Training My dog

The Feline Immunodeficiency Virus is an untreatable cat health care problem which is not uncommon in the UK since there is unfortunately no vaccine for it at the moment. The virus is passed from one cat to another through biting because saliva caries the virus, so this serious cat health care problem is more common in non castrated male cats, who are more inclined to fight.

Similar to the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV), FIV works by attacking and destroying the cat’s white blood cells. This is dangerous to the cat because the white blood cells are responsible for fighting off infection. This means that cats which have been infected by the virus are significantly more susceptible to picking up infections which will be more likely to bring about complications than in healthier cats.

All cat owners should be as vigilant as possible about their pet’s cat health care, so it is wise to look out for the symptoms of FIV. Common symptoms include sneezing, the presence of discharge around the eyes or nose, raised temperature, diarrhoea, anaemia, infections of the skin, reduced appetite, swelling of the lymph glands and gum disease known as gingivitis. Pet owners do not always realise the scale of the threat to cat health care posed by FIV because infected cats can and very often do appear outwardly healthy, sometimes for many years.

At present cat health care experts have been unable to find a treatment for the virus, but secondary infections can be managed with antibiotics giving the infected cat a better quality of life. Unfortunately there is not currently a vaccine for the virus, meaning that the only real way of avoiding it is to avoid cats mixing and fighting. Because cats which have been castrated are less likely to fight, it is a good idea to ensure you cat is castrated or neutered.

As the old adage goes, you are what you eat. It might not literally be true, but nobody will deny the importance of a healthy diet: for cat health care as well as human health care. Ensuring our cats get all the nutrients they need to keep themselves in good health might be a big responsibility but it doesn’t have to be complicated if we understand a few simple rules.

Hydration is really important for both us and cats. Without access to fresh drinking water a cat can become seriously ill within a few hours. Serious cat health care problems and even death can result from dehydration.

The diet which cats require is very specific. Felines are what are known as obligate carnivores which means that they cannot live on a vegetarian diet. Cat health care problems such as malnutrition, blindness and eventually death would result from depriving a cat of a meat based diet.

Owners must take care to maintain the delicate balance of our cats’ specific diet. Giving titbits of human food may seem harmless but can have implications for cat health care. Human food is often too fatty and calorific for cats and may even poison them. Onions are an example of the foods we consume which are toxic to cats.
In the wild, cats would eat several small meals everyday and owners should try to accommodate this. Obviously, cat owners may have work commitments which mean they are unable to be at home feeding their cats frequently. This problem can be overcome by leaving dried food down for the animal to nibble on throughout the day.

Lastly, as well as diet we must think about obesity, which is one of the most common cat health care problems at the moment. Obesity can lead to heart problems, breathing problems, diabetes, arthritis and eventually death, so it must be avoided. A short haired cat is generally considered a healthy weight when its ribs can be felt but not seen. Owners must be careful to follow the serving instructions on cat food and must take the cat to a vet if they are concerned about its weight.