Diagnosing Sick Cats

If a cat owners notice changes in physical health or behavior in their cats, they should observe the cat to try to determine what is causing these changes. To properly diagnose sick cats, the cat owner needs to take the cat to a veterinarian. However, a cat owner can help by observing the cat’s behavior and looking for potential causes.

Some symptoms require immediate veterinary care. Vomiting, paralysis, inability to urinate, excessive bleeding, loss of consciousness, refusal to eat, or any drastic changes in behavior should be considered a veterinary emergency. Drastic changes in behavior, such as a docile cat becoming extremely agitated and not allowing physical contact could be a sign of serious injury. In cases when there are changes in the cat’s movement, behavior, or temperament, the cat owner should seek veterinary care to diagnose a sick cat.

If a cat is limping or not moving like it usually would, the cat owner should look for any signs of injury. Cat owners can use a first aid kit to treat a small flesh wound that is not deep or bleeding. Even if a cat owner notices and treats a wound, the cat owner should take the cat to the veterinarian in case there are any internal injuries that are not readily apparent. Also, the cat owner should be aware of the risk of infection and take the cat to the veterinarian if there is any redness, discharge, fever, or any other signs of infection.

Cat owners should avoid the temptation to diagnose a sick cat. Even if the symptoms seem to point to one cause, this conclusion could be wrong. Many symptoms can be part of numerous diseases or conditions. For example, a cat owner may translate a lack of ability of a cat to urinate as sign of a urinary tract infection.

While this condition can be common for cats, the inability to urinate can be caused by several other conditions as well. Therefore, diagnosing a sick cat correctly is best left up to a professional veterinarian who has the ability to run the appropriate test and consider different possibilities. Diagnosing sick cats is just the first concern. The cat owner should seek veterinary treatment to provide the cat with the best possible chance of recovery.