The science and art of alleviating the suffering of the patient in the last days of life

A cat is a predatory animal and this causes many physiological characteristics of its body and diet. Felines, like all predators, have a special structure of teeth and jaws - fangs are designed to tear prey; they do not have root chewers, like omnivores.

Their stomach is single-chamber and is not intended for large amounts of food. The vomiting center of the brain is well developed, since females in the wild often feed their young with regurgitated masses. Felines are not scavengers; the prey they eat is always warm, which is why pets prefer non-cold food. Because of this, they have a reputation for being picky and fussy eaters. But the cat’s rejection of food, especially if it also refuses water, should alert the owner.

Reasons for refusing to eat

The cat is selective about food, sometimes even refusing its favorite treat. But refusal does not always indicate pathologies. A cat or cat may not eat for more than a day if:

• ate too much the day before;
• walk outside and eat somewhere else;
• they developed temporary digestive problems due to increased physical activity;
• they were switched to a new, unusual diet;
• the female has a week left until her heat or she is just coming;
• in the male, the rutting period is underway, he feels a female nearby;
• offended by the punishment, the owner’s inattention;
• they are given dirty dishes, spoiled food;
• The female has just given birth; on the first day (sometimes two) after they do not eat, as they have eaten a large amount of placenta.

But if a cat goes hungry for more than a day, this is already a cause for concern.

Pathological factors of food refusal:

Stress

It can be a consequence of the loss of the owner, melancholy, loneliness, fear, or other unfavorable reasons. Moving to a new apartment or house, the appearance of other pets, illness or injury always affects the psychological state of cats and provokes a refusal to eat for several days. It is not always possible to cope with this on your own; you should seek specialized help. Taking sedatives will help restore your appetite.

Also read the article on how to calm your cat.

High ambient temperature

This adversely affects the cat's appetite; heat stroke is very dangerous, since these animals do not have sweat glands. Long-haired breeds or pets with short but dense hair suffer especially from the heat. If the cat is no longer young, suffers from heart or other chronic diseases, this factor is aggravated.

Parasitic infestation

Worms, fleas, other external parasites. The cat develops vomiting and diarrhea, and its stomach becomes swollen.

If severe intoxication of the body occurs, there is a risk of rupture of the stomach, intestines and liver. In this case, deworming should be carried out under the supervision of a veterinarian.

Hairballs

They are formed as a result of licking and cause obstruction of the food tract. This problem occurs especially often in long-haired breeds. To push through the lump, there are special medications in the form of pastes.

Viral and bacterial infections

Coronavirus, rhinotracheitis, calcivirus, panleukopenia first cause a deterioration in the general condition of the animal, then primary symptoms appear in the form of sneezing, coughing, salivation and lacrimation. Refusal of food and water, dehydration usually accompany these severe pathologies. Treatment should be started immediately upon initial symptoms.

Diseases caused by pathogenic bacteria are most often secondary complications of viral infections and are accompanied by poor appetite. Treatment at a veterinary clinic is required.

Anorexia

It occurs as a result of stomatitis, dental lesions of the oral cavity, long-term use of antibiotics, and anticancer therapy. Most often it is caused by dental problems - congenital partial teeth, tartar formation, caries, and malocclusion.

Also read the article about why your cat has lost weight and what to do about it.

Systemic diseases

Bronchitis, pneumonia, pathologies of the heart, liver, and kidneys worsen the general condition of the animal, causing lethargy, apathy, and poor appetite. Specialized therapy is required.

Malignant neoplasms

Even more severe damage to the body. Anticancer therapy and sometimes surgery are required.

Urolithiasis

It is especially common cause of refusal to eat in neutered cats. Often leads to blockage of the urethra and intoxication of the body. A proper diet and constant monitoring in the clinic are important.

