Feline diseases

Feline Panleukopenia

• Caused by a parvovirus

• Highly contagious

  • Virus can survive for years in the environment

  • Bleach/special disinfectants (virucidals) required to kill it

• Kittens 3–5 months of age and unvaccinated cats most susceptible

• Spread by direct & indirect contact

Feline Panleukopenia transmission

• Direct Contact: Shed in all body secretions — urine, feces, ocular, nasal; shed up to 6 weeks in urine and feces

• Indirect Contact:

  • Fomites (clothing, cages, dishes, etc.)

  • Vectors (flies most likely)

  • Transplacental infection — kittens infected through queen during pregnancy, causing permanent neurological problems or blindness

Feline Panleukopenia signs and treatment

• Develop in young, unvaccinated cats

• Fever 40–41.6°C

• Depression, anorexia, vomiting +/- diarrhea

• Ataxia

• Can progress to coma, hypothermia, and death

Treatment

• Supportive

• Fluids

• Antiemetics

• Antibiotics for secondary bacterial infection

• Soft, smelly food

• FPLV test — not 100% reliable

• Also known as feline distemper

• PREVENTABLE WITH VACCINE!

Feline Upper Respiratory Disease

• Three main components:

  • Feline herpesvirus (rhinotracheitis)

  • Feline calicivirus

  • Chlamydia

• 80–90% of cases are caused by herpesvirus & calicivirus

Feline Herpesvirus (Feline Viral Rhinotracheitis)

• Attacks mucosa of upper airways and conjunctiva

• Causes necrosis of nasal turbinates

• Asymptomatic carriers spread infection with no signs of disease (often show clinical signs when stressed)

• Easy to kill — inactivated in 24 hours

• Kittens most susceptible; can be infected by queen

• Clinical Signs:

  • Sneezing

  • Ocular discharge

  • Fever

  • Anorexia

  • Depression

Feline Calicivirus

• Causes ulceration of tongue and palate

• Minimal effects on conjunctiva and upper airway

• Can cause viral pneumonia

• Carriers exist

• Painful — affected cats will not eat

Clinical Signs:

• Moderate–mild nasal and ocular discharge

• Oral ulcers

• Pneumonia

• Joint pain

• Carriers will shed virus for years!

Chlamydia

• Fragile bacteria

• Conjunctivitis

• Mild rhinitis

• Mucopurulent discharge

• ZOONOTIC: Bacteria may cause conjunctivitis in humans

Feline Upper Respiratory Disease Complex (general)

• Spread by aerosols, direct contact, fomites

• Can be fatal to kittens

• No cure! Treatment is supportive care

• Death can occur from dehydration and malnutrition

• Cats will not eat if they cannot smell!

• Cats are highly susceptible to chronic or recurrent disease

• High levels of ammonia from urine make disease much more severe — keep litter boxes clean in the hospital!

• Effective vaccine available!

Feline Leukemia Virus (FeLV)

• Similar to AIDS virus in humans, but feline-only disease (retrovirus, species specific)

• Shed in all secretions — urine, feces, nasal/ocular discharge

• Spread transplacentally

• Spread through mutual grooming, sharing food bowls and litter boxes

General Notes

• Major cause of illness and death in domestic cats

  • Causes disease other than leukemia — cancer, immunodeficiency

• May not show clinical signs for months or years after infection

• Usually prolonged or repeated contact necessary (virus only viable for seconds–minutes outside the host)

• 3 possible scenarios after infection:

• 3 possible scenarios after infection: FELV

1. Adequate Immune System (Abortive Infections)

• Virus is cleared

• No clinical signs develop

• Immunity develops

2. Chronic Infection (Progressive Infections)

• Cat remains viremic (virus in blood)

• Sheds virus

• Often will develop clinical signs

3. Latent Carrier State (Regressive Infections)

• Virus remains in bone marrow

• Reactivated with stress

FELV signs and diagnosis

• Can affect the cat's body in many ways

• No signs at all

• Progressive weight loss

• Poor coat condition

• Enlarged lymph nodes

• Fever

• Recurrent infections (skin, ear, respiratory)

