Translated by Nick R
No pet is free from suffering from any disease that can affect his health either mildly or severely.
Felines can contract a great number of diseases, however, here is a list of the most common ones, their causes, symptoms and how to prevent them.
Table of Contents
Diseases in the ears or ear canal
1. Otitis
Otitis is a disease that causes inflammation in the ear canal, causing pain and even loss of hearing. There are three different types of otitis:
- Otitis externa: it is the most common and also the easiest to cure. It affects the external auditory canal (from the tip of the ear to the eardrum).
- Otitis media: if otitis externa is not treated in time or effectively, it can evolve and affect the tympanic bullae, a part of the skull in which the inner ear is located.
- Otitis interna: less common than the previous ones and more difficult to cure. It affects the auditory nerve and can cause deafness and loss of balance.
Causes
There are different reasons why your pet may present otitis. It usually occurs when the feline has low defenses and in periods of the year when the temperature and humidity rise, that is, in spring or summer.
On the other hand, felines with long fur are more prone to suffer from this disease because the fur gathers a lot of dirt. In addition, they are susceptible if they have any strange agent in the ear, such as a leaf, branch or anything else that encouraged them to scratch and, therefore, generated a wound in the area.
Symptoms
Some symptoms that can help you identify otitis in your cat are:
- Shakes his head a lot.
- Tilts his head constantly to one side.
- Scratching the ear or ears.
- Reddened skin.
- Inflammation.
- Complaints of pain.
- Ear discharge.
- foul odor
- Behavioral changes.
- Hearing loss.
How to avoid the otitis?
To prevent the appearance of otitis, it’s necessary that your cat has a good hygiene to avoid collecting dirt and bacteria that can cause infections. In addition, having a proper hygiene routine will help you to be aware of any symptoms of otitis.
You can read these 9 essential tips to improve the hygiene of your dog or cat that will help you create a routine that meets your feline’s needs.
How to treat the otitis?
It’s advisable to clean your cat’s ears daily, removing all the dirt that is collected in his fur. You can use cotton or gauze and wet it with saline solution, and only clean the outer part of the ear.
Virus diseases
2. Rabies
Rabies is a zoonotic disease, which means it is also contagious to humans. It’s a viral infectious disease transmitted to all mammals. It causes encephalitis (inflammation in the brain) which is potentially fatal. According to this article from the University of the Republic in Uruguay, “almost 60,000 thousand people die each year from this infection”.
Causes
This disease is caused by a virus of the Rhabdoviridae family. It’s transmitted through contact with an infected animal, either by a bite (which is most common), scratching, or licking a wound of another animal.
Symptoms
Symptoms of infected animals include:
- Irritable and aggressive behavior.
- Fever.
- Loss of appetite.
- Excessive salivation.
- Unusual meowing.
- Vomiting.
In the final stage before death, the feline will present:
- Respiratory problems.
- Asphyxia.
- Paralysis.
- Foam on the muzzle.
- Convulsions
How to avoid rabies?
Given its contagious and highly lethal nature, it’s imperative to have our pets up to date with their vaccination schedule. This rabies vaccine is applied annually.
Also, if your feline is often outdoors, it is necessary to be aware of whether it has been involved in a fight, because the other animal could infect yours.
How to treat rabies?
There is no treatment or way to cure this disease, therefore vaccination is essential to prevent it. Also, if your cat has been infected, wrap it quickly in a towel or blanket (protecting you too) and take it to the veterinarian, if it has the vaccines up to date they will give it a booster to help fight the virus. It will stay under observation for a while.
3. Feline leukemia
Feline leukemia virus is a contagious disease that can cause neoplasms (tumors) in at least 30% of the infected felines. It affects the immune system (immunosuppression), leaving the cat vulnerable to other infectious diseases including anemia.
It’s a chronic disease, but it can be manageable; with the proper attention and care, the feline can enjoy a good quality of life. It affects cats all over the world even if they have no contact with the outdoors, although vaccination can prevent it.
Causes
According to this article called Feline leukemia virus: a current pathogen that requires attention in Colombia, feline leukemia can be transmitted in different ways. “Horizontal transmission is the most frequent” through mutual grooming, sharing space with infected animals and objects such as toys, bedding and food bowls.
In addition, infected cats “shed” the virus through secretions such as feces, saliva, tears, blood or urine.
On the other hand, “vertical transmission from mother to fetus is possible and may result in miscarriages”; approximately 20% of these cats will be born and may survive.
Symptoms
Some symptoms of this disease in a feline are:
- Fever.