Poisoning

Household chemicals, rat poison, medications. The vomiting center in the cat’s brain, which is well developed due to natural features, easily provokes vomiting. This protective reaction often saves the animal’s life when dangerous substances enter the body. But from rat poison, in which the concentration of insecticides is extremely high, the cat easily dies. Every effort should be made to protect your pet from rodents. Deratization should be carried out only in the absence of pets.

Pain

Pain from injuries and wounds most often causes loss of appetite. It is necessary to alleviate the animal’s condition with the use of pain medications.

Foreign body in the food tract or stomach

This condition can lead to injuries to the gastrointestinal tract, rupture of the esophagus and stomach. Often accompanied by inflammatory processes with vomiting and diarrhea. Surgery is usually required.

What are the consequences of coronavirus for the lungs?

The most common symptom of coronavirus, as well as a complaint after illness, is shortness of breath. COVID-19 is not a simple respiratory infection. Coronavirus causes primary primary damage to the respiratory organs. That is, the main effect of the disease is on the lungs, but besides this, the infection affects almost all organs and systems to varying degrees.

The disease is more complex and longer, even compared to the severe form of influenza. If the flu is characterized by several days of high temperature, then several days of slightly elevated temperature, and then there is a period of convalescence and complete recovery, then coronavirus is treated within several weeks, and the course of the disease is often unpredictable. It may take months of therapy to restore the lungs after the disease.

The most common complication after COVID-19 is a pronounced change in the lungs, even if the virus is no longer in the body and the patient has recovered. This consequence of coronavirus is detected using tomography. In such cases, patients need supplemental oxygen, which they receive at rehabilitation centers or rent an oxygen concentrator and recover at home.

What happens when there is a complication on the lungs after Covid? Scars form on healthy tissue, which prevent the supply of the required amount of oxygen and contribute to the appearance of excess carbon dioxide. Depending on the degree of damage to the lungs, a person experiences difficulty breathing. Restoring the function of the respiratory system is a primary task, since fibrotic changes can cause the development of thrombosis and other pathologies.

If the affected area is large, the doctor selects a suitable drug treatment program, prescribes breathing exercises to stimulate lung function and accelerate tissue regeneration, supporting the functioning of organs with additional oxygen if necessary.

The reason is character

All cats are picky eaters, but in some cats, due to their nature, food whims are more pronounced. A cat “with character” may not eat for more than a day due to new, unusual or tasteless food, resentment towards the owner, or a change of environment (moving to a dacha, to a new apartment). This behavior is typical for some breeds - British, Scottish fold, Sphynx.

Sooner or later, the cat will come to terms with changes in diet or environment and will begin to eat normally. It is only important that she does not stop drinking water. If a short fast does not cause significant harm to the pet’s body, then dehydration is very dangerous.

How long can a cat normally go without eating?

• healthy adult - up to five days;
• up to six months - no more than a day;
• elderly cat - up to three days;
• cat after birth - one or two days;
• after surgery (anesthesia) - up to two days;
• pregnant woman - up to two days;
• animal with chronic diseases - no more than two days.

If the hunger strike continues longer, you should make every effort to feed the animal, offering it warm food and a favorite treat. Or contact a veterinary clinic for specialist help.

Why doesn't the kitten eat?

There are many factors that influence the appetite of a small kitten. The main ones:

Stressful state

When a baby comes to a new home from a nursery, he is always torn away from his mother, his nest. He lacks the usual affection and attention, often he does not know how to take care of himself. Sometimes the move is accompanied by a complete refusal to eat and drink; the kitten may not go to the toilet even once for two days.

This condition is very dangerous, since against the background of stress, rapid dehydration and intoxication of a young body with insufficient immune defense occurs. During this period, it is important to show increased attention to the pet, surround it with love and protection, pick it up more often, and play. Offer a treat with an appetizing smell and create a comfortable environment.

New food regime

In the nursery, the baby, even receiving additional nutrition in the form of specialized formulas, still suckled on his mother. The loss of mother's milk in the diet is a shock for the kitten, both in terms of the nutritional component and psychologically.

