Upper Respiratory Infections: Out core vaccines help to prevent upper respiratory infections in our feline friends but kittens are often infected prior to receiving their first vaccines. Kittens infected with these viruses often develop upper respiratory infections and eye infections. Some kittens recover from the viruses without needing treatment. Please call us immediately if your kitten is sick and stops eating and drinking as this may indicate your kitten has a more serious infection.
Ear Mites: Ear mites are a very common problem in young kittens. These parasites cause severe itching and debris accumulation inside the bladder, which causes the affected cat to frequent the litter box and strain while there. Some cats also develop very bloody urine. In severe cases, the inflammation, blood clots and debris that are contained in the bladder can cause the urethra to become blocked. If this happens it is a life threatening condition and your cat needs to be seen immediately. There is no cure for this condition but it can be controlled with diet and medication.
Diabetes: Diabetes is becoming more common in cats for the same reasons that it is becoming more common in humans: too much food and not enough exercise. Many cats now live indoors only and eat dry food in uncontrolled portions. It is important to stimulate your cat to exercise and limit his or her access to food so that your cat will not become overweight. Most indoor cats need no more than 2/3 of a cup of food daily to maintain their weight. The food can be split into 2 to 3 meals during the day so that your cat does not become too hungry between meals. Feeding canned or low carbohydrate dry food may also help further decrease the risk of developing diabetes. If your cat begins to drink or urinate excessively and lose weight despite a good or excessive appetite he or she may be developing diabetes and we should do blood work to evaluate your cat.
