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| Posted by Administrator (admin) on Sep 25 2007 at 10:28 AM |
Nails
One of the most common problem involving the nails in cats is ingrowing nails. We see this mostly in older cats if they do not go out as much anymore, or in indoor cats. The toenail can grow round and back into the nailbed. This will cause pain and bleeding and can lead to infections as well.
Nails are sometimes broken. The nails may not wear down enough, and in some cats they should be clipped on a regular base. Broken nails can be painful and will often lead to licking at the affected toe or paw. It can also lead to local infections, which may show as redness and swelling. Your vet can treat broken nails if necessary and clip the nails on a regular base to prevent nails breaking. You can also learn how to clip your cat’s nails yourself.
Brittle nails can be the result of fungal infections, certain types of mange, nutritional disorders and some auto-immune disorders. If your cat regularly breaks nails without any obvious reason or the nails being too long, it is advisable to have your cat examined by your vet. He or she may want to do several tests, like for instance blood tests, to find out if there is an underlying disease.
Nits
Nits are the eggs of lice. These are small parasites which can live on the skin of your cat. The lice can be seen with the bare eye as brownish creatures. The nits are the very small eggs which are attached to the hairs. It shows as small whitish spots on part of the body or throughout the coat. It is a condition which can easily be treated with a good anti-parasitic drug. Ask your vet which is the safest and best treatment in your cat’s case.
Nose - Discharge
Discharge from the nose can be watery, mucous, purulent (pussy), bloody or a mixture of these. Bloody discharge is discussed in ‘nose bleeds’. Watery, mucusy and purulent discharge is often the result of inflammations and infections in the nasal cavity. These can be caused by viruses, bacteria or fungi, but they can also be the result of foreign bodies (like for instance grass seeds) or trauma (damage due to an accident for instance).
Nasal discharge can be unilateral (through one nostril only) or bilateral (through both nostrils). It often leads to sneezing, sometimes coughing or retching as well. In most cats it will affect their appetite.
Most cases can be treated, often simply with a course of tablets, but sometimes nasal discharge is chronic and hard to treat. Your vet will be able to do tests to find out what the cause is in your cat’s case and treat it accordingly.
Nose Bleeds
Nose bleeds can be caused by trauma, bleeding disorders, infections, tumours and foreign bodies (‘strange’ objects, like for instance grass seeds) or it can be a sign of bleeding from further down in the airways, for instance from the windpipe or even the lungs.
Bleeding can occur through one nostril only or from both sides. Nose bleeds often appear much worse than they are, as the cat will normally sneeze and shake its head, thereby spreading the blood around. Cats rarely lose enough blood to really make an impact on the total amount of blood in the body.
In most cases light pressure with some cold and wet cotton wool will stop the bleeding, at least temporarily, but in all cases it is advisable to have your cat examined by your vet, as the different reasons for the blood loss through the nose require different treatments.