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What does a coughing cat look like? The descriptions are very consistent from and between cat guardians. It almost always is described as an “expected furball” that never materializes. In fact, most cats who cough are not seen immediately because of this confusion. The neck is outstretched and the wretching sound is mistaken for imminent vomit filled with a wad of fur.
Three weeks ago, a long standing and wonderful client of ours scheduled a long-awaited dental procedure for her cat Lily. Until we could get her scheduled, she was on pain medication for the cavities we had previously diagnosed. Since we know that dental pain is the same in the cat as it is in people, we knew she was uncomfortable despite the fact that she was still eating. The only significant change the client noticed was that she tilted her head just slightly to one side while eating.
Bubba is a young male cat that shares his home with two other cats. They are all indoor only and had been quite healthy until Bubba suddenly became lethargic and stopped eating. About 24 hours later he was drooling, sneezing and had excessive tearing of his eyes. When he came to see me he had 104 degree fever and ulcers on his tongue. He had to be hospitalized for 36 hours with intravenous fluids, pain control, and antibiotics until he started eating on his own again. It took 2 weeks for him to fully recover.
1. Make Yearly Vet Visits a Routine -- Almost twice as many cats than dogs never visit the veterinarian. Preventive care examinations or check-ups for all cats should occur a minimum of once yearly, and more frequently for senior cats and those with chronic conditions. During the physical examination, veterinarians assess your cats current health, and also can often detect conditions that may affect your cat’s health long before they become significant so they can be managed or cured before they become painful or more costly. Cats need routine veterinary check-ups to promote longer, happier, and healthier lives.
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