• Often a cause of cancer and various blood disorders

Diagnosis

• ELISA test — blood test done in-house

• IFA test — blood test sent to diagnostic lab; usually sent out after a positive ELISA to confirm

Treatment & Prevention

• NO CURE! Most infected cats eventually die of FeLV-related diseases, but can have a quality of life

• Managing FeLV+ cats involves treating specific problems:

  • Secondary bacterial infections — antibiotics

  • Severe anemia — blood transfusion

  • Proper veterinary-recommended diet (NO RAW!)

• Prevent exposure to FeLV+ cats

• Vaccinate!!

Feline Immunodeficiency Virus (FIV)

• Causes suppression of the immune system (similar to HIV in humans)

• Spread through saliva from bite wounds — outdoor cats at highest risk

• Common in animals older than 5 years (takes years from infection to disease development)

• Cats can live 5–7 years with treatment — vet needs to know about the infection!

Clinical Signs FIV

Acute:

• Enlarged lymph nodes

• Fever

• Leukopenia

• Turns into asymptomatic stage (can last for years)

Chronic:

• Persistent diarrhea

• Upper respiratory infections

• Ocular and oral lesions

• Gingivitis

• Neurological signs — behavioral changes, twitches, seizures

prevention and treatment of FIV

• Clinical signs

• ELISA — snap test with blood sample (in-house)

• IFA — blood sent to diagnostic lab

• All tests depend on the cat mounting an immune response, as they detect antibodies in the blood:

  • If cat has not mounted a response → false negative

  • If cat has been vaccinated → false positive

Prevention & Treatment

• No cure!

• Prevent exposure to virus (cat bites)

• Vaccine available (non-core)

• Treatment is supportive

• Cats can live normal lives if managed appropriately:

  • Regular veterinary exams

  • Proper nutrition

  • Reduce exposure to infectious agents

Feline Infectious Peritonitis (FIP)

• Most commonly infects kittens and cats < 1 year old (often those in crowded, shelter-like conditions)

• Most commonly spread through fecal-oral route — virus shed in feces and oronasal secretions

• Contaminated fomites may play a role in transmission (inhalation)

clinical signs of FIP

• Effective Immune System: Recovers in primary phase of infection; no clinical signs

• Ineffective Immune System: Wet form or dry form — both are fatal

Wet Form:

• Fluid accumulates in body cavities — enlarged/distended abdomen

• Fever

• Dyspnea due to fluid on chest

• Weight loss

• Lethargic

• Anorexic

Dry Form:

• Fever, lethargy, anorexia

• Weight loss

• Mesenteric lymph nodes palpable (enlarged)

• Ocular hemorrhage or lesions

• Icterus — if liver is affected

• Neurological signs

Diagnosis and treatment of FIP

• Clinical signs

• Peritoneal/pleural analysis

• ELISA and IFA — not very reliable, as they only indicate exposure to coronavirus, not necessarily the strain that causes FIP

• Biopsy and necropsy exams

Prevention & Treatment

• Avoid overcrowding

• Keep litter boxes and kennels clean

• Intranasal vaccine — not reliable

• Proper nutrition

• This disease is often secondary to FeLV

• No cure, fatal disease

Rabies

• SEVERE, FATAL, ZOONOTIC disease of many mammalian species!

  • Any warm-blooded mammal can contract rabies

• Spread through contact with saliva or wounds of an infected animal

  • Needs to be direct contact!

• Exposure = disease = 100% morbidity, 100% mortality!!

  Clinical Signs

  • Affects nervous system and salivary glands

    • Inability to swallow is what causes the classic "drooling"

    • This is not always evident

  • Behavioural signs vary widely:

    • Wild animals may act "tame"

    • Nocturnal animals are out during daylight