Common Illnesses for Cats

Cats are generally healthy creatures but like any animal, things can go wrong.  It is not always easy to detect illnesses or diseases in cats as they are very good at hiding these.  It is good practice to monitor your cat’s health, keeping an eye out for the most common complaints.  This site is for informational purposes only, therefore if you do notice anything, don’t rely upon websites or books for diagnosis and treatment, instead contact your vet immediately.  

The most common illnesses for cats are as follows:

Diabetes
This condition is on the increase (not dissimilar to humans), and tends to occur in about one quarter of one percent of cats, which is quite a high figure.  The symptoms are also very similar to those seen in human beings, for example, 5 to 20 per cent of cats have Type 1 diabetes, which requires treatment with insulin.  This may be caused by genetic pre-disposition and environmental factors, e.g. a viral infection.  Type 1 can be controlled via insulin injections.

The remainder have Type 2 (does not respond to insulin) which can be as a result of overeating or being overweight.  Type 2 can be controlled by a less starchy (carbohydrates) diet combined with hypoglycaemic drugs, given by mouth.  If your cat responds well to this treatment, then diet alone can be continued.   An obvious symptom of this is excessive thirst and urination plus you may notice that your cat’s appetite is either very good or has completely disappeared.  Other symptoms include muscle wasting, jaundice and dehydration, plus his/her coat may be in a poor condition.     

There are differing opinions as to the causes of diabetes, but one possibility is that of an increase in popularity of dry food for cats.  Dry food is convenient, which for many people is useful and time saving, but it does tend to contain a high amount of sugar which can be a trigger for diabetes.  Dry food can cause obesity and contribute to (or cause) cystitis.  

Distemper
This is an extremely serious viral disease which is also highly contagious.  It can be carried by humans (on their feet for example), which is then transferred to your cat.  It tends to be most common in kittens prior to vaccination which is why it is most important that you have your kitten immunised against this disease as soon as he/she is old enough.

This disease becomes apparent very quickly, and the progress is very short, from 3 to 5 days which can be from the first symptoms through to death.  In fact, it can be so quick that an owner may not realise in time that his/her cat is infected.   

If you cat contracts this disease, he/she will be very ill with it.  The main symptoms are high fever, vomiting and diarrhoea, dehydration; pain, severely depressed bone marrow (lowering of white blood cell count) and severe depression.  As a result of this, the bacterial infection can spread into the bloodstream, which can cause septicaemia, which is fatal.  Severe dehydration caused by vomiting and diarrhoea can also lead to death. 

Prevention is better than cure so vaccination against this disease is vital.  If however, your cat or kitten does develop this disease, intensive veterinary treatment can treat the condition though only in adult cats.  Kittens have a high death rate.  Treatment for adult cats involves fluid replacement (re-hydration), antibiotics, supplemental nourishment and occasional blood transfusions.

Feline Infectious Peritonitis (FIP)
This is caused by the feline ‘coronavirus’ and is a cat infectious peritonitis.  Peritonitis can affect humans as well, and takes the form of an inflammation of the peritoneum (thin membrane in the abdomen which keeps the internal organs in place).  However, in cats, the disease is not solely confined to the peritoneum: it can also cause an inflammation of the capillary blood vessels, which results in a loss of fluids to those tissues.  This is called ‘vasculitis’.

It is not highly contagious; in fact, one vet has stated that it is not contagious at all.  It is thought that cats suffering from FIP are infected at an early stage in life, whereupon the virus lies dormant for many months or years.  Plus, a combination of the virus and the cat’s antibodies can cause an inflammatory reaction which then damages tissues. 

There are two types of FIP – ‘wet FIP’ and ‘dry FIP’.  The symptoms are as follows:

’Wet FIP’ 

• build up of fluid in the chest lining and the abdominal cavities (includes the heart sac)
• loss of appetite
• weight loss
• listlessness
• high temperature/fever (106 degrees)
• vomiting and diarrhoea 
• dehydration 
• anaemia 
• jaundice

and an overall ‘ill’ appearance.  This form is found in young kittens and is usually fatal.      

’Dry FIP’
The symptoms early on present themselves in a very similar way to ‘Wet FIP’.   No fluid is produced, hence the name ‘Dry FIP’.  This is also known as ‘disseminated form’ and is more difficult to diagnose than ‘Wet FIP’.

• in a quarter of cases the eyes are affected.  This includes a change of colour and a reddish area on the iris.  Other affects are bleeding into the eye and a ‘cloudy’ appearance. 
• brain damage 
• liver failure
• kidney and pancreas problems 
• respiratory problems 
• lameness 
• around 10 to 20 per cent of cats also develop Feline Leukaemia Virus (FLV). 

In either case, there is no cure and cats that develop ‘Wet FIP’ or ‘Dry FIP’ will die within a few weeks.  In this situation, all vets can do is to make the cat as comfortable as possible.

Prevention is a preferred option, and there is a controversial vaccine available which is in an intranasal form.  However, this has not been rigorously tested and may place the cat at greater risk.  The jury is still out as regards the usage of this vaccine.  

Feline Immunodeficiency Virus (FIV)
This is a form of retrovirus which is contagious (but not highly contagious) to cats only.  Dogs are not affected.  It is usually transmitted through bites in cat fights which tend to involve male cats.  There is a long incubation period beforehand.  It can cause serious immune deficiency and bone marrow suppression (lowering of white blood cell count).  It can be considered to be the feline equivalent of human AIDS.