Early weaning

Is food stress. The kitten simply does not know how to eat other food. In this case, it must be fed with cat milk substitutes, which are sold in veterinary pharmacies, or with goat milk.

Dishes

The baby refuses food because of an unusual bowl that is too bright or a plastic plate with a strong smell.

Spoiled food

Spoiled food particles also cause poor appetite.

Worm infestation and parasites

In a kitten, it is often a factor in poor appetite or complete aversion to food. The baby is losing weight, the condition of the coat is deteriorating, drooling, vomiting, and diarrhea appear. Deworming is necessary or, if the animal’s condition is of concern, observation by a veterinarian. External parasites can provoke similar factors.

Virus or other infection

The kitten refuses to eat due to inflammatory diseases of an infectious nature. The baby should be saved immediately; the pet can quickly die.

Other complications after Covid

What other complications can arise after Covid? In addition to the respiratory system, the virus affects the heart, blood vessels and central nervous system, especially on those who have suffered a severe illness. Those who have had a mild form of the disease may experience depression, weakness, and loss of smell.

Often, patients who have recovered from COVID-19 seek help from a neurologist and psychiatrist to get rid of anxiety, panic attacks, and acute insomnia. This is due to the effect of the virus on the central nervous system. Such consequences of coronavirus can last for several months.

According to pulmonologist Alexander Palman, associate professor of the Department of Therapy of the First Moscow State Medical University named after. Sechenov

, tragic and fatal complications occur in those who have suffered a severe form of the disease with lung damage up to 70–80%. Severe complications can occur in two scenarios:

1. The direct effect of the virus on a particular organ or tissue;
2. The body's defense response to infection, which doctors call a cytokine storm. This reaction causes severe inflammation that damages organs.

Therefore, when treating seriously ill patients, hormonal agents that suppress the cytokine storm are used. To avoid thrombotic complications, the treatment regimen includes anticoagulants, since thrombosis with coronavirus is a common occurrence, and they can easily provoke a stroke.

The virus can have a direct effect even on the musculoskeletal system, and this does not arise from the fact that a person lies ill for a long time. According to doctors, this infection should not be underestimated, because it can affect organs completely unexpectedly and in a wide range.

Assisting an animal when it refuses to eat

To take action, you must first understand the reasons for refusing to eat.

1. If the cat does not eat the dry formula, but at the same time happily absorbs the treat, there is no reason to worry. You need to choose a constant food that your pet will eat with pleasure.
2. You should carefully observe the behavior of the cat - maybe she is hunting on the street and eating her prey, or someone is feeding her. It may be necessary to limit the cat’s free movement for some time to normalize the feeding regime and diet.
3. It is necessary to give the usual food in a heated form, this will certainly cause an increase in appetite in a healthy animal.
4. You can try adding special dietary supplements or herbs to your diet that increase your appetite.
5. If the reason for refusing food was a hormonal surge, then the situation will normalize within a week at most.
6. Try to carefully drink and feed your pet liquid food through a syringe without a needle. If the animal categorically refuses to eat, there is no need to force it, you should consult a veterinarian.

When additional unfavorable factors are added to poor appetite - the cat becomes lethargic, apathetic, vomiting, diarrhea, bad breath - you cannot postpone a visit to the doctor. Most likely, this condition was caused by poisoning, infection or other pathological factors.

How to identify consequences after coronavirus

Not all patients need to go for a full examination of the body in order to identify what complications remain after Covid and whether they remain at all? Then clinics will have no time to treat patients. But some people after COVID-19 really need rehabilitation measures to eliminate the consequences. When should you seek help after you have had coronavirus?

First of all, this is poor health, a deterioration in the quality of life, and certain complaints that prevent a return to normal activities. Then you need to consult a therapist if the cause of your poor health is not clear, or go to a specialist in a narrow field with a specific complaint. The doctor must determine the direction of the study, identify the cause of the disease and take measures for rehabilitation.

