Common Symptoms of Trouble

Regardless of what the specific cause may be, there are some symptoms that are always a sign of a sick cat. If your cat has any of the following symptoms, you should check with your veterinarian at once:

An abnormal respiration rate.
- Elevated or depressed temperature.
- Eating or drinking an unusual amount, either too much or too little.
- Sneezing or coughing. Some cats are prone to hairballs, so know the difference between your cat's "hairball" cough and a different cough. If in doubt, check with your vet.
- Runny eyes, or discharge from the eyes, nose, or mouth.
- Straining to pass urine, and/or signs of pain while passing or attempting to pass urine. Take your cat to a veterinarian immediately if you observe these symptoms.
- Vomiting
- Signs of pain or discomfort. Note that panting or loud, excessive purring can be signs of pain in a cat.
- Abnormal or suspicious behavior that you, that cat's owner and friend, might uniquely be able to notice. As we said above, if you suspect your cat isn't well, it probably isn't.

Educate yourself! The next time you visit your veterinarian for routine cat health care such as vaccinations, ask them for any free literature they can give you on cat health. Your veterinarian cares about your cat too, and will be happy to help you learn all that you can.

Hi Everyone.. Gosh, i think it important to share this with everyone and get the word out.. So often we don't ever think about it, Nor suspect until it's too late This comes directly from the site
http://www.knowheartworms.org/
Signs Associated with HARD: Heartworm Associated Respiratory Disease-

anorexia
blindness
collapse
convulsions
coughing
diarrhea
difficulty breathing
fainting
lethargy
rapid heart rate
sudden death
vomiting
weight loss

And If you go to http://www.catwellness.org/ you will find a lot of info well explained..How does a cat get heartworm?
Heartworm infection takes place when a mosquito carrying microscopic-size heartworm larvae bites a cat. The larvae enter through the bite wound where they develop in the tissues. The immature worms then enter a blood vessel and are carried to the arteries in the lung where they cause an inflammatory reaction. Most worms die at this stage, causing even more inflammation. The worms that progress to the adult stage may live undetected for a couple of years. But, when the adult worms die, the inflammation can be severe enough to cause death. The respiratory signs associated with these reactions are called Heartworm Associated Respiratory Disease (HARD).

I really is scary and seems many have no idea. I myself had thought this was only a concern I needed to have for my dog! WRONG!
A great resource for Pet lovers and Veterinary professionals -
http://www.goodnewsforpets.com

I hope eveyone has a great day and someone benefits from this info

Hi Everyone.. Gosh, i think it important to share this with everyone and get the word out.. So often we don't ever think about it, Nor suspect until it's too late This comes directly from the site
http://www.knowheartworms.org/
Signs Associated with HARD: Heartworm Associated Respiratory Disease-

anorexia
blindness
collapse
convulsions
coughing
diarrhea
difficulty breathing
fainting
lethargy
rapid heart rate
sudden death
vomiting
weight loss

And If you go to http://www.catwellness.org/ you will find a lot of info well explained..How does a cat get heartworm?
Heartworm infection takes place when a mosquito carrying microscopic-size heartworm larvae bites a cat. The larvae enter through the bite wound where they develop in the tissues. The immature worms then enter a blood vessel and are carried to the arteries in the lung where they cause an inflammatory reaction. Most worms die at this stage, causing even more inflammation. The worms that progress to the adult stage may live undetected for a couple of years. But, when the adult worms die, the inflammation can be severe enough to cause death. The respiratory signs associated with these reactions are called Heartworm Associated Respiratory Disease (HARD).

It really is scary and seems many have no idea. I myself had thought this was only a concern I needed to have for my dog! WRONG!
A great resource for Pet lovers and Veterinary professionals -
http://www.goodnewsforpets.com

I hope eveyone has a great day and someone benefits from this info