What is cat flu?
Cat flu (also known as upper respiratory tract disease) is a general term used to describe common set of symptoms of the upper respiratory tract.
What causes cat flu?
Cat flu is caused several pathogens (disease causing organisms). The most common causes are Feline herpes virus (FHV), feline calicivirus (FCV), Feline Reovirus, Bordetella Bronchiseptica & Feline Chlamydophila.
FHV & FCV are by far the most common cause of cat flu, being responsible for 80% of cases. FHV typically is the more severe of the two.
What are the symptoms of cat flu?
Many of the causes of cat flu have overlapping symptoms, however some causes have individual symptoms. For example, mouth ulcers are often seen in a cat with of feline calicivirus, whereas eye ulcers are seen with feline herpes virus. Cats with FCV may also develop a limp.
Sneezing
Nasal discharge
Eye discharge
Mouth ulcers
Eye ulcers
Fever
Loss of appetite
How is cat flu spread?
Direct contact: Infection is passed from an sick or carrier cat via eye, nasal & mouth discharges.
Indirect contact: Contaminated food bowls, bedding etc. Calicivirus is resistant to many disinfectants & can live in the environment for long periods of time.
How is cat flu diagnosed?
Your veterinarian will perform a physical examination of your cat & may make a diagnosis based on presenting symptoms. To determine the exact pathogen, he may take a throat or eye swab to send off to a laboratory for testing.
How is cat flu treated?
Treatment depends on the cause of the cat flu. There are no drugs to treat viral infections & supportive care is necessary. This includes keeping the nose clear of discharge. A stuffed up cat will often lose it's appetite, therefore it is of utmost importance that you do everything you can to encourage your cat to eat & drink. If your cat refuses to eat/drink then please seek veterinary advice immediately.
Even if the cause is viral, antibiotics may be prescribed to protect against secondary bacterial infections.
Feline Chlamydophila:
Antibiotic eye ointment (usually tetracycline) will be prescribed.
There is an interesting article on the use of another antibiotic known as Zithromax which can be found here...
FHV:
Supportive care.
Antiviral drugs.
L-Lysine has been shown to suppress viral replication and inhibit cytopathogenicity.
Removal of discharge from the nose & eyes will make your cat more comfortable.
If the cat has become anorexic, force feeding may be necessary. Fluids may also be required to treat dehydration.
FCV:
Supportive care.
Removal of discharge from the nose & eyes will make your cat more comfortable.
If the cat has become anorexic, force feeding may be necessary. Fluids may also be required to treat dehydration.
Antibiotics may be prescribed to treat secondary bacterial infections.
How is cat flu prevented?
Vaccinating your cat will protect it against FHV & FCV. These are covered in the regular F3 vaccination.
There is a vaccination available for Chlamydophila felis. There are side effects associated with a small percentage of cats including lethargy, lameness, depression, anorexia, fever & therefore it is only recommended for high risk situations. The use of this vaccine and as such the American Association of Feline Practitioners don't recommend routine use of this vaccination. For full information on the AAPT recommendations, please visit their site here...
Proper hand washing & changing of your clothing after handling other cats, especially high risk cats such as those in a shelter should be practiced before handling your own cats. Also, as a courtesy, if you are visiting different breeders or shelters in the one day, advise them beforehand. Some breeders will ask you not to visit them if you have been to another cattery, to reduce the chances of transmitting diseases.
Can I catch colds & flu from my cat?
No, it is not possible to catch a cold or flu from your cat, nor can your cat catch a cold or flu from you.
Carriers:
In the cases of FHV & FCV, once recovered, the cat will be a carrier. This means they will show no outward signs of infection, may shed the virus intermittently or continually, exposing other cats to infection.
There may be the occasional outbreak at times of stress (pregnancy, lactation, overcrowding, poor nutrition, new family member etc.) or sickness.
Resources : Cat-world.com.au
Showing posts with label Cat Article - Health. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Cat Article - Health. Show all posts
Saturday, October 18, 2008
Feline Chlamydophila (Chlamydiosis)
What is Feline Chlamydophila?
