Nearly
all infectious diseases of cats are caused by viruses. The
best prevention against viruses is vaccination, and the
below viruses are the most common that you should understand
and make sure your cat is vaccinated for. Discuss
this group of shots with your vet so that they're taken
care of at the right time and in the right order.
Feline
Infectious Enteritis (Feline Panleukopenia) (FIE)
This
viral disease is highly contagious. The virus attacks
the gut and the white blood cells. Signs of FIE include
depression, loss of appetite, and vomiting.
Cat
Flu Feline Respiratory Viruses (FCV) and Feline Viral Rhinotracteitis
(FVR) are
two viruses that affect the upper respiratory tract, FVR
being a herpes virus and usually the most serious. Cat
flu is most dangerous in kittens and elderly cats and if
not treated can result in death. While it is also
serious in a healthy adult cat, they have a better stamina
to recover. Symptoms include coughing and sneezing,
runny discharge from eyes and nose (which becomes thicker
as the disease progresses), and loss of appetite. Cats
exposed to the virus before being vaccinated can become
carriers and should be isolated from other felines. Chlmaydia is
also a virus, which tends to cause more of a conjunctivitis
than the traditional cat flu.
Feline
Leukaemia Virus (FeLV)
Often referred to as feline aids, this virus can cause
cancer of white blood cells and the lymph system years
after the original infection has occured. It may
also break down a cat's immune system or cause anaemia. The
FeLV virus is generally transmitted by long exposure to
an infected cat's saliva and/or blood. Syptoms include
weight loss, vomiting, diarrhea, and anaemia. A cat
will not die of FeLV and may live for many years, however
it can suffer from illness due to the breakdown of the
immune system.
Rabies
Rabies
is a deadly diseaseich unlike most other cat diseases can
be passed to humans. Early systems of this virus include
a quiet cat becoming aggressive. The final stage is
paralysis and coma which ends in death. Once the cat
has contracted rabies little can be done. Your cat
should be up-to-date with its rabies vaccinations at all
times, especially if it is an outdoor cat.
Feline
Immuno Deficiency Virus (FIV)
FIV
is similar to the HIV virus in cats, and human cannot catch
FIV from cats. FIV breaks down the immune system of
a cat leaving it susceptible to infection. The virus
is spread through the saliva of an infected cat. At
first the cat may seem a bit off and then may develop a secondary
infection.
Feline
Infectious Peritonitis (FIP)
There
are two kinds of FIP, wet and dry. Wet will cause a
swollen abdomen, which may result in poor health, diarrhea,
and vomiting. The dry virus affects the nervous system
and the symptoms are harder to detect. They include
jaundice and loss of coordination. This virus is mainly
transmitted in the cat's saliva. An infected cat must
be isolated to prevent further spread of the disease, and
no vaccination is available.
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