Panleukopenia
Feline panleukopenia is caused by a small but extremely hardy virus that survives in the environment for a very long time. The disease is highly contagious and spreads very quickly. The virus is carried on shoes, clothes, bowls and bedding.
The disease can take many forms, from a mild fever to an extremely severe illness where the cat is found dead. Young kittens are the worst affected.
Typical signs:
- lethargy;
- high temperature;
- loss of appetite;
- vomiting;
- profuse watery diarrhoea, often with blood.
If the cat survives, it takes several weeks to recover fully. Because its immune system is damaged, it often picks up other infections. Kittens born to infected cats can have problems with coordination.
Vaccination against panleukopenia has greatly reduced the number of cases.
Infectious respiratory disease
This disease is extremely common in cats, but vaccination makes it much milder. It can be fatal for young kittens, while healthy adult cats rarely die from it.
The two main causes are feline rhinotracheitis virus (herpesvirus) and feline calicivirus. The bacteria Bordetella bronchiseptica and Chlamydia psittaci can also play a major role. A cat can be infected with one cause or with several at once. They are usually passed from cat to cat through direct contact and sneezing.
The signs are similar whichever cause is involved:
- lethargy;
- discharge from the eyes and nose;
- sneezing;
- high temperature;
- drooling;
- sometimes a cough or pneumonia.
Calicivirus can cause painful ulcers in the mouth and on the tongue. Cats that have lost their sense of smell, or have ulcers in their mouth, are reluctant to eat.
Many cats that recover become carriers of the virus. They can infect other cats, and some signs can come back, especially under stress. The best protection against this disease is vaccination and keeping stress to a minimum. You can read about one of the bacterial causes in our article "Chlamydophila in cats".
Before vaccination
Before vaccinating, the vet examines your pet, assesses its health and decides whether it can be vaccinated. This is a good chance to ask about anything that concerns you. The examination can pick up possible or existing health problems so that the right treatment and prevention can be chosen.
After vaccination
Most animals do not react to vaccination at all, or react only very mildly. Sometimes the coat colour may change at the injection site, or there may be some swelling or tenderness. Very rarely, cats and dogs have an allergic reaction after vaccination.
If you are worried about your pet's condition or reaction after vaccination, talk to your vet. For an unvaccinated animal, the risk of catching an infectious disease is far greater than any risk linked to vaccination.
