Why Is My Cat Staggering, Here is The Causes !
Has your cat ever suddenly staggered. Then in your mind you must be asking why is my cat staggering ? Why is he walking like that ? Why is he like this huh? Maybe you have or are experiencing this.
I've also experienced this when my cat, which was walking normally, the next day staggered. After I tried to give him deworming medicine and food portions until he was full a few days later he had white worms in his poop. It turned out that my guess was right that my cat had worms.
Then it went back to normal. If my cat has been dewormed but isn't feeling well and continues to stagger for 5 days, it's likely she's got an illness so I need to take her to the vet.
Why Is My Cat Staggering, Here Is The Causes
Apart from worms, there are actually many things that can cause a cat to stagger. Generally, the cat walks staggering caused by disease or health problems. The condition of a staggering cat should not be left alone because it can cause dangerous risks such as paralysis and even death.
The following may be the reason why the cat staggers :
1. Worms
Cats with intestinal worms are usually fat only in the belly or stomach, the stomach when pressed hard is not soft, the appetite is high but the body is not fat, it gets thinner, has difficulty defecating.
In my case above, the cat staggered because he felt his body lacked energy because all the food and nutrients that entered the body were devoured by the worms. In severe cases of worms, cats may vomit worms or have blood in their feces.
2. Cerebellar Hypoplasia
One of the causes of staggering cats is cerebellar hypoplasia. This disorder affects the cat's body coordination, motor system and spatial awareness. Characteristics of cats experiencing this disorder is the cat moves stiff, jerks, staggers. Most cases of this disorder in cats are congenital.
So if a cat has cerebellar hypoplasia, it will usually be detected when the cat is still a child. However, the condition of each cat suffering from cerebellar hypoplasia can be different based on the level of the disorder.
Cats with mild disorders will only experience disturbances in the head and stagger when walking, but for severe cat disorders such as paralysis and must be fed when he eats. To avoid this hypoplastic disorder, you can only vaccinate cats because the cause of this disorder is the panleukopenia virus. For the drug itself has not been found until now
3. Dehydration
When a cat is dehydrated it can cause the cat to stagger and seem as if he will fall. This is because the cat is thirsty and becomes weak, as a result the cat will lack energy to walk.
4. Stroke
Stroke can be a vascular cause, namely a lack of blood supply to the brain. Vascular disorders will make sufferers experience balance problems due to the brain not functioning properly. This is one of the reasons why cats stagger.
If this disorder is allowed to drag on, it will not only make the cat stagger but can cause an even more fatal effect, namely paralysis in cats.
5. Distemper
Distemper disease is a malignant disease, highly contagious and has a high risk of death. Cats who suffer from distemper will experience neurological disorders that cause poor cat body balance. This is one of the reasons why cats stagger.
6. Ataxia
Ataxia is a disorder of the cat's nervous system. The main cause is a disturbance in the brain, coordination and balance systems in the cat's body. As a result, body movements are difficult to control and make the cat look like he is staggering.
Characteristics Of Cats With Ataxia
The cat looks weak.
The cat's head is often tilted.
The cat steps with a higher foot height than when he is healthy
Tremoring Cat Body.
Staggering Walking Cat.
Move as if out of balance and a bit clumsy
Cats often vomit.
The cat's eyes move strangely.
The cat changes its attitude all of a sudden
If the cat is staggering and has the above characteristics, then you should immediately go to the nearest vet to get the best treatment.
7. IVD (Idiopathic Vestibular Disease)
IVD is also one of the many causes of staggering cats. IVD is a disorder of the vestibular system. However, it is very difficult to distinguish whether the cause of the cat's walking staggers due to IVD or CVD if we are ordinary people ( not doctors ).
Generally, the symptoms of IVD are marked by the cat vomiting frequently, the cat's eyes tend to move to the side and difficulty in moving. If your cat has an IVD disorder, don't worry too much because this disorder has a high cure rate and doesn't cause any serious problems if you take your cat to the vet.
8. Poisoning
A poisoned cat will feel that his body is sick and the cat will stagger and foam at the mouth. Cats who can still stagger or walk as if they have difficulty walking are usually mildly poisoned cats. Usually this can be caused by a cat eating something outside the house carelessly.
Whether it's mice that have been exposed to rat poison, plants that have been sprayed with insecticide or maybe poisoned by neighbors with poisoned food because they feel uncomfortable with the presence of cats in their homes.
This mild poisoning can be cured with coconut water or can be cure if cat immediately taken to the vet. But for cases of severe poisoning, the cat will also stagger like a drunk person. But what makes the difference is that the cat will die a few minutes or hours later, even though we have tried to provide first aid by giving coconut water.
9. Encephalitis or encephalitis or inflammation of the brain
Brain inflammation in cats can be caused by many factors, strating from parasites, decreased immunity, viruses and so on. Cats suffering from encephalitis will stagger, sometimes fall and have a fever.
10. Head Injury
Cats are very active and playful animals. Sometimes while playing his head may hit the wall or hit the floor when the cat is playing alone or playing with other cats. If the head injury is severe, it can cause the cat to stagger and be traumatized.
If your cat staggers for more than an hour after hitting or hitting her head, it is likely that the cat has suffered a serious injury. So as the owner, it is better to immediately take him to the nearest vet.
11. Feline Vestibular Disease (FVD)
Cats with FVD often lift their heads and are confused due to problems with the vestibular system in their inner ears. Cats who have FVD disorder will have difficulty standing or walking so that the cat looks as if he is staggering.
How to Overcome a Staggering Cat?
For a simple way to deal with a staggering cat is to take him to the vet so he can immediately get the right treatment. This method is suitable for those of you who don't want to be dizzy and really love your pet cat.
The next method is a bit difficult, especially if we are not experts in this field. The only way is to find the source of the disturbance that causes the cat to stagger and give the appropriate medication. For example, if the cat is poisoned, then the antidote is given.
If it turns out that a staggering cat cannot be cured but can still live without the risk of death, usually the cat owner will make a special cat wheelchair so that the cat can move and walk like other normal cats.
Conclusion
Staggering walking cats can be caused by many things such as intestinal worms, poisoning, nervous disorders or due to disease. This disorder will cause the cat to feel weak and stagger due to difficulty walking. If left without proper treatment, the cat could lose his life.
Therefore, according to Angora's experience, first identify the cause, then give the right medicine, but don't just guess the cause. However, if within a few days if there is no change and the cat continues to stagger, it is better to immediately take him to the vet for treatment.
Thus the article on why the cat staggers, here is the explanation. Hopefully it will be useful for all cat lovers.
