cat health

There may come a time when your pet needs immediate care outside the normal operating hours of your regular veterinarian.

You know your pet and his normal habits and behavior better than anyone, but you may be unsure if your pet needs emergency care. Following are some signs you can look for that will help you determine if you are dealing with an urgent situation.

Changes in behavior are often a sure sign that there is something going on that needs to be treated immediately.

Urinary obstruction in cats can be a serious situation that demands immediate attention. If your cat has a complete blockage this can become a life or death situation.

Urinary or urethral obstruction is not uncommon especially in male cats. The urethra of a male cat is a long thin tube as opposed to the shorter, wider tube of a female cat. This leaves it prone to blockages.

Blockages are usually crystals that have built up in the urine, bladder stones or mucus plugs that are lodged and blocking the flow of urine through the urethra.

If your cat has a blockage it needs to be removed immediately.

As the years pass, our animal companions may start to experience a few age-related issues. Many of these problems are not serious, but some can be - and it's always wise to keep a watchful eye on your senior pet. Check your pet regularly for warnings signs and take him to the vet for assessment if you notice something out of the ordinary.