Cat Flu (Upper Respiratory Tract Disease)

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