- Loss of appetite and weight loss.
- Lethargy.
- Anemia.
- Inflammation of the lymph nodes.
- Skin, respiratory tract or bladder infections.
- Diarrhea.
- Coat deterioration.
How to avoid feline leukemia?
Vaccination is essential to prevent feline leukemia. It can be included in the annual general vaccination or it can be a separate vaccine. Discuss it with your veterinarian directly.
Moreover, infected cats can spread the infection to healthy cats by sharing spaces or objects. So if one feline at home tested positive for leukemia, the other cats must be properly tested.
How to treat feline leukemia?
There is no cure for feline leukemia, the only remedy is to treat the cat to give it the best quality of life. So vaccination is the best method of prevention to keep your feline healthy.
4. Feline panleukopenia
Also known as infectious enteritis, it is a disease caused by a parvovirus, which is very contagious, and can be fatal and highly morbid. They may suffer from this disease at any age, although small cats that are not yet fully vaccinated are more exposed.
Causes
It’s caused by a DNA virus of the parvovirus genus. It’s a highly resistant virus, it can survive up to one year in the environment. Felines can become infected through contact with feces or any contaminated object from an infected animal.
The virus is contracted by ingestion, meaning that the route of transmission is oral.
Symptoms
Some symptoms that the infected feline may present are:
- Vomiting.
- Dehydration.
- Fever.
- Apathy.
- Anorexia.
- Diarrhea (may be bloody).
- Anemia.
How to avoid feline panleukeponia?
The best way to prevent this disease is vaccinating your cat. The vaccination is done in the first weeks of birth until completing the whole vaccination schedule that will protect them from various diseases.
After that, the vaccination is done annually. On the other hand, it is necessary to keep infected cats away from healthy ones and avoid spreading.
5. Feline immunodeficiency
Feline immunodeficiency is a Lentivirus, also known as F.I.V. or feline AIDS as it presents similar symptoms to HIV: it affects the immune system, destroying or damaging the white blood cells.
According to this article on Cat Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome caused by F.I.V, “Most epidemiological studies show that it is male stray cats that present the highest risk of becoming infected (…) The percentage of infected is two to three times higher in males than in females and the highest incidence occurs in animals between the ages of 5 and 10 years”.
Causes
The virus is usually spread through saliva, when an infected cat bites another cat. But it can also occur in cats that share food bowls or groom each other.
However, it can also be spread from the pregnant kitty to her babies in the womb or through breast milk, although this disease usually results in premature death of the kittens or miscarriages. So it is not as likely for the infected cat to be able to give birth.
“Vertical infection is rare but perinatal infection is frequent through the nursing process of kittens, where the ingestion of infected milk has been reported as a focus of infection, as well as routine grooming processes performed by the mother to the offspring.” (Collazos, M. 2016. P. 7)
Symptoms
Symptoms are difficult to detect as they are very nonspecific and variable. In addition, some may occur due to other diseases as the immune system is weakened, however, some symptoms that can be observed are:
- Loss of appetite and weight.
- Diarrhea.
- Fever.
- Gingivitis.
- Anemia.
- Conjunctivitis.
- Skin infections.
- Convulsions.
- Miscarriages.
How to avoid feline inmunodeficiency?
For now, the best prevention is to avoid contact with infected animals and to prevent your cat from going out, since stray cats could spread the virus.
How to treat feline inmunodeficiency?
There is no specific treatment to treat this disease, what can be done is to improve the cat’s quality of life as much as possible.
6. Peritonitis
This disease is caused by feline coronavirus. Usually, this virus doesn’t cause more than some mild symptoms such as diarrhea, however, if the coronavirus mutates inside the feline, it creates FIP (Feline Infectious Peritonitis).
The felines with the disease can suffer from two things. Pyogranulomas, causing dry FIP, which mainly affects organs such as the eyes and parenchymal tissues and also the nervous system. And vasculitis, known as wet FIP, which results in fluid accumulation in the abdominal cavity and the tissue lining the lung, causing swelling and distension (Feline infectious peritonitis).
Causes
The transmission of the virus is via the oro-fecal route. This means they become infected by ingesting the virus orally, either by grooming or sharing space with the infected cat, and when it is eliminated through the feces. Between 25% to 40% of domestic cats are infected, which is more likely if they live with many other cats of the same species.
Symptoms
If the virus mutates to become FIP, the feline may present these symptoms, although they can be very diverse and vague to diagnose:
- Fever.
- Weight loss.
