Feline Distemper - What You Need to Know

 

Every couple of years our kitties head to the vet for their distemper booster vaccine.  Ever wonder exactly what that vaccine fights? 

 

Feline distemper (feline panleukopenia) is a very contagious virus that devastates a cat's immune system and is often fatal.  It’s in the parvo virus family, the same one that causes the canine parvo virus.  The feline virus has caused shelters to have to euthanize many cats when there’s an outbreak. 

 

This viral disease is spread through bodily fluids like urine, saliva, mucus, vomit and feces.  It’s a strong virus that can stay around up to six weeks after the symptoms have stopped.  It’s also very hard to remove from a cat’s environment, which is why cats who live communally in a shelter or rescue are at risk.  It’s important to know that, while distemper can spread from cat to cat, it does not transmit from cat to dog or cat to human.  The reverse is also true for dogs, who can’t give distemper to cats or people. 

 

What are the symptoms?  Some common ones to watch for are:

·      Vomiting

·      Diarrhea

·      Loss of appetite

·      Lethargy and weakness

·      Bloody stools

 

You’ll probably recognize at least some of these symptoms as common to a lot of other illnesses that affect cats, so, as always, if your cat is showing any of these symptoms call your vet right away.

Distemper disables a cat’s immune system by going right into the lymph nodes and then to the bone marrow, where it suppresses the creation of white cells, which give a cat immunity to other viruses.  Once it reaches the intestinal tract, it causes diarrhea that leads to dehydration and weakens a cat’s immune system even further.  Once happens, any number of secondary infections can take over and kill a cat.  The really bad thing is that all of the above can happen before a cat even shows a single symptom.

 

This virus is particularly fatal to kittens – up to 70% who contract it don’t make it.  It’s important to note that a pregnant cat who has distemper may have kittens who have birth defects, including cerebellar hypoplasia. In all cats it works fast once it’s contracted.  To diagnose distemper, a vet will perform a variety of tests including blood chemistry tests and a blood count, electrolyte tests to assess dehydration, a microscopic fecal exam and even tests for leukemia and FIV.  As always, if your vet has baseline blood chemistry numbers for your cat and a basic health overview, it will help figure out if distemper is present much faster.

 

What does distemper treatment look like and does it work?  While treatment is possible, distemper is frequently fatal.  Treatment  will likely start with the cat being hospitalized and given IV fluid therapy that may include antibiotics and antiviral medicines.  This will allow continuous fluid and medicine administration that will help beat dehydration and any infections a cat has.  Once a cat is in recovery and goes home, the virus can still be present and can spread for up to six weeks, which means that cat should be isolated from any others in the house.  He might also need to have a special diet for a while to help his immune system recover and to reduce any diarrhea. 

 

On top of isolation, the place where the infected cat lives needs to be treated aggressively to be sure distemper doesn’t spread.  Since it’s very resistant to a lot of disinfectants – like alcohol, iodine and even bleach – a pet owner will need to rely some new products that can neutralize the distemper virus.  Once its present in your cat and home, you’ll need to stay vigilant.

 

Distemper is a pretty common virus and, in reality, most cats have been exposed to it at some time but, through their own immunity, may not have contracted it.  It's the regular vaccines that give cats immunity to distemper.  So, when your vet reminds you it's time for that booster, be sure to follow up and get it!

 

Click Here to read more about feline panleukopenia here from revivalanimal.com.

Click Here to read more about this disease from pethealthnetwork.com