Though cats are not as needy as dogs – they don’t need a walk, bath, or grooming – they can have health problems that require a quick trip to a Carmel, IN, vet. Since cats are pretty self-entertaining and self excercising, you may spend days where you drop the food and rush out the door without really looking at your cat. However, when these symptoms start to appear they are going to get your attention. Be ready to take your pet into the vet so that your cat can go back to lovingly, and healthily ignoring you.
Vomiting
You may have a hard time determining if your cat is extracting hairballs or throwing up. In general, a hairball will be compact while vomit will be liquid based and loose. When your cat is trying to dislodge a hairball they may make a hacking noise or be quiet. This is because their throats, while not dry, are coated in phlem to help the hairball slide out. Vomiting sounds are different than hairball sounds. Your cat may also have heavy drooling before they vomit. One session isn’t enough to rush your cat to the vet; however, several sessions can leave your cat dehydrated. Even if it is a flu or a reaction to food, vomiting can quickly dehydrate a cat. Therefore, you should get your cat to a vet if they continue to vomit. Be sure to plan for clean-up or containment in the car.
Trouble Urinating
Anytime a cat has trouble urinating you should rush them to the vet. Feline Lower Urinary Tract Disease (FLUTD) is common in cats. Just like people, a cat’s immune system can suffer if they go through a stressful situation. What is stressful for a cat? Introducing a new cat to the house, a feline friend leaving the house, moving, changes in your schedule and changes in their feeding schedule will cause stress on your pet. Some symptoms that you can watch for include, blood in their urine, urinating in strange or new areas, depressions, lack of appetite, and crying when urinating. You may also see your cat lick themselves and cry because of the pain. Vet’s are used to seeing and treating this problem. Because of their experience, you can rest assured that they will be able to help your cat heal.
Worms
All animals are susceptible to worms. Your cat can get them by walking through the neighbor’s yard, digging in the garbage, or coming into contact with an animal that has worms. While you can’t keep an eye on your cat all the time, you can watch for signs of worms. Check their skin and hair once a week. If they have a ring worm, you will see the evidence on their skin. There are worms that live inside your cat’s small intestine. They can grow longer than your cat is tall. You can’t see the tapeworm when you look at your cat but you can see the evidence that your cat has a tapeworm. Even though your cat is eating normally or eating more than usually he or she will lose weight if they have worms. If you’re really curious, then you can check their feces for worms. A Carmel IN, vet can give you the medication your cat needs. He or she will be worm free in just a few days.