Cat Colds - Causes, Symptoms and Treatment

People sometimes, catching a cold, do not really pay attention to him, still continuing to go to work and live a normal life. When the cold gets too bad, they go to the doctor or they are treated at home on their own. Cats in this regard, heavyweight, they can only hope for a strong healthy immunity, helping in the fight against crept disease. Purring living at home, to deal with a cold easier - they are helped by the owners, who noticed the indisposition of the pet in time. Why cat catches cold, how to identify and cure the disease that has come - this will be discussed.

Causes for colds

Living in nature, cats rarely catch a cold (even I can say never) - the immune system is strong enough, but in apartments some circumstances loosen it.

1. The room is wet and cold. If in the house where the cat lives, damp and constant drafts - a cold to your pet is provided. The most optimal temperature for life is plus 20 degrees in the summer and at least 22 degrees in the winter.
2. Bad food. A cat that has few vitamins in its daily ration, does not have enough proteins and other necessary substances, and may also have low immunity. A high-quality full-fledged diet protects the animal from cold and other diseases.
3. Hypothermia Walking along the street, the cat can easily be in the rain. If the wool gets wet a little - it doesn’t matter, but if it gets wet so much, then thermoregulation violation occurs, and the animal very quickly freezes. Especially when seen through. And sometimes it happens - the owner redeems the cat, dries the wool badly - and it freezes and catches cold.
4. Hidden disease. Another option is quite possible that the animal suffers from some other disease that does not show visible symptoms. Feline immunity struggling with this invisible sore, not noticing the common cold.

Symptoms

Manifestations of diseases in cats are the same as in humans.Cat cold has almost identical symptoms. In case of a cold disease, a fluffy pet does not rush tirelessly around the house for days at a time - it gets tired very quickly, constantly sleeping, the fearfulness and aggression of the animal increase.

1. Snot. With a cold, snot is a normal thing. Through this mucus, the body is cleansed of dead microorganisms. When a cat has a cold, it is usually hard to breathe with one nose, so it opens its mouth slightly. Seeing that the animal breathes only through the mouth, you should be alert - a bad symptom. Discharge from the nose should be transparent and not viscous. If their color has changed, pus has appeared - it means that this is no longer a cold. We urgently need to run to the veterinarian!
2. Cough with sneezing. Sneezing and coughing, earning a cold is common, the body is cleared of unnecessary accumulated secretions. A sneezing, but washed cat is normal, and if the face is unkempt and dirty, it means that the disease becomes harder.
3. Tearing. With a cold, the nasal mucosa is irritated, so there may be a lot of or not much tearing.
4. Missing or reduced appetite. With a cold, a cat may lose its appetite for a long time and not go to the bowl of food.However, due to the increase in temperature and dehydration of the body, he can drink a lot and constantly. You should not force a cat to eat - it knows what and when to do it. The only thing you can give is lean meat broth. If she does not have more than 32-34 hours - this is an occasion to phone and consult with a veterinarian. After hearing the visible symptoms, he will decide what to do next.
5. Redness of the mucous membrane. This symptom may not be observed, especially in mongrel cats. Often the redness of the eyelid mucosa speaks of increased blood pressure.
6. Increased temperature. If the constant human temperature has risen, it means that he fell ill. You can't say that about cats - their temperature changes by one and a half degrees during the day - it depends on the size. Therefore, an increase in temperature can not be called a symptom. Only if it is combined with other signs.

Having noticed at least one symptom, the owner must carefully monitor the state and behavior of the pet. If there is an opportunity to immediately go to the veterinary clinic - it is better to use it immediately. After all, with early diagnosis of the disease it is easier to cure.

Home treatment

If your pet has all the above cold syndromes, you can try to treat the cat at home. Especially if it happens in the warm season and there is confidence that the cat has caught a cold from hypothermia, drafts or other natural causes, and has not caught an infection from another cat. Indeed, in the summer, spring and autumn it is not. So what to do.

1. Peace and warmth. As a rule, cats decide for themselves which place is comfortable and fit there. The owner only needs to be given a normal temperature and rest.
2. Drink. Be sure to provide your pet with plenty of drink. The best option would be warm milk. Although the animal has no appetite, it is desirable to ensure that it always has access to food.
3. Massage and heating pads. To the cat recovered faster, you can improve blood circulation and metabolism with the help of an ordinary massage. Or you can just iron it as often as possible. And if the pet is cold, then it is recommended to cover it with hot water heaters. Or thermo pads.

Such treatment at home is permissible when the cat has a runny nose and copious tears. She needs to be helped to clear the airways of the discharge, the following is done:

1. Sponge is made of cotton wool and with its help eyes and nose are cleaned from various kinds of excretions. It is better to wet sponge in water, you should not use herbal decoctions - suddenly your pet is allergic.
2. It is necessary to wash the nose. The following options are used for this: adrenaline with novocaine, tannin, ethacridine, zinc sulfate.
3. A mixture of methanol and fish oil is buried in the nose.
4. It is possible, despite the fierce resistance of the cat, poured into the nose pounded streptotsida.

It should be particularly noted that cats should be treated only with special cat medications - human medicines are not suitable for this. Moreover, many of them are dangerous for animals. There is no opportunity to go to the clinic - you can call there, but consultation with a specialist is required.

Cold prevention

1. Cats surrounded by care and attention are much less likely to get sick from any of the common cold.The tail pet, living in a comfortable environment and having a full and rich in vitamins diet, has strong immunity. Here are the rules to help reduce or eliminate the risk of a cat having a cold.
2. If the cat is wetted (in the rain or the owner bought it), then it is necessary to wrap it in a dry towel, if possible warm it up, calm it down in every possible way. When drying, the animal should be in a room with a normal temperature without drafts.
3. If a cat is a lover of a walk, then in winter (or during rains) limit it to walking, make them shorter. And it is better not to let out of the house during such periods.
4. Many get cats and do not think at all that they should be treated from worms from time to time. From this parasite is not insured, no cat, walking on the street. Removal of worms is useful in the prevention of not only colds, but also other diseases. This procedure will positively affect the condition of the cat.
5. And most importantly, what should not be forgotten by any animal owner - should be put the vaccines.

Dangerous diseases disguised as a common cold

Sometimes, it seems - the cat has just an ordinary runny nose, the owner believes that it is just a cold. In fact, it can be dangerous bad diseases. If they are incorrectly diagnosed, and continue to treat a pet for a cold, then there is a risk to greatly worsen the condition of the cat. Here are diseases like a cold:

1. Rhinotracheitis - affects the nose and eyes, proceeds in an acute form, discharge abundant and sticky. Only cats who have had the disease have immunity.
2. Inflammation of the lungs - the diagnosis can be made only after listening to the chest and radiotherapy. Mycoplasmosis and other such infections affect the urinary organs and mucous membranes of the nose and eyes.
3. Calcivirosis is an acute disease transmitted infectious. Conjunctivitis appears during the illness and sores form in the mouth.

If you begin to treat a cold at the first sign of its occurrence, the cat will quickly get rid of suffering. And timely prevention will not cause the disease again.

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