How to know if my cat has a sore throat - symptoms and what to do
Those who live with cats know that these are animals that generally do not express pain and discomfort directly and, therefore, when we detect clear signs can mean that the animal really feels a lot of pain. Thus, in order to offer the best care to our feline companion, it is our duty to inform ourselves well about their health and the possible complications of it, as well as the symptoms that will most easily alert us to such problems. One of the ailments that these animals usually have and that sometimes goes unnoticed is pain in the neck or throat and this can be caused by several problems and diseases. Therefore, in this article we want to clear up a frequent question: how to know if my cat has a sore throat?, read on and discover the symptoms, the possible causes, what you should do and some remedies.
Symptoms of sore throat in cats
The felines, like most animals, show very few obvious signs to us that they are suffering pain or discomfort, so you have to know how to interpret those that do end up showing, although either when they really feel quite upset. If you want to provide the best to your feline friend you will undoubtedly need to know how to know if your cat is sick and, in the case of neck pain, to know it you will have to look at the most common symptoms of sore throat in cats :
- Cough and choking
- Arcades
- Salivation or drooling
- Difficulty swallowing well
- Gestures to swallow constants
- Few meows and vocalizations
- Hoarsely
- Little appetite
- Whimpers and meows when he eats
- Drink little water
- Bulk in the neck
- Swollen neck nodes
Thus, when a feline feels discomfort and pain in the throat or neck it will surely show signs such as coughing, retching, hoarseness and it will cost him to swallow, as happens to us but, in addition, we must look at if we continue to put the same amount of food and water daily and this consumes much less than usual, if when finally eat a little seems to bother your neck and complain, and if you touch the neck in front we notice that it departs, complains or We even palpated some lump, which can be mainly inflamed lymph nodes, inflamed tonsils or a cyst.
Causes of sore throat in cats
Now that you know the symptoms of sore throat in cats, it is certainly good that you also know the main causes of sore throat in cats :
Cold
This disease in cats is very contagious among them and can last a few days or complicate if not treated well and lead to other more serious health problems. The virus has to do its process, which usually lasts an average of 10 days, and we must try to alleviate the symptoms to the cat during this time so that it recovers well. Among the symptoms of cold in cats, in addition to cough, include respiratory distress, lack of appetite, nasal and eye secretions and sneezing.
Asthma or allergic bronchitis
This respiratory problem is characterized by difficult breathing of the animal causing it to breathe forcibly and very quickly, so it ends up hurting the throat, as well as presenting other symptoms such as persistent cough and noises like whistling when exhaling air. The animal must be treated by a veterinarian so that the asthma remits and can recover normal breathing, thus avoiding more serious problems.
Allergies
Cats are also susceptible to allergies and, of course, can suffer from them at any level, but respiratory allergies are quite common. They can be due to dust, air fresheners and cleaning products, tobacco smoke and many other factors. The important thing is to detect the problem to treat it and find the cause to remove it as soon as possible from the environment of the animal.
Pneumonia and pneumonia
It is another two diseases of the respiratory system that also cause a lot of cough, fever, lethargy, breathing difficulties and swallowing, among other symptoms, and for these problems when taking and exhaling air no doubt the throat ends up bothering and hurting . In these cases it is important to go quickly to the veterinarian since they can be very easily complicated and the animal can weaken very quickly.
Object or foreign body stuck
One of the main reasons for pain in the neck is undoubtedly that there is a stuck object that is bothering and causing irritation and pain in the cat's throat. It can be a spine or a splinter if you have eaten fish or played with a stick, but it can be many more objects. The important thing is that a specialist detects what is and exactly where it is stuck to remove it properly. In addition, depending on the shape and size of the foreign body can cause choking.
Inflammation of the tonsils and ganglia
An inflammation in both the tonsils and the nodes located in the neck can indicate an infection, so you should act quickly if we notice a lump in the neck of our cat. Due to the inflammation in this area it is common for the neck or throat to end up bothering or hurting.
As we can see the pain in the throat is not a disease in itself but it is a symptom that alerts us to the possible presence of a more serious disease, therefore, it is basic and necessary that we take our hairy to the veterinarian.
What to do if my cat has a sore throat - when to go to the vet?
If you suspect that your cat is upset or your throat hurts, the first thing you should do is feel the neck and see its reaction, as well as observe the rest of possible symptoms and their behavior, so that you can determine the urgency of the situation. You should go to the vet as soon as possible, but above all it is vital that if you see that you feel a lot of pain, that it seems that you have something stuck in your throat, that you drown or that you feel a lump, without hesitation go to your usual veterinarian or, if is not available, go to the veterinary emergency.
There are more signs that can help you determine the discomfort of your furry and the urgency of the situation; So these are other symptoms of throat problems in cats that alert us to an urgent situation:
- Fever
- Crying eyes
- Swollen eyes
- Legañas
- Sneezing
- Dehydration
- Sickness
- Vomiting
- Diarrhea
Of course, you will have to follow exactly the treatment and the guidelines that the veterinarian indicates after carrying out the necessary tests and finding a diagnosis. Remember that in any case it is vital to do the treatment correctly and for as long as the specialist indicates, because if we stop earlier because it seems that the animal is better, it can easily relapse. Also, during veterinary treatment you can strengthen the health of your cat and help relieve pain with some natural remedies.
Another important aspect is that if you have several cats and you think you are sick and your throat hurts, as some of the causes are contagious like the cold, you should keep it as far as possible from the rest to avoid contagion .
Home remedies for my cat's sore throat
As we mentioned in the previous section, in addition to strictly following the veterinary treatment we can reinforce it with tricks and home remedies for sore throat in cats such as the following:
- Medicinal plants: you can try to give them a drink or use them to make vapors, closing all the doors and windows of the room where the cat is. Licorice root, dandelion, cat's claw and chamomile are the most suitable for sore throat.
- Heat and air currents: in order not to worsen the animal's condition we must avoid that it is cold and that it is in the middle of air currents. Although it will be good to provide some heat, especially in cases of cold, pneumonia and pneumonia, we must avoid that it is too hot.
- Help him eat and drink: due to the pain we will have to help our partner to eat and drink water. A good way is to offer soft food in very small pieces and little by little. Also, it is better to give water little by little by dropping a few drops into your mouth with a syringe.
- Wash your eyes and nose: if you have eye and nasal secretions it is necessary to clean them with sterile gauze and a little physiological saline, using a different gauze for each eye and for the nose each time.
- Natural supplements and homeopathy: there are various natural supplements and homeopathic products to treat these problems, but it is vital that they are prescribed by a specialist.