Pneumonitis was a term used to describe upper respiratory infections & it was originally believed that the culprit was Chlamydia psittaci. This was due to isolation of the bacterium from cats with "pneumonitis". Pneumonitis means "inflammation of the lungs". It was later realised that Chlamydophilia felis is not the main cause of respiratory disease of cats, but feline viral rhinotrachetis & feline calicivirus are the cause of the majority of feline respiratory diseases.
Chlamydophila felis (formerly known as Chlamydia psittici) is a common disease caused by an intracellular bacterium (a bacterium which lives inside the host's cells). Chlamydia psittaci, has been reclassified by veterinary microbiologists. The family Chlamydiae is now divided into two genera, Chlamydia and Chlamydophila. The genus Chlamydophila contains four species, including Chlamydophila felis, a causative agent for conjunctivitis in cats.
Chlamydophila felis doesn't survive well in the environment & is easily killed by routine disinfection.
What are the symptoms of Feline Chlamydophila?
The predominant clinical sign of C. Felis is conjunctivitis; an abnormal eye discharge due to inflammation of the conjunctiva, the membrane lining the inside of the eyelid & the the white part of the eye itself, (known as the sclera). The eyes initially develop a watery discharge, as the infection progresses, the conjunctiva becomes reddened & swollen & the discharge becomes thicker. It may start out with discharge from one eye, but usually spreads to both eyes. Symptoms usually appear around 5 days after exposure.
Mild upper respiratory symptoms such as low grade fever, nasal discharge & sneezing may also be present.
It is possible for a cat to appear outwardly healthy but be shedding the bacteria which can be passed onto other cats via eye discharge.
What does Feline Chlamydophila do?
Chlamydophila felis attach themselves to the mucosal cells of the conjunctiva, gastrointestinal & genital tracts. The eyes become red, inflamed & develop a discharge.
In young kittens chlamydiosis may cause pneumonia.
How do cats become infected?
Direct: Contact with an infected cat, such as nasal & ocular discharges. Kittens may become infected during the birth process.
Indirect: Unlikely as Chlamydophila felis doesn't survive well in the environment, contact with food bowls, bedding, litter trays, pet owner's hands etc. It is always advisable to exercise caution when dealing with infected cats & practice routine hand washing & disinfecting in order to minimise the risks of infecting other cats.
Which cats are at risk?
Chlamydiosis can affect any cats but it is more often seen in kittens between 5 & 9 months of age & cats in overcrowded or stressful environments such as animal shelters.
How is Feline Chlamydophila diagnosed?
Diagnosis may be tentatively made based on clinical symptoms. Your veterinarian will take an eye swab from an infected cat which will be sent to a laboratory for testing. There are several tests which can be performed, including PCR (polymerase chain reaction), Immunofluorescent assay (IFA) or bacterial culture.
How is it treated?
Antibiotic eye ointment (usually tetracycline) will be prescribed.
There is an interesting article on the use of another antibiotic known as Zithromax which can be found here...
Prevention of Feline Chlamydophila:
Vaccination. There is a vaccination available for Chlamydophila felis. It can reduce the severity of symptoms but doesn't prevent infection in the first place. There are side effects associated with a small percentage of cats including lethargy, lameness, depression, anorexia, fever & therefore it is only recommended for high risk situations. The use of this vaccine and as such the American Association of Feline Practitioners don't recommend routine use of this vaccination. For full information on the AAPT recommendations, please visit their site here...
Routine disinfection. Chlamydophila felis is easily killed in the environment & proper hygiene control is recommended.
Resources : Cat-World.com.au
Please note:
The medical articles on this site have not been written by a veterinarian & should not be considered a replacement for a veterinarian visit. The articles are provided for informative purposes only.
Always seek immediate veterinary advice for any problems (health or behavioral) in your pets.
While great care has been made in the creation of these articles, we cannot guarantee the accuracy or omissions on these pages. If in any doubt whatsoever, seek professional medical advice.
