Feline distemper, infectious enteritis, panleukopenia and parvovirus infection are different names for the same disease that is transmitted from sick animals to healthy ones and has a high mortality rate. The disease is caused by a harmful virus that has an incubation period of 2-10 days. In the acute form, plague progresses for 1-10 days.
Infection of cats occurs in several ways - airborne, hematogenous (with blood flow), through the gastrointestinal tract, bone marrow and lymphoid tissue. Most often a healthy animal becomes infected by contact with the feces of a sick tribesman. Fleas can also transmit the disease.
Treatment of feline distemper
Clinical manifestations of the disease are usually sharply pronounced. The animal becomes apathetic and vomits, sometimes several times an hour. Blood clots may be seen in the vomit. Body temperature rises to high levels. The pet’s behavior also changes - it seeks privacy and even hides from its owner, especially after vomiting.
It happens that on the same day or after several days the cat has diarrhea. Foul-smelling feces may also come out with an admixture of blood. As the cat’s stomach hurts, it assumes a hunched over body posture or just lays down on it. The animal becomes indifferent to grooming itself as well.
He is observed to have:
- runny nose;
- lacrimation;
- increased salivation;
- lack of appetite.
It would seem that due to severe dehydration the animal should drink a lot, but it does not. Even if there is a bowl of water nearby, the cat will just look at it, but will not drink the liquid. This behavior is the hallmark of distemper.
The main symptoms of the disease are reduced to a list of the following abnormalities:
- depressed state of the pet;
- bent position of the body;
- lack of appetite;
- unwillingness to groom;
- vomiting and diarrhea;;
- fever and cramps;
- abdominal pain;
- so-called third eyelid in the inner corner of the eye.
Treatment of feline distemper
Unfortunately, drugs against feline distemper have not yet been developed. Therapy of the disease is limited to the elimination of symptoms. In the early stages of the disease, the feline body should try to get rid of it on its own. Help the animal to cope with distemper can be done by administering hyperimmune serum. Subsequently, treatment is supplemented by the administration of broad-spectrum antibiotics.
The main goals of treating distemper are:
- increasing immunity;
- replenishment of water-salt balance;
- elimination of bacterial infections.
Prevention of feline distemper
Given the contagiousness and the possibility of fatal outcome of the disease, experts have developed a vaccine against distemper. Currently, vaccination is the only way to prevent the disease, but it is very effective.
The first vaccination is given to the animal at the age of 8 weeks. In the next 4 weeks, the kitten’s body loses the immunity laid down in the process of natural feeding. For this reason, the vaccination is repeated at 12 weeks of age. Subsequently, the animal is vaccinated annually.