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5 "Silent" Cat Killers

5 "Silent" Cat Killers

Jan 17, 2023

Masood Hussain

You can check for clinical indications by becoming aware of the most prevalent silent killers. We veterinarians can treat most of these disorders as soon as the clinical indications are identified.

Chronic kidney disease

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is one of the leading causes of silent cat death (This is sometimes called chronic renal failure or chronic kidney injury). All of these words have the same semantic meaning, which effectively indicates that 75% of both kidneys are useless and not functioning. CRD's clinical symptoms include:

 

  • excessive alcohol use
  • A lot of urination
  • Litter box clots that are larger
  • Loss of weight
  • poor breath (due to toxins building up in the blood and causing ulcers in the mouth, esophagus, and stomach)
  • Lethargy
  • Hiding

Hyperthyroidism

An endocrine condition known as hyperthyroidism occurs when the thyroid gland overproduces the thyroid hormone. This occurs in middle-aged to elderly cats and can cause symptoms that are very similar to those of chronic renal disease, such as:

  • extreme thirst
  • increased urine and water intake
  • Vomiting/diarrhea
  • Loss of weight

Diabetes mellitus

Diabetes mellitus is an additional pricey, silent killer that affects cats (DM). Our cats are more likely to develop diabetes since they are frequently overweight or obese. Diabetes is characterised by either insulin resistance (Type I DM) or insufficient insulin secretion from the pancreas (Type II DM). The natural hormone insulin transports blood glucose, or sugar, into the cells. The body produces more and more glucose as a result of the cells' starvation for it, which results in hyperglycemia (high blood sugar) and many of the clinical symptoms associated with DM. The following are examples of common clinical indicators for DM, which are comparable to those for chronic renal disease and hyperthyroidism:

  • Excessive urination and thirst
  • Larger clumps in the litter box
  • An overweight or obese body condition with muscle wasting (especially over the spine or back) or weight loss
  • A decreased or ravenous appetite
  • Lethargy or weakness
  • Vomiting
  • Abnormal breath (e.g., acetone breath)
  • Walking abnormally (e.g., lower to the ground)

Cardiac disease

Both cat owners and vets find heart illness to be highly frustrating. This is due to the fact that, unlike dogs, cats frequently lack a heart murmur, which is a loud heart murmur that can be detected with a stethoscope and is suggestive of cardiac disease. Actually, it's thought that 50% of cats with heart illness don't have an audible heart murmur. Heart disease's physical symptoms include:

  • A heart murmur
  • An abnormal heart rhythm (e.g., an abnormal beat and rhythm)
  • A racing heart rate
  • Collapse
  • Passing out (e.g., syncope)
  • Increased respiratory rate
  • Difficulty breathing
  • Blue-tinged gums
  • Open mouth breathing
  • Acute, sudden paralysis (e.g., typically of the hind limbs)
  • Cold, painful hind limbs
  • Sudden pain
  • Sudden lameness
  • Sudden death

Cancer

We veterinarians are observing increasing cancer cases as dogs and cats live longer. Cats most frequently develop gastrointestinal cancer, which is frequently brought on by lymphosarcoma. Cancer's physical symptoms include:

  • Loss of weight
  • avoiding food
  • Vomiting \sDiarrhea
  • Having trouble breathing
  • abdominal bloating or distension
  • Weakness
  • Lethargy
  • Hiding \sFever
general ill health