To Go Or Not To Go: When Taking Kitty To The Vet Could Be A Matter Of Life Or Death
Posted on: 14 September 2015
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Cats are good at hiding illness and injury. So good, in fact, that it can be difficult for a cat owner to determine when they are having a health emergency and must go to the veterinarian immediately. In some cases, spotting a potential problem but waiting to see if your cat gets better could be a fatal mistake. Here are four symptoms that warrant an immediate trip to the veterinarian:
1. Breathing issues.
You'd think it would be easy to tell if a cat is in respiratory distress, but again, cats are good at masking their issues. Most of the time, a cat having breathing difficulties simply looks like it is wheezing a bit. You may see your cat coughing, wheezing or what looks like panting. Sometimes the cat's sides are heaving as it tries to draw in air.
Fortunately, the two most common respiratory ailments that a cat faces are asthma and pleural effusion, a condition where the space between the lungs and chest cavity fills with fluid. Vets can identify and treat these problems relatively quickly, with few ongoing side effects.
2. Problems urinating.
A cat with a urinary obstruction can be unable to pee - a condition that is painful and that can quickly cause kidney damage. Left untreated, a urinary blockage and kidney failure can lead to a build up of minerals like potassium in the bloodstream, which can actually cause a heart attack. You definitely don't want to leave this to resolve on its own.
Male cats tend to have more problems with urinary obstructions than females do, but both sexes should go to the vet if they have trouble urinating, appear to be in pain, suddenly stop using the litter box or seem to be licking their genitals obsessively.
3. Sudden weakness or loss of motion in their hindquarters.
There is a nasty complication of heart disease in cats that's called an aortic thromboembolism (ATE) where a blood clot forms in the legs. This usually causes the cat to be unable to walk or to appear paralyzed in the back legs. The cat appears to be in pain and can't move well.
If the cat can see a vet quickly, the problem can usually be resolved, although there are obviously other heart-related issues that will require ongoing treatment.
4. Obvious lethargy.
Your cat should maintain a fairly steady level of activity. If he or she doesn't respond to stimuli like the can opener or other feeding time sounds, is unwilling to move when it's time to eat or be groomed, or doesn't interact with other pets like normal, it's reason to be concerned.
Many conditions can cause lethargy, including stroke or poisoning. If you can't figure out what's wrong with the cat, and he or she isn't eating or playing like normal, that's a sign that a vet trip is in order. Use your best judgment and err on the side of seeing a vet if you are not sure what's up with your kitty.
Many veterinarians have a 24-hour office line or leave someone on call, so if you have questions, it's wise to call and describe your cat's symptoms. It may be nothing, but a vet visit may save your cat's life, so you should read more about vet visits here.