- Depression.
- Anorexia.
- Respiratory problems.
How to avoid peritonitis?
We can start by avoiding stressful situations for the feline, as this affects its defenses and immune system and exposes it to diseases.
On the other hand, keep your feline up to date in his deworming. And of course, maintain good hygiene, especially if several cats live together in the same place, each one must have its food bowls, its bed, its litter box, etc.
They should not share objects of daily use in order to avoid the spread of the virus.
How to treat peritonitis?
It’s an incurable and fatal disease. The treatment given to the infected animal is only to mitigate the symptoms and the euthanasia is recommended to avoid the feline’s suffering. Some medications have been tested, however, there are not enough studies to prove their effectiveness.
“(…) one approach is to use drugs that specifically inhibit viral replication, a second approach is to inhibit key aspects of the inflammatory response with substances such as Interferon (INF), and a third approach is to stimulate the non-specific immune system in the hope that it will be able to overcome the infection.” (Alarcon, G; Paludi, A and Nejamkin, P. 2016. P. 7)
Periodontal diseases
It’s a common disease in cats over 3 years. It affects the oral structure, teeth, gums, ligaments and bones. It can be classified into two categories in terms of severity.
7. Gingivitis
This infection produces inflammation and bleeding of the gums. If not treated properly, it becomes a more serious infection.
8. Periodontitis
In this case, even the tissue that supports the teeth is affected and the infection can spread to other organs such as the kidneys, liver and heart, becoming fatal.
Causes
First of all, these appear due to the bacterial plaque that forms on your pet’s teeth and produces tartar, which progresses until it reaches the gums.
Symptoms
Some symptoms of periodontal disease are:
- Bad breath
- Swollen gums.
- Bleeding gums.
- pain when chewing
- Tartar
- Loss of teeth.
- Excessive drooling.
How to avoid periodontitis?
Oral hygiene is very important for your feline. It is recommended to brush daily with toothpaste specifically for cats. There are also other products such as mouthwashes that will help you keep your pet’s teeth clean.
And, of course, a professional dental cleaning when necessary.
How to treat periodontitis?
Normally, the tartar and bacterial plaque is removed by professional cleaning under anesthesia. And of course, after this, proper care at home, such as brushing, should be performed.
Diseases in the ocular area
9. Conjunctivitis
Conjunctivitis is the inflammation of the semitransparent conjunctival membrane that covers the white area of the eye and the inside of the eyelids. The symptoms, and, overall, the disease, are exactly the same as in humans; there is burning, tearing and discharge (and other symptoms that I will explain later). This disease can occur at any age, the feline can even lose its sight if not treated in time.
Causes
Conjunctivitis may be caused by foreign bodies inside the eye, existing diseases such as respiratory problems, eye diseases such as glaucoma, allergies, bacterial or viral infections.
Chemicals: if your feline has had contact with chemical products that may have affected the eye, such as aerosols, sprays, alcohol, shampoo, etc.
External bodies: if foreign bodies (i.e. any object that doesn’t belong to that area such as a leaf, an insect, glass, etc…) are introduced into the eye that can cause trauma.
There are different types of conjunctivitis such as:
Infectious conjunctivitis: they are caused by a virus, such as feline herpesvirus, which causes a disease in the respiratory tract. These are very frequent and can affect both eyes as the infection advances, and are contagious even before symptoms appear, so if you have contact with an infected animal it is likely that your pet will contract it.
Bacterial conjunctivitis: these are highly contagious, and you’ll see a thicker discharge. An example of this type is Chlamydiosis, which is caused by a bacterium called Chlamydophila feliz.
Allergic conjunctivitis: they occur when the feline is very sensitive or allergic to various stimuli, for example, dust, mites or pollen.
Symptoms
Some symptoms that your feline may present if he has conjunctivitis are:
- Redness of the eye.
- Discharge.
- Abundant tearing.
- Itching, if you see your feline scratching his eyes.
- Difficulty opening the eyes.
How to avoid conjunctivitis?
To prevent conjunctivitis it is very important that your feline has a good hygiene in the eye area.
You can use sterile gauze and saline solution (always use products recommended by your veterinarian), and clean the external area of the eye every day, where the lint forms. It is also necessary to keep clean the resting or playing areas of your cat. Groom at least once a week their toys, bedding, blankets and cushions.
On the other hand, vaccination is essential to avoid diseases (especially viral ones) that can cause different ailments such as conjunctivitis. For example, the trivalent vaccine helps prevent eye diseases such as herpesvirus.
