Just yesterday, the cat was fun and playful. I ran around the apartment, molested the owner and asked for a meal. And today, the pet does not look like itself. Sluggish, lethargic, refuses even his favorite goodies. What happened Could get sick? He’s home, doesn’t go anywhere.
How to find out that a cat is sick and how to treat it? Let's talk about this topic in the article.
Do you need vaccinations?
Veterinarians insist that pets should be vaccinated. Even domestic cats. And the owners are surprised: why, if the cat does not go out of the house anywhere?
Vaccination is the protection of the animal, so doctors recommend them to do it. Vaccination will save a cat or cat from a dangerous disease, and the owner - from finding an answer to the question of how to understand that the cat is sick.
And do not refer to the fact that the pet is still a homebody. Any family member can bring infection from the street. Alas, this is the truth of life. On the sole of the shoes it is quite possible to capture an infection from the street into the house.
When do vaccinations
The kitten is first vaccinated at the age of one month. The second - after 30-45 days. Most often, this is a complex that includes protection against rabies as well.
Then the vaccine is done annually. Before her, it is necessary to rid the cat of worms. They give a pill for these parasites, and after three weeks they are vaccinated.
You can often hear the question of whether it is possible to prick a cat yourself. The vaccine is sold at a pet store, and syringes are sold at a pharmacy. Why spend money on vets? Then, in order not to wonder later how to understand that the cat is sick, the signs of the disease are not clear. First, the vaccine for vaccination should be stored in the refrigerator. In pet stores, this condition is not always met. Secondly, you need to know how to stab the animal. Watch videos on this topic and prick your own animal? Suddenly something goes wrong. It’s better not to risk it, especially not knowing the right dosage.
Rabies
How to understand that the cat fell ill with rabies? Different animals show signs in different ways. Someone refuses food, becomes lethargic and sleepy. Someone on the contrary eats in crazy amounts, too active and energetic. But the most important sign is the rejection of water.
We highlight the main signs of the disease:
- Shyness and alertness. The animal begins to avoid the usual sounds, scared of them.
- Attempts to hide from prying eyes.
- On the contrary, overly affectionate behavior. The pet is constantly pestering the owner with a "request" to pet.
- Fussiness, lack of coordination.
- Refusal of food or increased appetite.
- Isolation of foam from the mouth.
- Dilated pupils.
How could a pet get infected? Most often, those cats that freely walk on the street become infected with rabies. Through the saliva of sick animals, infection occurs. If a cat is bitten by an infected cat, then it will suffer the same fate.
With a question about how to understand that the cat was sick, we figured it out. What should the owner do in this case? Alas, rabies is incurable. The animal will have to be euthanized.
Is the cat cold?
Are animals susceptible to colds? Oddly enough, yes. From a person they can hardly get infected. And if the cat had been out in the cold for a long time, it could well have caught a cold.
How to understand that a cat got a cold? As with rabies, the animal becomes lethargic. The clinical picture of the common cold in humans and cats is similar. Nasal congestion, sneezing, watery eyes, and fever are noted.
Treating a cat cold is not easy. The body independently fights the infection for a week. How can I help a pet in this fight? Support with antibiotics, but only with the permission of veterinarians.
If after a week nothing changes, the animal goes to the veterinarian.
Other diseases
How to understand that the cat is sick? There are obvious diseases: colds, cystitis, rabies, and the like. But there are those that you will not see with the naked eye. The incubation periods for different diseases are also different. If the common cold lasts for a week, then the "hidden" in rabies develops over a period of three weeks.
What diseases require emergency veterinary intervention? For example, the inability to go to the toilet. If the cat often sits down in the tray, while screaming loudly, but cannot rid the intestines of accumulations in it, this is an occasion to go with him to the veterinarian.
Diseases such as otitis media and conjunctivitis should not be left to chance. With otitis media, the animal is worried, often shakes its head, trying to shake something out of its ears. Ears can turn red and swell, the animal does not allow them to touch. If your pet has these symptoms, you should not hesitate to visit a doctor.
What to do with eye diseases? Many have heard recommendations to flush eyes with chamomile infusion or strong tea. It is better not to do this without the permission of a doctor. You can help get rid of pus, remove it from the eye with a cotton swab dipped in warm water. It is forbidden to drip anything into the eyes of the pet, to apply ointments without the permission of the doctor.
Quincke's edema
It happens that the animal was given some new product. For example, the curd of another company instead of the usual. And after a few minutes, the cat begins to furiously scratch his ears, his face swells, his eyes close. The cat begins to sneeze and cough, rushing around the apartment, trying to hide from the owner. What is fraught with such behavior? To begin with, this is an allergy to a new diet. And this can result in Quincke's edema. Everyone knows what this is dangerous for.
How to understand that a cat is sick and has an allergic reaction? About the latter is clear from the description above. If a cat has a similar reaction, urgently call a veterinary clinic. Without delay, otherwise everything can end very tragically for the animal.
Poisoning
How to understand that the cat is sick, we figured out. And how to determine the poisoning of a pet?
Diarrhea, vomiting, and general lethargy are the main symptoms. If after the cat was given something new, something like this started, then you can not do without washing the stomach. We’ll have to urgently go to the veterinary clinic.
Summarize
The purpose of the article is to tell the reader how to understand that the cat is sick. We highlight the main aspects:
- A rabies pet can become infected by walking outside. The greatest chance of getting sick is in cats that are taken to the country and released on the street in the city.
- Signs of rabies are different. From shyness and aggression to excessive need for affection and communication with the owner.
- The incubation period of the disease lasts about three weeks.
- The owner may become infected with rabies when bitten.
- If the vet has diagnosed rabies, the cat will have to be euthanized.
- A cat's cold is like a human disease.
- The pet begins to cough, sneeze, he has snot.
- The body fights the infection for about a week.
- The cat's temperature rises.
- These animals rarely catch a cold, but it is difficult to cure them of a cold.
- With Quincke's edema and poisoning, an urgent intervention by a veterinarian is necessary.
Conclusion
The goal is achieved - the reader now knows how to understand if the cat is sick, which diseases are the most dangerous. Rabies is one of them.
In addition, the article described what Quincke's edema is, as it manifests itself. What measures should be taken if the animal has signs of an allergic reaction.
What to do in case of poisoning, how to help your pet, where to call - this is described in the article.
Summing up, I would like to note that cats need treatment no less than the owners. They cannot take measures on their own, unlike people and are completely dependent on their owners. Do not start the disease and think that it itself will pass. Alas, this is not so.