Symptoms can include fever, swelling of the lymph nodes, skin infections and anaemia.  These are prevalent in the initial stages of the disease.  In the latter stages or the chronic phase, the symptoms will include weight loss, diarrhoea, severe mouth/gum disease, loss of appetite, upper respiratory infections, urinary tract infections, ear canal infections and overall, general ill health.     

Any cat infected by FIV will die eventually.  There is no vaccine and no specific treatment, though there is some discussion about the benefits of ‘colloidal silver treatment’.
 
Again, prevention is better than cure.  Neutering an adult male cat can help as roaming ‘tom’ cats are more prone to this illness.  In general, keeping an element of control over your cat is the best option.  If you already have a cat or cats and are looking to purchase another, ensure that your existing cats are tested for FIV before the introduction of your new cat.

Feline Leukaemia Virus (FLV)
This too is a retrovirus and is extremely serious.  It is not highly contagious though it is still contagious and is the same type that causes HIV in humans.  Humans and dogs can not catch it but it can be transmitted between cats through their saliva, one cat grooming another and by a mother cat to her kitten (as an embryo) before birth.  Repeated exposure is required to transmit the virus.  

There is a long period of time between initial infection and the presentation of the symptoms; sometimes years can elapse before the symptoms make themselves known. The infection produces a range of ‘syndromes’ which include leukaemia (cancerous lymphocytes in the bloodstream) and lymphoma (cancer of the lymph nodes). 

It can also result in immune deficiency, which leads to an inability to protect the body.  There is also bone marrow suppression (platelet and white blood cell production is compromised), which has the same effect.  

Kittens born with this disease can suffer with ‘fading kitten syndrome’ which means they experience a range of illnesses which stop them from thriving.   

Treatment for this disease is poor and so the best option is prevention of this virus.  This virus can be detected by a sensitive test, plus there is a controversial vaccine.  As with Feline Immunodeficiency Virus (FIV), if you already have a cat and are looking to buy another, ensure that your existing cats are tested for FIV before you introduce your new cat into your household.

Feline Lower Urinary Tract Disease (FLUD)
This is an umbrella term which covers a wide range of lower urinary tract diseases, from mild ones such as Cystitis through to more serious ones such as total blockage.  Urinary tract problems are very common in cats, and have been on the increase recently, which may have coincided with the introduction of ‘dry’ cat food.  Dry cat food can cause alkaline urine and crystal formation and it also requires cats to drink more water which they often don’t.

One such example of urinary tract diseases is a blockage in the urethra or bladder which can cause a bacterial infection (Urinary Tract Infection or Inflammation - UTI).  This is due to the immobile urine being a good medium for bacteria to multiply.  The blockage is often caused by the formation of crystals and stones.  This infection can present itself as Cystitis (bladder information), and can lead to kidney failure, and be fatal.    

The blockage may be caused by diet, such as the popularity of dry cat food.  This food contains magnesium, which takes the form of crystals, and alkaline.  Changing to ‘Wet’ cat food such as watery fish may be the answer. 

Hyperthyroidism
This is a disease of the endocrine system and tends to mainly affect older cats, usually around the age of 13.  What happens is that the thyroid gland produces too much thyroxine and tri-oidothyronine in an unregulated manner.   The reason for this is likely to be the presence of a tumour in the gland though in 98 per cent of cases the tumours are benign (or non-cancerous).  

The main symptoms of this are an increase in the cat’s metabolism.  This will cause excessive weight loss as well as an increased appetite.  The cat will tend to groom itself less and so will look untidy.  Other symptoms include hyperactivity, nervousness, vomiting and diarrhoea and panting.  Increased thirst and urination may also be present.  As the symptoms are similar, this disease can be confused with renal disease.

Treatment for this disease involves surgical removal of the thyroid gland, radioactive iodine and anti-thyroid medication.

Upper Respiratory Infection (URI)
This is in effect, a range of infections which are caused by one of four viruses, two of these being mild and two are severe.  These viruses are:

• pneumonitis (mild)
• reovirus (mild)
• calicivirus (severe)
• rhinotracheitis (RHV - severe) – feline herpes

The main signs of this infection are sneezing, runny nose and eyes (similar to a human cold).  Of the two mild viruses, pneumonitis is a milder infection than reovirus.  Reovirus tends to lead to a mild fever. 

Antibiotics are administered as a protection against secondary or bacterial infection.  Eye drops are also given.

It is important to note that this infection (flu-like) can not be transmitted to humans.  The severe forms of the infection result in a high fever and extremely thick nasal and eye discharges.  There may be open sores and ulcers on the mouth, plus RHV can cause the cornea to become ulcerated.  It can also cause ulceration in the cornea (front of the eye).

The cat’s sense of smell diminishes, which when combined with the ulcers, leads to under eating and subsequent weight loss.  As a result of this, dehydration and weakness follow which then cause the cat to become even more ill.  The lymph nodes under the chin tend to swell.  The severe forms of infection can be carried after recovery and so transmitted to other cats.

This is far more serious than the cat version of a common cold and it can be fatal, especially in young cats and kittens.  Secondary infections can also occur.  There is a distinction between ‘cat colds’ and the more severe bacterial infections. 

As with many of these diseases, prevention is better than cure and so vaccination against these infections is recommended.

Other lesser known illnesses include constipation, dementia, anaemia and asthma.  Cats are also prone to parasites such as cat ringworm and can suffer from skin rashes which may be due to environmental factors or a defective immune system.