Is Your Cat Healthy? 4 common diseases of older cats
Cats are amazing animals. They are intelligent, inquisitive, and often independent companions. With the busyness of our family schedule, there are many days that go by where I only see my cats in passing. When I think about my dogs, our relationship is very different. My dogs run with me, go to the beach with our family, and travel with us. I am more likely to notice when my dogs aren’t feeling well or when they are in pain. My cats, not so much. To give your cat the best care feed a high quality diet, provide environmental stimulation (cat trees and food puzzles), and ensure your cat visits the veterinarian every year. If you need tips for how to create a low stress veterinary visit, click here. However, when it comes to older cats, they should visit the veterinarian every 6 months and they should have complete bloodwork every year. Geriatric cats are prone to several diseases but I want to discuss 4 disease that can be managed if caught early enough!
Renal Disease
Chronic kidney disease is a common condition found in older cats. The kidneys have many functions, but most importantly they filter the blood to make urine. Cats with chronic renal disease suffer from a build up of toxins in the body so affected cats usually show an increase in thirst and urination, a decreased appetite and will often experience bouts of vomiting. Another function of the kidneys is to contribute to red blood cell production so with more advanced renal disease, cats can become anemic. They can also suffer from acidosis and hypertension which has rebounding effects on other parts of the body. Unfortunately, by the time renal failure is detected on bloodwork, the animal has already lost greater than 65% of its kidney function. The good news? Many cases of chronic renal failure can be managed by diet change and other therapeutics if caught early enough!
Diabetes Mellitus
Just like us, the cells in a cat’s body require glucose for energy. However, cats with diabetes either do not produce enough insulin (Type 1) or their cells do not respond well to insulin (Type 2). When the body cannot use glucose, it will empty into the urine. Cats with diabetes often drink and urinate more and tend to be very hungry. They will also lose weight as the body attempts to breakdown other tissues such as fat and muscle to produce energy for the cells. Cats typically suffer from Type 2 diabetes and many will respond well to insulin therapy and diet change. Keeping your cat thin and active will help decrease the risk of diabetes.
Hyperthyroidism
Hyperthyroid disease is another disease commonly diagnosed in older cats. An increase in T3 and T4 thyroid hormones occurs due to either a thyroid adenoma (benign tumor) or a thyroid adenocarcinoma (malignant tumor). The thyroid hormones are necessary for many bodily functions, so an increase in these hormones can cause many problems for the animal. Common clinical signs of hyperthyroidism include increased thirst and urination, weight loss, hyperactivity, vomiting and diarrhea. Often, hyperthyroidism will cover up other diseases and once the thyroid hormones normalize, other diseases such as chronic renal disease are found. There are several treatments for hyperthyroidism and many cats do very well with appropriate management.
Arthritis
Cats get arthritis too! You may be more familiar hearing about arthritis in dogs, but it occurs in cats too. With dogs we will notice reluctance to jump into the car, inability to run the distance they used to, sleeping more, etc. It is not easy to notice a house cat slowing down and often it is attributed as ‘normal’ because they are an indoor lazy cat. But cats do suffer pain due to arthritis and we now know pain has multiple negative effects on the whole body. Another frustration with arthritis in cats is that unlike the other disease I talked about, there are limited medications to help manage pain in cats. There is promising research on some new treatment modalities that will change the life of many cats! For now, we have NSAIDs (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs) and several supplements that can help increase the quality of life for cats who suffer with arthritis. Acupuncture and herbal therapies performed and prescribed by a veterinarian certified in acupuncture (CVA) and/or Traditional Chinese Veterinary Medicine (TCVM) are very helpful as well. Click here to find a CVA practitioner near you. The key to arthritis is catching it as soon as possible, so look for subtle changes in your cat’s behavior and mention them to your veterinarian.
The best way to help your cat live a long life with a great quality of life is to feed a healthy diet, provide plenty of environmental enrichment, and to visit the veterinarian every 6 months. All of the diseases I talked about have a good prognosis if they are caught early enough!
– Leigh Hofmeister, DVM