How to treat conjunctivitis?
Depending on the type of conjunctivitis, the veterinarian will prescribe antibiotics, creams or antivirals to treat the pathology. On the other hand, if it is due to a foreign body, it should be removed manually and sometimes with anesthesia (it should always be done by a professional to avoid further damage).
10. Glaucoma
This is a degenerative eye disease that causes vision loss. It appears because the aqueous humor (a transparent liquid that nourishes and oxygenates the cornea) accumulates in excess because the drainage is clogged, causing ocular pressure that degenerates the optic nerve and the feline’s retina.
Causes
This pathology can appear due to a previous disease, such as cataracts, uveitis or other infections that appear in the ocular area.
On the other hand, it can also appear if there is any injury or trauma that generates infection.
Symptoms
It can be difficult to identify it at the beginning since the symptoms are very general, however, some symptoms that you should take into account are:
- Behavioral changes.
- Eye sensitivity.
- Headaches, if your cat runs away from contact in that area.
- Vomiting and nausea.
- If you notice a bluish halo around the iris, or a blurred appearance of the pupil and iris.
- If your cat starts to lose his vision, you can tell if he looks out of place when walking.
How to prevent glaucoma?
To prevent it, you should make sure you keep your regular veterinary appointments and comply with the vaccination and deworming schedule that will keep your pet with good defenses.
In addition, offer them a hygienic and positive environment to stimulate their physical and mental activity, so that they have a strong immune system to fight diseases.
How to treat glaucoma?
It can be treated with laser treatment, surgery or prescription medications such as special feline drops.
11. Cataracts
This is a very frequent ocular problem. It consists in the sudden or gradual loss of transparency of the eyeball or lens (the white part of the eye), which hinders the feline’s vision. If it is not treated in time and correctly, blindness may occur.
Causes
It can be due to heredity, since, for example, some feline breeds are more predisposed to suffer from this pathology, such as the Sacred Birman and the Persian.
However, it can also appear due to an injury, a blow or foreign body that has caused damage to the eyeball and causes inflammation followed by an infection that reaches the cat’s lens.
Symptoms
The first thing you will notice if he has cataracts is a bluish-gray spot in the eye, however, these are other symptoms you can look out for:
- Walks in a strange manner, such as exaggeratedly lengthening the limbs.
- Bumping into things in the house.
- Wet and different eye color.
- Problems recognizing people.
How to avoid cataracts?
It’s advisable to visit the veterinarian periodically for general check-ups and thus act in time and adequately to treat this type of ailment.
In addition, you can clean the external area of your pet’s eyes every day to avoid dirt in that area and avoid possible infections. You can do it with gauze and saline solution every morning.
How to treat cataracts?
Surgery is the most recommended option to treat cataracts. It consists of removing the crystalline lens (which, as I explained before, is the affected part) and placing an intraocular lens in its place. On the other hand, there are also medications to treat the disease such as carnosine drops.
Dermatological diseases
12. Fungi on the skin
Fungi are living organisms, eukaryotes, which when they infest the feline and begin to feed on its tissue can cause certain diseases or anomalies called mycosis in the fur, skin or nails.
Causes
They can occur through contact with an infected animal, and even humans can contract the fungus. It can also be transmitted by objects containing them and with which the cat has contact. In addition, if you live in a warm place with high humidity, it is normal for fungi to proliferate, as they can survive in the environment for a long time (up to 2 years).
Symptoms
Some symptoms that your feline may present if it has fungus are:
- Skin lesions.
- Alopecia (loss of fur).
- Scabs.
- Inflammation.
How to avoid fungi?
To prevent fungus it is important to deworm your cat and keep its vaccination schedule up to date. It is also advisable to visit the veterinarian for a check-up at least once or twice a year.
And, of course, maintain proper hygiene of both your cat and the environment in which it lives.
How to treat fungi?
Your veterinarian will probably prescribe some topical medication (such as creams) or fungicides. On the other hand, you may also need an oral treatment (like pills) to help fight the fungus.
13. Scabies
This disease is caused by an ectoparasite (external parasite), a mite, and occurs on the feline’s skin creating itching and lesions. It’s very contagious, even for people. There are different types of mange such as:
Notoedric scabies: it’s caused by the Notoedris cati mite, and is transmitted by contact with infected animals or even objects that have had contact with the parasite. The infection is characterized by being located in a special part of the pet’s body, usually affecting the head, although it can move to other places such as the front legs.
Otodectic scabies: it’s caused by the mite Otodectes cynotis or also known as the ear mite.
