Top 5 Common Feline Diseases in Spring: Protect Your Pe

Common Diseases in Cats During Spring

1. Urinary Tract Diseases

Spring and autumn are peak seasons for urinary tract diseases in cats due to the humid weather. The most common cause of urinary tract diseases in cats is urinary stones. Various factors can contribute to this, including the cat's living environment, feeding methods, reduced daily exercise, and dietary habits.

Prevention Methods:

Cats that are inactive are prone to urinary system diseases, so it's important to increase their exercise. A decrease in water intake is also a significant factor in the formation of urinary stones, so it's crucial to ensure cats drink enough water. Always observe your cat's bowel movements and, if you notice any difficulty in urination or frequent visits to the litter box without any urine, seek veterinary care immediately. Delaying treatment can lead to acute kidney failure and even be lifethreatening to the cat.

2. Skin Diseases

Spring, especially in the south where the weather is humid, is a peak season for fungal infections in cats. Skin fungal diseases are caused by fungi and can lead to dandruff, scabbing, and hair loss.

Ringworm is the most common type of fungal infection in dogs and cats, including three pathogens: Microsporum canis, Trichophyton mentagrophytes, and Trichophyton verrucosum. Microsporum canis is the most commonly isolated in cats, which is the main pathogen responsible for ringworm in cats.

Prevention and Treatment:

Ringworm is primarily transmitted through contact, and the fungus can be transmitted through the cat's resting areas and other contaminated media. It is also a zoonotic skin disease, which is more susceptible to children and women. Most healthy cats carry the spores, but they usually do not trigger ringworm unless there is a stimulus. It often occurs in cats with weakened immune systems.

Preventing ringworm involves ensuring the cat is in a healthy environment and avoiding contact with sources of infection. It's also important to boost the cat's immune system by providing adequate nutrition, such as niacin, taurine, and vitamins. Maintain good hygiene and avoid physical and chemical irritation. Avoid bathing your cat too frequently or using inappropriate shampoos, which can harm the skin and lower its immunity.

3. Hairball Syndrome

Cats are very clean animals and often lick their fur, which can lead to hairballs. Some hair is excreted with feces, while others accumulate in the stomach. When the amount of hair in the stomach reaches a certain level, cats will vomit to expel the hairballs. However, some cats may not be able to expel all the hairballs, which can lead to hairball syndrome and gastrointestinal obstruction. During the spring shedding season, a large amount of old hair can be ingested by cats during grooming, making them more susceptible to hairball syndrome.

Prevention and Treatment:

The most effective way to prevent hairball syndrome is to brush your cat's fur regularly. Cat owners should prepare several brushes according to the cat's hair type and length and spend several minutes grooming them daily, especially for medium to longhaired cats. You can also provide cat grass for your cat to eat, as the plant fibers can help cats digest and expel hairballs. Cat grass also has emetic effects, allowing cats to vomit out hair.

Additionally, you can feed your cat hairball paste regularly, which helps cats expel hairballs through soft stools. The ingredients are usually vegetable oil or mineral oil, but longterm use may lead to vitamin A deficiency, so cat owners should be aware of this. You can also purchase canned food or cat food with hairball ingredients, which usually contain increased plant fiber content or large amounts of oil. However, it is not recommended to eat these products longterm.

4. Cold and Feline Rhinotracheitis

Spring has large temperature fluctuations, and cats are prone to catching colds at night, especially young cats with low immunity. Cat owners need to be extra careful during this period.

Cat owners often have difficulty distinguishing between colds and feline rhinotracheitis. A cold is a body's response to weakened immunity and temperature changes. Feline rhinotracheitis is a respiratory disease caused by a highly contagious feline herpesvirus.

Prevention and Treatment:

If a cold is not treated promptly, it can lead to bronchitis or lung inflammation. During this period, cat owners should ensure that their cats are kept warm, avoid catching colds at night, and dry their fur after bathing. If there is no inflammation, you can gently clean the cat's eyes and nose with a cotton swab dipped in water. You can also feed your cat a children's cold medicine (sugarfree) according to the cat's weight. If the cat has diarrhea, you can give it cat probiotics or妈咪爱. Provide plenty of water and nutritious food, and ensure good indoor ventilation. Keep your cat in a quiet environment to rest and avoid excessive play. Seek veterinary care if the condition worsens.

5. Ear Mites

Spring and summer, when it is hot and humid, is also a season when ear mites are more likely to thrive. Ear mites, also known as ear mange, are a very common ear canal parasite with a life cycle of 1528 days. They feed on skin debris and tissue fluid, although they can also survive in small numbers on the head, tail, and neck.

Ear mites are highly contagious between dogs and cats and will not survive in humans' ear canals for more than 23 days if infected. Ear mites are often characterized by dry, blackishbrown scaly debris, and in severe cases, may cause inflammation with greasy secretions and a strong, unpleasant odor. Severe cases may also involve swelling and hair loss, and some cats may exhibit noticeable pain and be unwilling to allow their ears to be touched.

Cat ear mites are a minor illness that can be treated at home. Here's how to treat cat ear mites at home:

The treatment for ear mites is usually straightforward. Avoid contact with infected dogs and cats. When your cat's ears are dirty, use ear cleaning solution to clean the ear canals. Once a month, use a product like Advocate or Revolution to prevent and treat ear mites. After cleaning the cat's external ear canal with a cotton swab, apply the product every other day for a month.

Advocate or Revolution should be purchased in the appropriate dosage for your cat's weight and applied to areas that the cat cannot reach. When cleaning the ear canal, first drop ear cleaning solution into the ear canal, then rub the ear roots with your fingers to allow the ear cleaning solution to thoroughly wash the ear canal. Let the cat shake its head to expel the debris, and then use a cotton swab or wet wipe to help clean the external ear canal. Be careful not to insert the cotton swab too deeply into the ear canal, as the cat's ear canal is Lshaped, and pushing the debris and bacteria deeper can worsen the infection. Remember not to do this.

This concludes our discussion on common spring diseases in cats. Cat owners should take good care of their pets and ensure they stay healthy.