Cats are ideal pets. They will curl up beside you and have fun playing with you. The best way to spend many memorable years with your cat is by being aware of the various diseases that may put its life in danger such as those that may affect its pulmonary system.
One of the most common, especially when your cat has just been brought home from the pet store or given by a friend, is called URI or upper respiratory disease. A symptom is if the cat sneezes frequently, has teary eyes and a crusty nose.Several organisms have been known to cause this. The first is called a Rhinotracheitis which is a virus associated with herpes. It is also possible that this came from the Chlamydia psittaci and the Calicivirus.
Kittens Cats
There are other threats aside from those mentioned. The good news is that this illness cannot be contracted by humans and is not that serious because it will go away in a few weeks after the cat has adjusted to the new environment. Despite that, you should still be concerned because you do not know yet the type of virus that is causing the symptoms. Bordetella or mycoplasma could be the culprit and this may spread to those who have dogs at home too so caution must be exercised.
The new addition to the family should be given plenty of fluids. Although cats in general love milk, they should be given water instead. Some vets also recommend giving it some multivitamins. Eye ointment can help clear the eyes and mouth enabling it to see and breathe properly.
A small number of cats that have this type of pulmonary disease will lapse into a chronic state. This means it could happen again the future since this will stay for the remainder of the cat's life. The cat owner should be ready when this happens. The use of anti-viral drugs like those that have acyclovir, lysine, tetracycline and Vitamin A are proven to be effective.
Veterinarians at one point recommended that cats should be vaccinated annually to prevent this disease from occurring. Recent studies have shown that it is safe to be give this every two or three years instead.
The cat may also suffer from asthma. This can happen if the kitten is sensitive to its surroundings like those coming from pollen, dust, molds and other pollutants. Vets will be able to confirm this through a blood test and a chest radiograph. The chest radiograph is like an x-ray because it gives a picture of how the lungs are doing.
There was a time that antihistamines and bronchodilators were used to treat this problem. But the best way is to give the cat some steroids orally or injecting this into the feline's bloodstream.
The pulmonary diseases mentioned are irreversible. This will continue as long as the cat lives so pet owners have to do what is necessary to catch it before things get worse.
Kittens and Cats- The Dangers of Pulmonary Diseases to Your Cat or Kitten