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CONVULSIONS Convulsions (seizures) include a wide variety of signs consisting primarily of abnormal behavior and/or abnormal body movements. The most easily recognized signs are loss (or disturbance) of consciousness, loss of motor control, and involuntary urination and/or defecation. Convulsions fall into two main categories in terms of whether or not they are emergencies: The single … Read more

EXTERNAL HEART MASSAGE (EXTERNAL CARDIAC COMPRESSION) External heart massage is used in an attempt to maintain circulation when cardiac arrest has occurred. If you cannot feel a pulse or heartbeat in an unconscious and nonbreathing cat, you may try external cardiac compression. Heart arrest automatically follows respiratory arrest; when heart arrest occurs first, breathing soon … Read more

ARTIFICIAL RESPIRATION Any occasion in which you have to resort to artificial respiration is an emergency (except perhaps in a newborn kitten that is slow to start breathing). Don’t spend all your time trying to revive the cat on the spot. As soon as your veterinarian is contacted, head for the clinic while continuing attempts … Read more

CARDIOPULMONARY RESUSCITATION (CPR) Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) is an important emergency lifesaving technique to know, although it is rarely needed by pet owners. CPR is used whenever there is an event or illness that causes breathing or the heartbeat to stop, such as drowning, electric shock, or choking. It can also be used to assist severely … Read more

HIT BY A CAR The first thing to do if you find your cat hit by a car is to try to remain calm. This isn’t easy, since your animal is so important to you, but hysterics will not help you or your cat. Try to assess the damage that has been done. You must … Read more

EXTERNAL BLEEDING AND HOW TO STOP IT (HEMOSTASIS) Most cuts through the skin will stop bleeding within five or six minutes of their occurrence. Those that do not or that are bleeding profusely need some kind of immediate care, especially if it’s going to be a while before you can enlist professional veterinary aid. HOW … Read more

EMERGENCY MEDICINE AND FIRST AID An emergency is any situation that requires immediate action in order to prevent irreversible damage to or the death of your cat. Each of the following signs indicates an emergency: Uncontrollable bleeding Extreme difficulty breathing (including choking) Continuous or recurrent convulsions Unconsciousness Shock Sudden paralysis Inability to urinate Repeated or … Read more

FELINE INFECTIOUS PERITONITIS Feline infectious peritonitis (FIP) is a viral disease of cats that is almost invariably fatal. FIP is caused by a coronavirus, which can invade certain white blood cells called macrophages and other body tissues. This virus is similar to other members of the same virus family that infect pigs, dogs, and humans, … Read more

FELINE IMMUNODEFICIENCY VIRUS (FIV) Feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV) is a member of the retrovirus family. This virus is found all over the world and has been present in the United States since 1968. Like feline leukemia virus and other related family members such as human immunodeficiency virus (HIV, AIDS virus), it enters the victim’s body … Read more

MULTISYSTEM DISEASES FELINE LEUKEMIA VIRUS INFECTION Feline leukemia virus (FeLV) causes a complex group of diseases, many of which are fatal. About 50% of cats infected with the leukemia virus develop cancer. The most common type of cancer affects lymphoid tissues (e.g., lymph nodes) causing solid tumors called lymphosarcomas. FeLV can also cause cancer of … Read more