grovercentervetIt is very upsetting to discover that your cat may have a serious disease. A veterinarian’s worst news for any pet owner is hearing about a case of distemper in cats. It is a highly contagious and potentially fatal virus that causes Feline Panleukopenia Virus (FPV) which does require urgent veterinary attention.
Although it has the same name, it should be noted that this virus is completely different from canine distemper. Rather, it is very similar to the canine parvovirus. It causes severe damage to the gastrointestinal tract, bone marrow and developing nervous system as it targets a cat’s most rapidly dividing cells.
Knowing how distemper works in cats, its early warning signs and what treatment protocols are available to you can mean the difference between life and death for your pet. This extensive handbook will take you through all the aspects you should know to identify, handle, and stop this hazardous condition.
Distemper in Cats, What is it?
In order to get a good idea of the distemper in cats, it’s important to take a moment to examine how the vitamin works. Feline panleukopenia literally means “all-white-blood-cell decrease. Once a cat becomes infected with the virus the virus invades tissues where cells are rapidly dividing.
The virus primarily invades:
⦁ The Bone Marrow:
By attacking the marrow, the virus shuts down the production of all white blood cells. This leaves the cat with no protection from secondary bacterial infections
⦁ Intestinal Lining:
The virus causes damage to the lining of the intestines, causing severe ulceration and sloughing off of intestinal tissue, excessive diarrhea and deadly dehydration.
⦁ The Brain:
The virus can cause problems in the developing brain of the unborn kittens of pregnant infected queens, affecting the cerebellum, the brain’s balance and coordination centre.
The virus is very hardy and will survive in the environment for months or even years, and can not be killed by most common household disinfectants.
Where Do Cats Get The Virus?
Distemper spreads quickly and easily among cats. The main route of infection is via the faecal-oral route. Infected cats produce huge quantities of the virus in their vomit, saliva, urine and feces.
There are several ways a healthy cat can become infected:
⦁ Direct Contact: An infected cat can be contacted by sniffing, grooming or sharing the same environment.
⦁ Contaminated Objects: Contact with contaminated food bowls, water dishes, litter boxes, bedding or toys (Fomites or Contaminated Objects).
⦁ Human Transmission: Transmitted by human care takers who have come in contact with an infected animal through their hands, clothing or shoes.
⦁ In Utero: Transmitted to the developing kittens by the infected mother across the placenta.
Indoor cats do not have absolute protection against the pathogen because it is very stable outside of a host. A pet can pick up the virus from a walk in a part of a home where a stray cat was infected and shed the virus.
Symptoms and Clinical Signs
Cats do not show signs of distemper for three to ten days after exposure. The onset of clinical signs is often sudden and dramatic. A seemingly normal cat may be very sick by nightfall.
If you think your pet may have been exposed, watch for these characteristic signs:
1. Extreme Lethargy and Depression: The first symptom is sometimes an extreme lack of energy (extreme lethargy and depression). Your cat may get stuck in a dark corner, be unwilling to get up, and exhibit complete apathy toward cat toys or cat food.
2. Fever and Temperature Drops: The first signs of distemper in cats are a high temperature, which can reach 104 Fahrenheit to 107 degree Fahrenheit or between 40 degree Celsius and 41.6 degree Celsius. The body temperature drops sharply as the disease advances and the cat goes into shock.
3. Severe Gastrointestinal Distress: Signs are often severe Gastrointestinal Distress, with persistent vomiting and profuse watery diarrhea. The stool may be bloody and smell very bad from the shedding of the intestinal lining. It’s also possible you’ll find your cat leaning over the water bowl, trying to drink but can’t because of the nausea.
4. Dehydration and Poor Coat Condition: Due to severe fluid loss from vomiting and diarrhea, the skin becomes wrinkled and dry. With gentle pinching of the skin over their shoulders it will not “pop back”. The fur soon becomes matty, unkempt and dull.
5. Neurological Signs in Kittens (Cerebellar Hypoplasia): If a kitten is exposed to distemper in cats in the womb or during early infancy, he or she can survive and develop a condition called cerebellar hypoplasia. These kittens have an unusual “wobbly cat” walk, head tremor and poor spatial coordination. This particular problem is non-progressive and not painful, but will need to be accommodated inside where it will remain for life.
How Veterinarians Diagnose the Condition
These are the signs by which veterinarians diagnose the condition, so if you see any of these signs, you must go to your veterinary clinic right away. Diagnosis of distemper in cats involves the combination of clinical history, physical examination and certain blood tests:
⦁ Complete Blood Count (CBC): A CBC will show a severe decrease in white blood cells (leukopenia). Normal cats will have thousands of white blood cells in each microliter of blood, but infected cats can have almost none.