Cheyletiellosis: caused by the Cheyletiella blakei mite, also known as walking dandruff.
Demodecic scabies: caused by the Demodex cati mite. It’s more common in dogs than in cats, and can be identified if scabs appear around the head.
Causes
As I said before, scabies is caused by different types of mites, which are very small ectoparasites. This skin disease is spread by contact with an infected animal, or even with objects that have had contact with the infected animal.
Symptoms
Some symptoms that you can detect in the cat are:
- Itching, your feline scratches and licks itself.
- Alopecia (hair loss), you will be able to observe bald areas where the mite has attacked.
- Wounds and scabs.
- Inflammation and reddening of the skin.
- Bad odor in the wounds.
How to avoid scabies?
To prevent this and many other diseases, it is necessary that your feline has good defenses, therefore, it is necessary to visit the veterinarian periodically for deworming and vaccination. Likewise, a quality diet and physical activity.
Good hygiene of both your cat and its environment is also recommended to avoid parasites.
How to treat scabies?
First of all, the infected animal should be isolated from other animals and humans, and the veterinarian should administer antibiotic drugs both on the skin and intravenously or orally.
14. Ringworm
Ringworm, also known as dermatophytosis, is a skin disease caused by a type of fungus called Microsporum canis. It is highly contagious and is a zoonosis, which means it can infect even humans. It can be found on the cat’s skin, coat and nails.
Causes
As I said, it is caused by a fungus. Felines with low defenses are much more prone to contract ringworm, and if they have already suffered from parasites or other diseases, this can cause dermatophytosis to appear.
It can be spread by contact with infected animals or objects.
Symptoms
If your feline has ringworm, it will show the following symptoms:
- Constant scratching and licking.
- Dry skin.
- Itching.
- Alopecia (localized hair loss).
- Scabbing.
- Bad odor.
How to avoid ringworms?
As I have said before in other diseases that I have already explained, it is necessary to keep your cat’s immune system strong, so it will be able to fight more easily against these pathologies.
On the other hand, clean the house and all your pet’s objects very well. You can even fumigate if you think the place where they live is an area of high contagion.
How to treat ringworms?
First of all, disinfect the area and objects with which the feline had contact. After that, the veterinarian should recommend a topical product to help fight ringworm, such as creams or ointments (you should always ask your veterinarian before buying any medication).
On the other hand, there are also shampoos to bathe your feline every so often to eliminate the fungus.
Renal diseases
15. Renal failure
This is a very common disease in older cats. It appears when one or both kidneys begin to fail and no longer perform their function of filtering and eliminating wastes from the blood.
Causes
It can be due to some intoxication, for example, some medication or chemical products with which he has been in contact. It can also be caused due to a fall from a great height that will cause a traumatism in the hip or bladder.
On the other hand, this disease may also be due to the cat’s age, a tumor or kidney stones.
Symptoms
The symptoms you should pay attention to when suspecting that your feline suffers from kidney failure are:
- Loss of appetite and weight loss.
- Vomiting.
- Increased water consumption and, therefore, urine.
- Weakness.
- Diarrhea.
How to avoid renal failure?
As this disease can occur at an advanced age, periodic medical check-ups are recommended in order to detect anomalies quickly and treat them in time.
How to treat renal failure?
Renal failure can be treated with a special diet to avoid damage to the kidneys and thus provide the best possible quality of life for the pet, since unfortunately the damage caused is irreversible, but the cat can be stabilized.
16. Cystitis
Cystitis is the inflammation of the urethra and bladder, causing pain during urination. In addition, if it is not treated in time and the urethra becomes obstructed, it could cause the feline’s death because it would not be able to urinate.
Causes
It can be caused by stress, bladder cancer, infections (bacterial, viral or parasitic), urinary crystals or obesity. It can also be caused by a weak immune system.
Symptoms
Some symptoms that occur in cystitis are:
- Pain when urinating.
- Blood in the urine.
- They cannot urinate well. Going several times to the sand, but pass little urine.
- Fever.
- Abdominal pain.
- Constant licking of the genital area.
How to avoid cystitis?
Apart from maintaining a healthy general environment in terms of hygiene, physical activity and good nutrition, you can spay her if she is a female to reduce the risk of cystitis.
On the other hand, you should be up to date with deworming and vaccination.
How to treat cystitis?
Depending on the cause, you can give certain antibiotics, painkillers, reduce the cat’s weight or surgical treatments in severe cases. However, the veterinarian will always make the diagnosis and then the appropriate treatment.
