2 Signs That You Need To Get Your Cat To The Vet
Making sure that your cat is healthy and happy can be a bit difficult, mostly because cats are very skilled when it comes to hiding any pain or discomfort that they may be feeling. This can be a major problem because it can prevent you from noticing that something is wrong with your cat until it is too late to save his or her life.
Poor grooming and excessive grooming are just two warning signs that you need to get your cat to the vet as soon as possible:
Poor Grooming
One of the reasons that many people end up getting a cat is because the cat will typically keep himself or herself clean with very little help from his or her owner. As a result, you really need to pay attention if your cat starts neglecting his or her grooming. One reason that your cat may be neglecting to groom himself or herself is because of pain.
A common cause of pain that can keep your cat from grooming himself or herself properly is arthritis. If your cat is experiencing arthritis, he or she will often stop grooming because it is too painful for him or her to move around in order to reach every spot that needs grooming. In addition, the pain from arthritis can simply sap the cat's energy levels to the point where grooming and other activities are just too much effort.
If your cat is experiencing arthritis or other pain, a vet can help you diagnose the problem while also providing you with pain medication to help your cat relax. If arthritis is the culprit, your vet may recommend that you buy a special bed that will allow your cat to sleep without pain, which will help increase his or her energy levels in addition to alleviating pain.
Excessive Grooming
Another thing to keep an eye out for is if your cat is grooming a spot excessively. In particular, you will want to look for any signs that your cat is grooming one spot to the point where the fur is falling out and leaving a bald patch. In many cases, this will often be a sign of an injury or skin allergy.
If the excessive grooming is due to an injury, a vet can clean and treat the wound in order to start the healing process and prevent infection from setting in. If the cause for the excessive grooming is a skin allergy, your vet can provide medication to alleviate the symptoms of the allergy, while also helping you to determine what your cat is allergic to so that you can remove it from your home or yard.
Speak to your vet today in order to schedule a check-up to ensure that your cat is as healthy as possible. If your cat is neglecting his or her grooming, or is grooming excessively, you will want to get him or her to a vet as soon as possible to resolve the underlying issue.
To learn more, contact veterinary services for help.