Symptoms of Distemper in Cats: How to Manage and Recognize Distemper

A disease such as feline distemper (panleukopenia) belongs to the viral diseases of the Parvoviridae family. It is highly contagious and poses a serious danger to the animal.

Today we will talk about what this feline disease is, you will also find out what are the symptoms of distemper in cats, and how it can be cured.

General concept of cat distemper

After a cat becomes infected with a dangerous virus and doctors diagnose this disease in her, the following first symptoms appear:

• decrease in the number of leukocytes;
• temperature increase;
• diarrhea symptoms;
• vomiting;
• The cat’s body is severely dehydrated.

Also, cat distemper can be designated by the following names:

• cat fever;
• parovirus infection;
• infectious enteritis;
• agranulocytosis;
• feline ataxia;
• infectious laryngotracheitis.

The peculiarity of the virus lies in its good resistance in the external environment, as well as to all kinds of disinfectants and high temperatures. Because of all this, it is able to retain its pathogenic properties for a long time. A disinfectant at a concentration of up to three percent cannot kill the distemper virus; it is also not afraid of temperatures up to 60 degrees for an hour.

The feline distemper virus can enter the external environment through the feces, urine or saliva of a sick animal. Infection occurs through contact of a healthy cat with contaminated objects or direct contact with a cat that is a carrier of the disease. The intrauterine method of infection with a virus or through the bites of insects that drink blood is questionable.

Young cats and small kittens are most susceptible to infection, and in case of re-infection, the virus affects the animal regardless of age. For humans, distemper in cats does not pose any danger.

Distemper in cats: symptoms

Symptoms of this disease do not appear in animals immediately, but approximately 3-10 days after the moment of infection. Among the most common symptoms are:

• depressed behavior and general weakness;
• body temperature rises to 40 degrees;
• vomiting and loose stools;
• dehydration, which can be identified by dry skin, sunken eyes and dirty cat hair;
• the lymph nodes are enlarged, this can be determined by probing the abdomen in the presence of a thickening that causes pain in the animal;
• signs of exhaustion increase over time.

One of the first symptoms of distemper is a loss of interest in everything, almost complete refusal of water and food, the animal vomits yellow, green or watery masses. With the development of the disease, traces of blood begin to appear in the vomit.

With diarrhea, feces have a liquid consistency with impurities of blood, the smell is unbearably fetid. The animal is thirsty, but the spasm in the larynx and pain in the abdomen cannot allow it to drink even a little liquid.

If distemper spreads to the cat’s heart, a dry cough is added to the symptoms, the mucous membrane turns blue, and it becomes increasingly difficult for her to breathe.

Sometimes after a few days, accompanied by the listed symptoms, the cat gets better, in other cases, the animal dies.

Among the secondary symptoms of distemper in cats are the following:

• damage to the brain and cerebellum;
• anemia;
• lesions in the retina.

Methods of diagnosing the disease

If you notice strange changes in your pet’s behavior, take his temperature first. If it is too high, then take the animal to the veterinarian immediatelyotherwise it may not survive the disease.

The diagnosis is made on a complex basis in the following way:

• consider all clinical manifestations of distemper;
• take into account the presence or absence of vaccinations;
• specify about contacts with other animals;
• taking cat blood for analysis in order to conduct a virological study.

If the animal has distemper, the leukocytes in the blood will be greatly increased.

disease prevention

Most veterinarians believe that the best preventive measure to combat this disease is timely vaccination of the animal. As a rule, such vaccines are mono- and polyvalent, while different drugs can be used:

• Felovax;
• Nobivak;
• Multifel;
• Quadricate.

The first time from distemper cats are vaccinated at the age of one and a half months, and the second time – about a month later. In the future, such your cat should be vaccinated every year his life long.

Treatment methods for feline distemper

Due to the fact that cat distemper is too resistant, there are practically no effective drugs against it, and the treatment is carried out by a complex method, while the treatment regimen is prescribed individually each time.

For the treatment of disease etiotropic drugs are used, which should destroy the virus itself and conduct a therapy that is designed to rid the animal of the symptoms of distemper.

In order to destroy the virus, a drug such as Vitafel globulin is used, which kills viruses not only of distemper, but also of calicivirus and rhinotracheitis.

Also, in the treatment of this disease, an antiviral agent such as Fosprenil is used. It should be given to the animal according to the following scheme of administration:

• the first two days – 4 injections during the day;
• up to the tenth day – three injections;
• from the eleventh to the thirteenth day – two;
• up to the fifteenth day – one injection, respectively.

For animals weighing less than a kilogram, the optimal dose is 0,2 mg Fosprenil, and for larger cats – 0,5 ml, respectively.

You can also prescribe Enterostat for a week at 20 mg per kilogram once a day.

Removal of symptoms of the disease

Symptomatic therapy is to reduce the manifestation of key symptoms of the disease. It consists in correcting the acid-base balance and water-electrolyte balance of the cat’s body. This relieves intoxication and reduces the level of dehydration. Sodium chloride is sometimes used to reduce symptoms.

When the animal stops vomiting, you can give him a solution of Rieger or Regidron, mixing each of them with glucose by 5% and adding a quarter teaspoon of soda to the mixture. Such a solution should be taken in any doses on the basis that the daily dose should be 50 mg of funds per kilogram of weight.

It is very important in the treatment of distemper that the animal gets rid of toxic substances in time. To this end increase urine flow with the use of all kinds of kidney fees and decoctions based on horsetail, lingonberry leaf or bearberry.

During illness, the animal’s body especially needs folic acid, vitamins A, B and C, as well as iron in order to prevent the development of anemia. For this purpose, the animal is prescribed:

• Ferrodextran (102 ml);
• Ursoferran (0,3 ml).

In order to establish a normal metabolism in an animal and to stimulate all the functions of its body daily give him Katazol, and for spasms and stomach pains, give the cat Dibazol or No-shpu.

Tips for treating the disease

In order for your animal to recover faster and not suffer from pain during illness, take into account the following tips:

• if a cat vomits heavily and suffers from diarrhea, do not scold her, but treat what is happening with understanding. Remove feces and vomit in time so that the cat does not have contact with them;
• if the eyes are affected by conjunctivitis, it may be necessary to cleanse them of pus, as well as remove infectious discharge from the nose and muzzle;
• ventilate the room where the cat is;
• do not lower the temperature in the room;
• limit the contact of the animal with the sun’s rays and constantly do wet cleaning;
• make sure that there are no drafts in the room;
• do not force feed the animal. When she gets better, her appetite will return again.

As for the nutrition of the animal after recovery, then should follow a certain diet: food should be light, you need to feed the cat more often, but in smaller portions. Until complete recovery, you should wait with products such as:

• greenery;
• cereals;
• vegetables;
• fruit.

Such a diet should be followed for about three months, then you can introduce into the diet of the animal its usual dishes before the disease.

And remember, no matter how well you understand the treatment of animals for certain diseases, do not prescribe any drugs yourself. Everything should be consulted with a veterinarian so as not to endanger the life of your pet.