Common Cat Diseases and Treatments

If you want to react quickly in case your feline gets sick, you have to be able to recognize the earliest symptoms of the most common diseases among cats. Sometimes timing is as important as providing your feline with good care and proper treatment.

Hypertension in Cats Is Treated with Semintra

Blood pressure in cats works on the same principle as in humans – systole and diastole. When the heart contracts, the systolic pressure represents the maximum amount of pressure put on the walls of the arteries. When the heart relaxes, the diastolic pressure represents the minimum amount of pressure put on the walls of arteries. Pressure in cats is measured with the help of an inflatable cuff that the veterinarian places on the cat’s wrist or ankle.

High blood pressure in cats is considered to be anything that’s above the normal rates (120mmHg/80mmHg). The earliest symptoms of hypertension in cats include sudden blindness or vision problems, changes in behaviour, lethargy, nose bleeds, heart failure and stroke-like symptoms. Hypertension is usually caused by kidney disease, thyroid disease, diabetes mellitus, gland tumour or central nervous system disease.

The most commonly prescribed and efficient medicine for hypertension in cats is Semintra. It contains telmisartan, a substance that blocks the action of the hormone angiotensin II (vasoconstrictor – constricts the blood vessels) which causes high blood pressure. Telmisartan allows the blood vessels to expand normally which, in the long term, helps prevent hypertension.

Prolonged and proper use of Semintra for cats normalizes blood pressure. The proper dosage is 2mg per kg once a day, and when the blood pressure is back in the normal range, the therapy can be terminated. Sometimes the veterinarian can lower the dosage and prolong the therapy just to keep the blood pressure from fluctuating. Usually, the blood pressure comes back to normal in about 14 days.

The most common side effects caused by Semintra Feline are vomiting, diarrhea, lethargy, poor appetite, dehydration and weight loss. If you notice these symptoms you should contact your veterinarian right away. Also, you should never give your ball of fur Semintra for cats before consulting with your vet because you can cause more harm than good with that.

Feline Diabetes and Insulin Injections

Feline diabetes is a really common condition. It usually appears in overweight or older cats. Diabetes usually appears when the body of the cat stops producing enough insulin to regulate blood sugar.

The most common symptoms of diabetes are weight loss, decreased mobility, frequent urination, drinking more water than usual and decreased ability to jump. In order to establish the condition, the veterinarian will conduct blood and urine tests. After that, the treatment can begin.

Mild forms of diabetes can be regulated with proper diet and active lifestyle but sometimes cats need to use insulin too. Insulin mimics the natural hormone that the body produces and lowers the sugar level in the blood. Usually, cats need two shots of insulin a day. With the right treatment, cats can live a long life despite having diabetes.

Cat Worms and Proper Treatment

Most cats infected with cat worms show no symptoms at all in the beginning, but once the situation starts to get serious the first symptoms are vomiting, weight loss and diarrhea. Although this condition is not life-threatening, sometimes worms can be passed onto humans too and can be the reason for serious complications. For this purpose, proper care and treatment for cats are essential.

Kittens are more prone to getting infected with worms because they drink their mother’s milk. They should be treated every 2 weeks until they are 8 weeks old and then monthly until they are 6 months. Adult cats should be treated every 1-3 months.

Your vet can recommend you start using products that are effective against several types of worms and offer great protection. Treating worms in time is important if you want to avoid further complications.

Treatment for Feline Immunodeficiency Virus (FIV)

The feline immunodeficiency virus is an infectious disease that attacks the immune system. Because of the weak immune system, the cat is more prone to get other infections. At first, cats that suffer from this disease show no symptoms but as their immune system weakens with time they’ll start to get sick more often and develop severe illnesses that need to be treated with higher doses of antibiotics than usual.

Cats can get FIV through bite wounds from an infected cat. This means that a domestic cat that has little or no contact with outdoor cats is unlikely to get infected with this virus.

Although there isn’t a cure for this virus, with proper care cats that are infected with FIV can live a normal life. Plus, this virus is not transmissible to humans so there isn’t a cause for concern.

The Best Treatment for Cancer in Cats

Usually cats suffer from lymphoma, mast cell tumour, bone cancer and squamous cell carcinoma. Cancer is a serious disease but it’s also curable if caught on time and regular veterinary check-ups can help with that. The most common symptoms of cat cancer include lumps that have an unusual size. In order to know for sure, the veterinarian will perform several tests. After that, the treatment can start.

Surgery is the most efficient cure when it comes to treating cancer in cats. With the help of the surgery, the tumour can be completely removed so that the cat can heal and recover. However, there are cases where complete removal of the tumour is impossible and the second step in these cases is chemotherapy and radiotherapy.

Radiotherapy involves the use of external beam radiation similar to X rays. The radiation is being focused on the tumour and kills the cancer cells. In order not to damage healthy cells during the process proper dosage is essential.

Chemotherapy includes the use of anti-cancer drugs that attack the tumour in different ways. Usually, cats tolerate chemotherapy well because smaller doses are administrated.

Despite proper medical therapy, a healthy diet and rest are also quite important for a cat that has cancer. That’s why you should consider getting your cat a cat bed that’ll be her new favourite sleeping spot and that will provide her with the much-needed comfort.

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