All About Veterinary Care For Pets

If your cat has congestion, an itchy nose, or watery eyes, there are a few underlying causes that might be the culprit. It is impossible your cat to let you know what their symptoms are, so paying close attention to physical signs of illness or irritation is key. Here are four different issues that could be causing your cat to get the sniffles and steps to take to help your cat feel better.

1. Allergies and Pets

Just like people, cats can suffer from allergies. Allergies in cats might be caused from pollen or dust, which could come on as a seasonal ailment. If your cat's symptoms seem to come and go with weather patterns, this is telltale sign. Some cats are especially sensitive to fleas and flea bites, which can cause allergies as well. Treating your cat routinely for fleas might help with common sniffles and general irritation.

2. Foxtails and Weeds

If your cat is an outdoor cat, they will have more chances of having objects such as thorns and foxtails get stuck in their eyes, ears, and nose. All can cause your cat to sneeze and have watery eyes. If sneezing and irritation comes on suddenly, try to do a physical check yourself for anything that might be visibly lodged where your cat is having an issue. If you can't be sure, get your cat to the vet for an assessment in order to take care of any obstructions or troubleshoot other ailments.

3. Run-of-the-Mill Illnesses

There are common respiratory infections that cats can be affected by and your cat might very well have a common cold. Symptoms might come on over a day or two and your cat will often have a wet or warm nose, warm ears, and the sniffles. Monitor your cat for a few days and if symptoms don't subside, it might be time to seek out veterinary services.

4. Symptom of Larger Issues

Taking your cat to the vet to rule out any other more serious causes for sniffles needs to be done if your cat has been showing symptoms for more than a few days. FVR and FeLV are viruses that need to be ruled out or managed if detected. If your cat is a carrier of a chronic illness, steps for dealing with symptoms and future care can be discussed with your veterinarian.

Keeping your cat indoors and making sure they are up-to-date with all vaccines can help keep your cat healthy overall. Sometimes cats just get sick, but trying your best to monitor this can prevent common ailments can keep them less prone to allergies, irritations, and illnesses. Contact a facility like Cats Only Veterinary Hospital for more information.