Content
- How to tell if a cat is sick
- Fever in cats
- cat with body tremors
- How to measure my cat's temperature
- Hot ears on cats
- How to get kittens from fever
Just like us humans, our kittens also suffer from flu, colds and malaise that cause them to show changes in their body temperature in the form of fever.
Many people believe that when the cat has a dry and hot nose, or if it has a hot tongue, it is because it has a fever, however, it is necessary to be aware of the differences between cats, dogs and us humans. To learn more about what to do when your cat has a fever, continue with PeritoAnimal.
How to tell if a cat is sick
Cats are usually calm animals, sleeping up to 18 hours a day, and often lead a peaceful life without major worries, they just play, eat, use the litter box and sleep. Sometimes this can lead to the misperception that the cat is just sleeping or resting if we don't know its personality, so if you know your cat's routine and personality you can readily see when something isn't right with him right away. signals.
As cats are natural hunters, it is part of their nature as predators. don't show when they're sick, as this in nature is seen as a sign of weakness, especially if there are other cats that share the same environment. Because of this, it is important that you keep your cat safe at home, and off the street, so that you can control and pay attention to its habits and routines.
When a cat is sick, just like us humans, they can show indisposition, fatigue, lack of appetite, and these are usually the first signs of a disease that can go unnoticed if the guardian is not used to the behavior of the cat. feline. So if you notice any changes, however small, stay alert.
behavioral changes that can be indicative that the cat's health is not well, ranging from urine and feces outside the litter box, as well as their smell, color and consistency, changes in the feline's routine, such as an active cat that has become sleep all day, lack of appetite as well as excess appetite, different meowing, altered respiratory rate, temperature, etc. These are all signs that if not investigated further, they could become part of a larger problem.
To read more about how to know if your cat is sick, see our article on this subject.
Fever in cats
First, in order to know whether a cat has a fever or not, it is necessary to know the normal body temperature of a healthy cat, as it is different from that of humans. In cats, the temperature ranges from 38.5° to 39.5°, in general, remembering that this body temperature can suffer small variations according to the time of day and even on very hot or cold days.
Fever, in fact, is the body's own protection in response to an infectious agent, be it a bacteria, fungus or virus, or even a foreign body. And when this infectious agent gets out of hand, it's a sign of trouble.
cat with body tremors
It can also present fevers accompanied by body tremors and vomiting, which can be indications of more serious situations such as intoxication, traumatic injuries, diseases such as pancreatitis, lupus, feline leukemia or cancer.
Clinical signs that your pet may present when it has a fever are lack of appetite, drowsiness, fatigue, apathy, that is, when the cat does not want to interact with anyone, get up or even play. In cases where the fever is very high, they can still suffer from rapid breathing in the same way as rapid heart rate, and tremors and chills throughout the body.
How to measure my cat's temperature
The only way to find out if the cat really has a fever is to take its rectal temperature using a digital thermometer. In this way, the thermometer will be inserted into the cat's rectum, properly and using the appropriate recommendations so that the temperature is measured correctly. In this step-by-step guide from PeritoAnimal, we teach you how to correctly measure your cat's temperature.
If you are unsure about performing this procedure at home, but suspect that your cat has a fever and if he still has other clinical signs, take him immediately to the veterinarian, as the measurement of rectal temperature, being a little more delicate, requires a so much of practice.
Hot ears on cats
Another option to have at home is the Auricular thermometer, and there are ear thermometers developed especially for cats, considering that their ear canal is a little longer, so the stem is longer than the ear thermometer used in humans. Simply insert the rod into the cat's ear, wait about 2 minutes, and check the temperature that appears on the display. However, it is important to note that if the cat has otitis, which is an inflammation of the ear, in addition to making the cat difficult to measure the temperature due to the discomfort that otitis causes, it also causes hot ears in cats, and that does not necessarily mean that the cat has a fever.
How to get kittens from fever
As fever is a natural protection of the body, its cause is directly related to what causes it. So fever is a symptom of something more serious, and not the disease itself, the underlying cause must be treated for the cat to be well.
Never self-medicate your cat, as in addition to the vast majority of antipyretics being toxic to cats, only the specialist will know how to correctly diagnose what your cat has, in order to prescribe the best treatment. Not to mention that the misuse of medications can mask the symptoms of the disease, making diagnosis difficult.
During veterinary treatment, what you can do at home is to monitor so that the fever does not rise again, and if the animal continues to show other symptoms. If you notice a change in temperature beyond normal contact your veterinarian.
This article is for information purposes only, at PeritoAnimal.com.br we are not able to prescribe veterinary treatments or perform any type of diagnosis. We suggest that you take your pet to the veterinarian in case it has any type of condition or discomfort.