string. You may just cut up their intestines in the attempt.
Take the cat to the vet immediately.
If the cat displays other changes of behavior along with the vomiting, you
should consult the vet. Eg. listlessness, refusing food along with vomiting may
indicate poisoning.
Periodic throwing up can be a sign of an over-active thyroid. This is
particularly common in older cats. Your vet can do a blood test and find out the
thyroid level. It can also be indicative of a kidney infection: something that
your vet can also check out.
In general, as distasteful as it may be, you should examine any vomit for
indication of why the cat vomited.
Dietary problems include:
- sudden change in diet
- ingestion of foreign material (garbage, plants, etc)
- eating too rapidly
- intolerance or allergy to specific foods
Problems with drugs
include:
- specific reactions to certain drugs
- accidental overdosages
Ingestion of toxins:
- Lead, ethylene glycol, cleaning agents, herbicides, fertilizers, heavy
metals all specifically result in vomiting.
Metabolic disorders:
- diabetes mellitus
- too little or too much of certain hormones, trace elements, etc.
- renal disease
- hepatic disease
- sepsis
- acidosis
- heat stroke
Disorders of the stomach:
- obstruction (foreign body, disease or trauma)
- parasites
- assorted gastric disorders
- ulcers, polyps
Disorders of the small intestine:
- parasites
- enteritis
- intraluminal obstruction
- inflammatory bowel disease
- fungal disease
- intestinal volvulus
- paralytic ileus
Disorders of the large intestine:
- colitis
- constipation
- irritable bowel syndrome
Abdominal disorders:
- pancreatitis
- gastrinoma of the pancreas
- peritonitus (any cause including FIP)
- inflammatory liver disease
- bile duct obstruction
- steatitis
- prostatitis
- pyelonephritis
- pyometra (infection of the uterus)
- urinary obstruction
- diaphragmatic hernia
- neoplasia
Nerologic disorders:
- pain, fear, excitement, stress
- motion sickness
- inflammatory lesions
- trauma
- epilepsy
- neoplasia
Misc:
You may now have stains on the
carpet that you want to get rid of. Spot Shot, and other stain removers, work
well at removing stains. If you're having trouble with bright red or orange
stains, you may want to invest in a cat food that doesn't use dyes. That can
help considerably in reducing the stain factor.
Medical Information FAQ 