Bloodwork: CBC reflects panleukopenia, thrombocytopenia, and anemia.
Treatment
Supportive care: Crystalloid and colloidal fluids, broad-spectrum antibiotics for secondary infections, anti-nausea medication, and pain control.
Hygiene and isolation: Critical for preventing further exposure.
Prevention
Vaccination: Recommended for kittens, breeding queens, and adult cats.
Isolate infected animals and maintain good hygiene/disinfection practices.
Euthanasia: May be necessary for seriously ill animals due to high mortality rate.
Toxoplasmosis
Characteristics:
A protozoal disease affecting cats of all ages, with cats as the definite host.
Cats shed oocysts only after their first infection.
Infection usually through raw meat or infected prey.
Possible Outcomes of Infection
Affects multiple organ systems: Respiratory, pancreas, muscle, liver, eyes, intestines, and neurological.
Silent Infections: Not all cats show clinical signs.
Dormant Infections: Organism lays dormant; reactivation possible under stress or illness, without re-shedding.
Diagnosis
Fecal testing: Identifying oocysts can be unreliable.
Antibody titers: Testing on serum, Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), or aqueous humor.
Histological findings: Bradyzoites in tissues like brain, muscle, and eye or tachyzoites in affected fluids or tissues.
Bloodwork: Signs of inflammation, anemia, and chemistry abnormalities may be present.
Treatment
Antibiotics: Clindamycin, trimethoprim-sulfonamide, or azithromycin.
Supportive care: Fluid and electrolyte balance, seizure control, anti-inflammatory therapy for uveitis, and pain control for any systemic effects.
Prevention of Infections
Do not allow hunting or feeding raw foods to cats.
Preventing Human Infections: Maintain daily litter box hygiene, wash hands, ensure vegetables are clean, cook food thoroughly, and avoid unpasteurized milk.
Canine Distemper Virus (CDV)
Characteristics:
A deadly disease affecting many carnivorous animals.
Transmission
Spread through bodily fluids (urine, feces, vomit) and respiratory secretions.
Fomite spread is common.
Possible Outcomes of Infection
Often fatal in puppies and immune-compromised adult dogs.
Full-blown Disease: Symptoms include vomiting, diarrhea, fever, pneumonia, death, skin infections, hyperkeratosis on paws and nose, and neurological signs.
Recovery can lead to persistent neurologic issues.
Diagnosis
Clinical signs: Observational diagnosis based on symptoms.
WBC inclusions: Identifiable in blood tests.
PCR test or IFA testing: To confirm infection result.
Coupled IgM and IgG titers can assist but are challenging to interpret.
Treatment
Supportive care: Address fluid and electrolyte imbalances and provide nutrition.
Antibiotics: For managing secondary infections.
Euthanasia: May be necessary for untreated cases.
Prevention
Vaccinate: At appropriate ages and intervals.
Maintain excellent hygiene to prevent fomite transmission.
Treat affected dogs in isolation to prevent outbreaks.
Canine Parvovirus (CPV)
Characteristics:
A highly contagious and deadly virus in dogs.
Transmission
Spread through fecal-oral route: diarrhea, vomit, contaminated environments or fomites.
Can survive in the environment for years.
Possible Outcomes of Infection
Most severe in young, poorly vaccinated puppies.
Symptoms: Anorexia, vomiting, diarrhea, destruction of intestinal lining, bone marrow suppression, leukopenia, and anemia.
Recovery is possible with appropriate care.
Diagnosis
Point-of-care ELISA test: SNAP/Witness tests are common, yet may yield false negatives.
PCR test: Can confirm suspected cases when tests show negative results.
Clinical signs: Noteworthy for diagnosis in young, under-vaccinated puppies.
CBC results: Lymphopenia and neutropenia are common findings.
Treatment
IV fluids: Crystalloids +/− colloids for hydration and nutrient replenishment.
Antibiotics: To prevent sepsis.
Anti-nausea medication and pain control.
Nursing care: Essential, including proper hygiene to avoid re-infection, and thermoregulation.
Prevention
Vaccination: Optimal practices suggest following manufacturer recommendations, usually ceasing at 14-16 weeks.
Safe environments: Keeping puppies in low-risk areas until fully vaccinated.
Excellent disinfection practices, employing diluted bleach solutions and specific disinfectants.
Rickettsial Diseases
Overview:
Bacterial infections transmitted through tick bites, prevalence varies geographically.
History of travel to tick-infested areas is critical in diagnosis.
Transmission
Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever (RMSF): Spread by Dermacentor ticks.
Ehrlichiosis: Spread by Rhipicephalus sanguineus and Dermacentor virabilis.
Anaplasmosis and Lyme Disease: Spread through Ixodes ticks. Borrelia burgdorferi is the causative agent for Lyme Disease.
Possible Outcomes of Infection
Subclinical infections: No overt symptoms.
Clinical infections: RMSF and Ehrlichiosis lead to vasculitis and systemic issues; may present rashes and affect major organs.
Chronic infections: Risk of re-infection persists; prior exposure does not confer immunity.
Diagnosis
Based on clinical signs and tick exposure history.
Finding morulae in white blood cells via buffy coat smear.
Point-of-care SNAP testing for antibodies.
Titer testing and PCR testing for definitive diagnosis.
CBC and chemistry results: Variable depending on affected organs.
Treatment
Immediately remove all ticks from the patient.
Tetracyclines: Doxycycline is the most commonly prescribed.
Anti-inflammatories: NSAIDs or steroids, but not concurrently.
Supportive care: As needed based on symptoms.
Prevention
Avoid tick-infested areas, rapidly remove ticks.
Consistent use of tick preventatives: Simparica, Bravecto, Advantage, and Seresto collars.
Rabies
Characteristics:
A highly contagious virus affecting all mammals, including humans.
Transmission
Contracted mainly through contact with saliva or CNS tissues;
Common wildlife carriers include skunks, raccoons, foxes, and bats, alongside domestic animals like dogs and cats.
Possible Outcomes of Infection
Nothing: If proper post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) is administered (only applies to humans).
In vaccinated pets following rabies exposure:
Risk of symptoms is minimal, includes behaviors like aggression or unusual friendliness.
Clinical Symptoms: Hydrophobia, paralysis, and eventual death; survival post-symptom onset is very rare.
Diagnosis
Required examination of brain tissue via a qualified laboratory.
Must refrigerate samples without freezing;
Typically, entire heads or bodies are submitted for proper diagnosis using direct fluorescent antibody testing.
Human Treatment
Post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP): Immediate washing of the bite area for 15 minutes.
Need for rabies antibodies infusion followed by a series of rabies vaccinations.
Animal Treatment
Generally, there is no effective treatment for rabies.
Euthanasia of suspected rabies cases is advised; vaccinated pets exposed to rabid animals should receive booster vaccines.
Prevention
Vaccination: Vital for domestic species and vector wildlife.
Continued vaccination is important for humans who frequently handle susceptible animals.
Air drops of flavored rabies vaccines are conducted in wildlife areas with endemic rabies.
Quarantine Guidelines
Quarantine specifics vary regionally. Major points include:
10-day: for pets that have bitten a person.
45-day: for vaccinated animals exposed to rabid animals.
6-month: for unvaccinated pets that encounter rabid creatures, may result in euthanasia.
All determinations are made by local animal control authorities.