When is it necessary to go to the doctor?

Be sure to consult a veterinarian if your pet has poor appetite if additional adverse symptoms are present:

• repeated vomiting;
• loose frequent stools, especially with blood;
• decreased general tone, apathy;
• complete refusal of water;
• ineffective intermittent urge to urinate or defecate;
• pain in the abdominal cavity;
• bloated belly;
• sneezing, drooling, discharge from the eyes;
• formation of dry, painful crusts on the nose and around the mouth;
• feverish condition.

Prevention

To prevent your pet from refusing to eat, the following simple measures should be followed:

• normalize diet;
• do not allow the cat to be outside uncontrolled;
• diversify your diet;
• feed the animal only premium and super-premium mixtures;
• exclude food from the human table;
• choose food in accordance with the cat’s taste preferences;
• avoid stressing the animal;
• sterilize your pet in time or provide him with a full sex life;
• carefully transfer to a new diet, especially kittens;
• prevent the animal from overheating in the hot season;
• vaccinate annually;
• regularly deworm and treat for external parasites;
• Long-haired breeds should be combed out and given pastes to prevent the formation of hairballs;
• Bring your pet to the veterinarian regularly for checkups.

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Consequences after vaccination against coronavirus

Talking about the consequences of coronavirus that can affect a person’s life in the future, one cannot help but mention the complications after vaccination against COVID-19. The vaccination campaign is gaining momentum. Despite the fierce debate among supporters for and against the coronavirus vaccine, vaccination statistics show that about 30% of the world's population has already been vaccinated.

How the vaccine works, whether you should be afraid of the consequences after vaccination against coronavirus and whether there are ways to protect yourself from complications - we will tell you further.

Coronavirus vaccine - consequences of vaccination

The injected drug familiarizes the immune system with the virus. In response to foreign invasion, the body launches immune defense. Therefore, the very first consequence of the coronavirus vaccine is swelling and redness in the injection area. This is a local reaction, it is caused by the rush of cells to the site of vaccine administration, the task of which is to prevent the spread of the disease throughout the body.

Next, the drug with the virus enters the blood. The body’s natural response is to “heat” the body to destroy the enemy, produce antibodies to fight it, and “memorize” the pathogen in order to quickly destroy it when it hits it again, preventing the development of the disease. Thus, a vaccinated person develops lasting immunity to COVID-19.

When the temperature rises, muscle weakness appears, and headache is a normal reaction. How long and how severe such consequences will appear after vaccination against coronavirus depends on the individual organism. The same infection (any kind at that) is tolerated differently by different people, so the drug itself has nothing to do with it. Often, after the vaccine is administered, no external manifestations or reactions are observed.

Vaccination against COVID-19: complications and contraindications

But do not confuse the reaction to the introduction of the vaccine with complications after vaccination against Covid. A complication is an unexpectedly serious condition that occurs after administration of the drug. Such conditions include anaphylactic shock (a sharp drop in blood pressure, cessation of oxygen supply to organs and tissues), the occurrence of convulsions, encephalitis and other serious conditions.

Similar reactions develop in those who have contraindications, but for some reason have undergone the vaccination stage. You cannot vaccinate if you have:

chronic kidney pathologies; diseases of the cardiovascular, endocrine, hematopoietic systems; autoimmune disorders; pronounced pathologies of the central nervous system; severe allergic reactions with previously administered vaccinations.

If such pathologies are present, there is a high risk of complications after vaccination against Covid. Persons under 18 years of age, people over 65, and pregnant women cannot be vaccinated. For those who have recently suffered a severe form of coronavirus, it is also better to hold off on the vaccine, since after the illness there is an increased level of antibodies in the body. As a result of vaccination, their number will increase even more, which can cause a violent immune reaction in the body - the cytokine storm that we talked about above.