There are certain health issues that new pets are prone to suffer, and kittens are no exception. There are several illnesses in particular that you should be on the alert for in the weeks after you bring a kitten home. Keep reading to learn about six of these health problems, and remember that you can build up your kitty's immune system with a healthful diet.

1) Upper Respiratory Infections

This is a dangerous condition for any kitten to come down with. The source of the illness is usually a bacteria or virus that has been transmitted by other felines through sneezing or breathing. If your kitten has an upper respiratory infection they could show the following symptoms:

• Sneezing
• Yellow gunk in your kitten's eyes
• Running nose
• Difficulty breathing
• Loss of appetite

If the symptoms are minor, you can afford to take your pet to the veterinarian tomorrow. If your kitten won't eat or cannot breathe well, then this requires an emergency visit to the vet. In general, the infection can lessen in five to seven days, or it could lie dormant inside your pet's system, causing a recurrence of this infection in the future.

2) Feline Distemper

Fortunately, this is not a common condition, but it can be deadly. This occurs when your kitten's immune system is under siege from a virus, until their immune system deteriorates completely. All it takes is a kitten licking or eating a microscopic-sized portion of contaminated stool to spread this fatal infection. There is really no treatment for this illness, but it could be prevented through feline distemper vaccines. The symptoms for distemper include:

• Vomiting
• Loss of appetite
• Diarrhea that is slimy and white

Kittens with these symptoms should be taken to the hospital at once so that the infection cannot spread. A veterinarian could administer an antibiotic so that the kitten will not suffer any secondary infections; but sadly, many kittens with this dangerous illness end up euthanized.

3) Intestinal Worms

So, here's another reason why you have to keep your kitten from ingesting fecal matter. Worm eggs can be transferred in this way, causing your kitten to suffer from roundworms, hookworms, or whipworms, for instance. As an additional warning, humans can end up with worms if they do not completely clean fruit or veggies that have touched soil contaminated with this fecal matter. Symptoms of worms in your kitten include:

• Weight loss
• Diarrhea

Starting from when your kitten is eight weeks old, you should get your kitten dewormed at the veterinarian's, and on a regular basis. Deworming products that you could buy at a store are not as powerful as what a vet will have on hand. Your kitten should be able to recover in a couple of weeks, but there is the risk for them to become re-infected.

4) Coccidian

Unlike feline distemper, you cannot give your cat a vaccination against coccidian, which is also transmitted through a kitten eating fecal matter. Symptoms for this illness could include:

• Dehydration
• Diarrhea
• Loss of appetite

A vet has to study your kitten's stool to tell for certain if your kitty has this illness. If they do, your veterinarian can administer the necessary medicine. Hopefully, your kitten will get better in a week or three, but a vet will need to look at your cat's stool again to make sure that the illness has passed.

5) Fleas

These pests can camp out on your kitten for months, but you should be able to see them. They may look like pepper in your cat's fur. Fortunately, it should only take your kitty a day to get over fleas after treatment has started. Just be certain to NEVER apply dog medicine to your kitten; this could actually kill them. Always go by the label on the topical medicine, as it should tell you, among other things, how old a kitten has to be in order for you to safely administer this medication. Your kitten might have fleas if you notice:

• Hair loss (particularly around the rump)
• Itching

6) Ear Mites

These nasty critters are similar to fleas in a number of ways, but they are very, very small. These white mites could be a fraction of the size of a salt grain. Still, you can spot them if you search carefully. If you see powdery or flaky white stuff inside your pet's ear, this could be blood that the mites have sucked and digested. Symptoms of this condition can include:

• Ear scratching
• Head shaking (if done excessively, your kitten runs the risk of bursting a blood vessel)

This condition can usually be treated in one to two weeks with liquid drops.

To learn more about raising a healthy kitten, or to find the emergency health care your kitten needs, contact a veterinarian on our directory today!