Feline distemper, also known as feline panleukopenia or feline infectious enteritis, is a highly contactable infectious viral disease that also has an alias – feline distemper. It is a virulent viral infection that occurs mainly in young cats up to one year of age. Clinical signs are fever, leukopenia, vomiting and hemorrhagic enteritis, and it is one of the most common and very dangerous infectious diseases in domestic cats. Causes Feline distemper is caused by infection of cats with the feline distemper virus, which is a small virus that can survive in the environment for a long time without dying, so it is difficult to kill it without strict disinfection, and other cats are more likely to be infected. Viral characteristics 1. Feline panleukopenia virus (FPV) is a small virus. 2. FPV is more stable and resistant to most disinfectants except bleach, formaldehyde and glutaraldehyde. Epidemiology1. FPV can infect felines and some other animals, such as raccoons, ferrets, raccoon pandas, and mink.2. FPV is transmitted directly through infected animals and their secretions, especially feces.3. Since FPV can survive in the environment for a long time, the vector of infection (contaminants) is important.4. The incidence of panleukopenia infection is highest in young cats at 3-5 months of age. The incubation period of symptomatic feline distemper is 2 – 10 days, usually within 6 days. Clinically, it is divided into the most acute type, acute type and subacute type. 1. The most acute type of sick cats do not have any symptoms and suddenly die, most of them will be mistaken by the owner that acute poisoning has occurred, thus producing death. 2. Acute type, this type of sick cats are just after showing some prodromal symptoms, before showing some special symptoms, and death occurs within 24 hours. 3. The general performance is mental depression, loss of appetite, and elevated body temperature, usually to about 40℃, then return to normal body temperature in about 24 hours, and after 2 – 3 days, the body temperature will rise again, usually up to 40℃ or more, showing typical biphasic fever characteristics (biphasic fever is shown in the previous graphic “Dogs with (Biphasic fever is explained in the previous article “Dogs with distemper make owners distressed, veterinarians say this is how to diagnose, treat and prevent”). After the second temperature rise, the symptoms of the sick cat increase significantly. The sick cat is highly depressed, has a coarse coat, is anorexic, weak, lies down, puts its head on its forelimbs, does not sleep and does not move, and the more obvious and typical symptoms are vomiting, diarrhea with blood, dehydration and pus discharge from the eyes and nose. In the middle and late stages of the disease, due to the infection of the intestinal bacteria, dysentery can be seen, and the feces are watery and bleeding with a special foul odor. The sick cat is rapidly dehydrated, loses weight, and finally dies due to heart failure. Pregnant female cats infected with feline distemper may miscarry or give birth to stillbirths. Because the feline microvirus has an affinity for cells that are in a vigorous division, it can seriously attack the brain tissue of the fetus. Therefore, the fetus born after the recovery of the sick female cat may suffer from cerebellar hypoplasia and show symptoms such as cerebellar ataxia and circling. Diagnosis 1. Clinical diagnosis: According to the epidemic characteristics of the sick cat, typical biphasic fever-type symptoms, frequent vomiting and violent diarrhea, combined with blood tests for leukemia reduction, and anatomical changes in sick and dead cats with the same symptoms, a preliminary diagnosis can be made. For blood tests and pathological anatomy, most of them are done by professionals, laboratory tests, for us pooper scoopers can ignore these, and laboratory serum The test paper is often used for the rapid detection of feline distemper: this method is simple and easy to use. On the table, use a pipette to absorb the liquid in the upper part of the test tube, slowly drop into the sample hole on the test paper plate, and observe the test results after standing for 5 minutes. If the test strip shows one red line, it is negative, and if it shows two red lines, it is positive and the diagnosis of feline distemper can be confirmed. Treatment For feline distemper, there is no specific treatment drug available, so the clinical treatment is mainly specific treatment, together with symptomatic treatment, rehydration and control of secondary infection, and fasting and water fasting. Feline distemper, also known as feline panleukopenia, mainly infects the intestinal tract of cats, causing frequent vomiting and diarrhea, and is an acute and highly contagious disease of cats. 1. When cats are infected with feline distemper, they need to be brought to the veterinary hospital for treatment in a timely manner. 2. Treatment: 2 – 4 ml/kg body weight, intramuscular injection, once a day for 3 days. 4. Cardiac rehydration: 50 – 80 ml/kg body weight of compound sodium chloride, add 50% glucose and prepare the compound sodium chloride to a concentration of 5%. (that is, 100 ml of compound sodium chloride injection with 5 ml of 50% glucose), while adding Shuanghuanglian injection 1 – 2 ml / kg body weight, or Qingkailing injection 1 – 2 ml / kg body weight, intravenous infusion for rehydration of At the same time, it can be anti-inflammatory and sterilizing to resist the virus, once a day for 3 days; at the same time, intramuscular injection of raw pulse 2–4 ml Vitamin B12 0.5–1 mg per cat, once a day for 3 days. 5. Prevention of secondary infection: intramuscular injection of ampicillin Penicillin 35 mg/kg body weight, diluted with water for injection or Anacin 3–5 ml, 1–2 times daily, other antibiotic drugs can also be used. 6. Hemostasis: Vitamin K3 can be used intramuscularly, 10 –The blood is not hemorrhagic. 7. Antiemetic: you can use methotrexate 1 – 2 mg/kg body weight, intramuscular injection twice a day; you can also use atropine 0.2 – 0.5 mg/only, subcutaneous injection. Prevention 1. The main prevention of feline distemper is vaccination, which can be carried out with feline distemper and rabies diphtheria vaccine. The first immunization is given when the cat is 9 months old, the second immunization is given when it is 12 months old, and then it can be given once a year. 2. In addition to vaccination, usually we should strengthen the feeding management, pay attention to environmental hygiene and enhance the resistance and fitness of the cat. If the cat is imported from abroad, it must be vaccinated and kept in isolation for 2 months before it can be kept with other cats. 3. Once the disease develops in the immunized cat group, the sick cat should be isolated immediately. In the early stage, the above comprehensive treatment methods are used to save the cat. For cats in the middle and late stages of the disease, they should be trapped and killed, the carcasses buried deeply or burned, and the contaminated environment and utensils and feed thoroughly disinfected with 1% formalin; cats without disease are immediately immunized. Note that during the cat’s illness, the parents should cooperate well with the doctor and must fast and prohibit water, otherwise it will stimulate the cat again at an inappropriate time and aggravate the vomiting symptoms. Pay attention to disinfection at home to prevent bacteria from breeding and infecting ourselves. Cats infected with feline distemper will be immune for life, but some cats will have sequelae after recovery due to severe damage to the gastrointestinal tract during the disease, chronic enteritis and gastritis, etc.
English Deutsch Français Español Português 日本語 عربي