⦁ SNAP ELISA Tests: A quick fecal test, commonly used to detect canine parvovirus, is frequently used by veterinarians: SNAP ELISA Tests. These rapid tests can be used to detect the presence of the virus in a feline stool sample within minutes due to the fact that the virus is structurally very similar to the virus found in cats.
⦁ Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) Testing: If there is still any doubt about the presence of viral DNA, a laboratory can perform a PCR test on a fecal swab to confirm the presence of viral DNA.
Treatment Options and Supportive Care
At this time there is no antiviral drug that can cure distemper in cats. Rather, medical management is directed solely toward intensive supportive care which would be lifesaving until the cat’s immune system is able to recover and manufacture antibodies.
The disease breaks down the barrier in the gut and reduces the number of white blood cells, leading to bacteria entering the bloodstream and causing fatal sepsis. Aggressive hospitalization is almost always required.
⦁ IV Fluid Therapy:
The very backbone of therapy is IV (intravenous) fluid therapy to replace hydration, electrolyte disturbances and to support blood pressure.
⦁ Injectable Antibiotics:
Antibiotics are not effective against viruses, but are essential to ward off a secondary infection by bacteria that may overpower the leukopenic patient who is already weakened by the virus.
⦁ Blood Transfusions or Immunotherapy:
Blood transfusions and immunotherapy (also known as blood replacement therapy) can be used in severe cases when blood levels of protein are dangerously low, and/or anemia has set in, to give the blood proteins, proteins, and immediate immunity
Prognosis and Survival Rates
The prognosis of distemper and the chances of survival in cats vary significantly based on the speed of treatment. The mortality rate is more than 90% if the cat is left without veterinary treatment, particularly if it is a very young kitten under five months of age. But timely and aggressive hospitalisation and intensive supportive care can improve survival rates to 50-75%.
If an infected animal can survive those first 3-5 crucial days of sickness, the probability of the animal making a full recovery grows rapidly. After a few weeks, once a cat has recovered from the illness, they build a strong immunity to this particular virus and don’t shed the virus into the environment again.
Prevention: Standard Kitten Vaccination Schedule
Prevention: Standard Kitten Vaccination Schedule
The best way to deal with distemper in cats is to prevent it from occurring. Fortunately, we have an extremely powerful weapon: The FVRCP vaccine.
Kittens are initially provided temporary immunity via their mums milk (maternal antibodies) which fades between 6-8 weeks of age.
1. Initial dose: 6-8 weeks old.
The primary vaccine gives the immune system a shot of the modified-live or inactivated virus strains.
1. Boosters: Every 3 to 4 Weeks.
Give booster shots every 3-4 weeks until the kitten is about 16-20 weeks.
1. One-Year Booster: 1 Year After Series.
A booster one year after the first kitten series to strengthen the long-term memory cells.
1. Adult Maintenance: Every 3 Years.
Adult healthy indoor cats will need booster shots every three years to ensure adequate protection.
Conclusion
As a cat owner, you are going to find it difficult to deal with distemper in cats, not only emotionally, but financially as well. The fact that feline panleukopenia is a disease that progresses so quickly demonstrates how sensitive our pets are to harmful disease-causing organisms.
Luckily, this disease is easily preventable. You can keep your cat protected from this fatal disease by following your veterinarian’s vaccination guidelines and keeping up with good hygiene. If you ever notice your pet suddenly being lethargic, vomiting or having diarrhea, remember that every minute matters; seek emergency veterinary care right away to improve the chances that your cat will survive.
(FAQs)
1. Do cats transmit distemper to humans?
No. Distemper can be caused in cats by the feline panleukopenia virus which is highly species specific. It is not communicable with humans, and does not affect dogs. Humans may however serve as mechanical vectors (carriers of the virus on their hands and clothing from an infected cat to a healthy cat).
2. Is it possible for fully indoor cats to be contaminated?
Distemper is a disease that can be contracted by cats in the house, yes. The virus is very hard to kill in the environment and can be easily spread indoors on your shoes, clothes or hands following exposure to an infected outdoor cat in an area where the virus is commonly found. All cats, whether indoors or outdoors, should be vaccinated.
3. The shedding of the virus will cease after how many days in a recovering cat?
Feces and urine may contain the active virus for up to 6 weeks after clinical recovery in a cat that has had a distemper infection. In this period the convalescent cat should be isolated from all other cats and young animals that have not been vaccinated.