Pneumonitis was a term used to describe upper respiratory infections & it was originally believed that the culprit was Chlamydia psittaci. This was due to isolation of the bacterium from cats with "pneumonitis". Pneumonitis means "inflammation of the lungs". It was later realised that Chlamydophilia felis is not the main cause of respiratory disease of cats, but feline viral rhinotrachetis & feline calicivirus are the cause of the majority of feline respiratory diseases.
Chlamydophila felis (formerly known as Chlamydia psittici) is a common disease caused by an intracellular bacterium (a bacterium which lives inside the host's cells). Chlamydia psittaci, has been reclassified by veterinary microbiologists. The family Chlamydiae is now divided into two genera, Chlamydia and Chlamydophila. The genus Chlamydophila contains four species, including Chlamydophila felis, a causative agent for conjunctivitis in cats.
Chlamydophila felis doesn't survive well in the environment & is easily killed by routine disinfection.
What are the symptoms of Feline Chlamydophila?
The predominant clinical sign of C. Felis is conjunctivitis; an abnormal eye discharge due to inflammation of the conjunctiva, the membrane lining the inside of the eyelid & the the white part of the eye itself, (known as the sclera). The eyes initially develop a watery discharge, as the infection progresses, the conjunctiva becomes reddened & swollen & the discharge becomes thicker. It may start out with discharge from one eye, but usually spreads to both eyes. Symptoms usually appear around 5 days after exposure.
Mild upper respiratory symptoms such as low grade fever, nasal discharge & sneezing may also be present.
It is possible for a cat to appear outwardly healthy but be shedding the bacteria which can be passed onto other cats via eye discharge.
What does Feline Chlamydophila do?
Chlamydophila felis attach themselves to the mucosal cells of the conjunctiva, gastrointestinal & genital tracts. The eyes become red, inflamed & develop a discharge.
In young kittens chlamydiosis may cause pneumonia.
How do cats become infected?
Direct: Contact with an infected cat, such as nasal & ocular discharges. Kittens may become infected during the birth process.
Indirect: Unlikely as Chlamydophila felis doesn't survive well in the environment, contact with food bowls, bedding, litter trays, pet owner's hands etc. It is always advisable to exercise caution when dealing with infected cats & practice routine hand washing & disinfecting in order to minimise the risks of infecting other cats.
Which cats are at risk?
Chlamydiosis can affect any cats but it is more often seen in kittens between 5 & 9 months of age & cats in overcrowded or stressful environments such as animal shelters.
How is Feline Chlamydophila diagnosed?
Diagnosis may be tentatively made based on clinical symptoms. Your veterinarian will take an eye swab from an infected cat which will be sent to a laboratory for testing. There are several tests which can be performed, including PCR (polymerase chain reaction), Immunofluorescent assay (IFA) or bacterial culture.
How is it treated?
Antibiotic eye ointment (usually tetracycline) will be prescribed.
There is an interesting article on the use of another antibiotic known as Zithromax which can be found here...
Prevention of Feline Chlamydophila:
Vaccination. There is a vaccination available for Chlamydophila felis. It can reduce the severity of symptoms but doesn't prevent infection in the first place. There are side effects associated with a small percentage of cats including lethargy, lameness, depression, anorexia, fever & therefore it is only recommended for high risk situations. The use of this vaccine and as such the American Association of Feline Practitioners don't recommend routine use of this vaccination. For full information on the AAPT recommendations, please visit their site here...
Routine disinfection. Chlamydophila felis is easily killed in the environment & proper hygiene control is recommended.
Resources : Cat-World.com.au
Please note:
The medical articles on this site have not been written by a veterinarian & should not be considered a replacement for a veterinarian visit. The articles are provided for informative purposes only.
Always seek immediate veterinary advice for any problems (health or behavioral) in your pets.
While great care has been made in the creation of these articles, we cannot guarantee the accuracy or omissions on these pages. If in any doubt whatsoever, seek professional medical advice.
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