Blood diseases
17. Diabetes mellitus
Diabetes mellitus is a common disease in overweight cats or cats over 6 years of age. The diabetes hinders the use of sugar as a source of energy since it doesn’t properly regulate the sugar (glucose) level in the blood.
It causes different clinical signs depending on the severity or how advanced the disease is, there could be a ketoacidosis in which acids that create anorexia, nausea and general weakness are produced. On the other hand, hyperosmolar coma can also occur, causing depression, convulsions and finally the animal’s coma.
Causes
This disease usually occurs in cats due to lack of physical activity and overweight, which ends up affecting the production of insulin and its consumption.
Symptoms
Here are some symptoms caused by diabetes in the feline:
- Weight loss even in overweight cats gradually as the cells go into a “starvation state”.
- Increased food and water consumption.
- Increased urination.
- Weakness and lethargy.
- Urinary tract infections.
How to avoid Diabetes mellitus?
To prevent cat diabetes you must ensure that your cat is in good health, avoid overweight and get him to do enough physical activity.
How to treat Diabetes mellitus?
The treatment consists of injecting insulin. “(…) Diabetic cats have a relatively high chance of remission with appropriate treatment. Remission is defined as the normalization of blood glucose and fructosamine levels, along with resolution of clinical signs and glycosuria without further need for treatment, and may occur in up to 50% of cats, usually within the first 3 months of treatment” (Feline Diabetes mellitus).
Gastrointestinal diseases
18. Digestive problems
These pathologies impede the proper digestion of food for various reasons, causing various problems in the feline such as digestive tract inflammation, intestine inflammation, pancreas inflammation and infections.
Causes
They may be derived from eating damaged food, swallowing an object, intoxication with foreign plants, dehydration, internal parasites, infections, food allergies or tumors.
Symptoms
Some symptoms that your feline may present are:
- Vomiting.
- Regurgitation.
- Diarrhea.
- Weight loss.
- Lethargy and weakness.
How to avoid digestive problems?
You can prevent digestive problems by not allowing your cat to eat too fast, there are special dishes that force them to eat more slowly. On the other hand, don’t let your cat play or exercise after eating, it’s better to let him rest for 20 to 30 minutes.
An adequate and quality diet for their needs is also necessary.
How to treat digestive problems?
It depends on the reason for the digestive problem, but in many occasions a change of diet can help improve the feline’s digestion. However, it must be diagnosed in order to start a treatment.
And, of course, the deworming schedule must be up to date, since digestive problems can be caused by parasites.
Cardiac diseases
19. Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy
According to this article called Feline hypertrophic cardiomyopathy: update in diagnostic methods and drugs under study for its treatment, it is “the most common cardiac disease in cats, which can be asymptomatic, meaning that the feline will have no symptoms of the pathology (…) it can occur at any age, with a predisposition in Maine Coon and Domestico short hair breeds (…)”.
This disease is normally seen in older cats. However, it can appear in cats of any age in which the symptoms go unnoticed or can be very complex. The disease can even lead to a sudden death of the feline.
Causes
It can be a hereditary disease, and therefore, because of breed predisposition, in breeds such as Siberian, Persian, Norwegian Forest or Sphynx. Felines can also suffer from this disease if they have previously suffered from other pathologies such as hypertension, renal insufficiency or hypothyroidism, and of course, genetic disposition. That’s why the above-mentioned breeds are predisposed to the disease.
Symptoms
In many cases, it can be asymptomatic, however, in severe and advanced cases the following symptoms may occur:
- Heart failure.
- Lethargy.
- Anorexia.
- Panting.
- Breathing difficulties.
- Inactivity.
- Sudden death.
How to avoid Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy?
As it is a hereditary disease, it is recommended that cats of breeds predisposed to this pathology have regular medical check-ups to detect and treat it in time.
How to treat Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy?
“Regarding the treatment, at the moment drugs are used to improve diastolic function and decrease hypertrophy, such as calcium channel blockers (diltiazem) or beta blockers (atenolol) and amlodipine in cases of secondary hypertension. Diuretics such as furosemide are used to treat CBF.” (Correra, C. 2016)
Recommendations
Most of these diseases can be avoided by attending the veterinarian regularly for medical checkups, as well as being up to date with deworming and vaccination. The recommendation is to be constant with medical appointments to make sure your pet is in the best of health.And of course, hygiene, nutrition and physical activity are also very important for your cat to stay strong and not have a weak immune system that these diseases can take advantage of.
