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Feline Distemper (toxoplasmosis or parvovirus)
Feline distemper is a viral infection of the gastrointestinal tract. The virus occurs worldwide and is highly contagious. It attacks the immune system because
most white blood cells die.
Symptoms:
● Lethargy
● High fever (often 40-
● Loss of appetite
● Frequent vomiting
● Bloody diarrhea
● Dehydration
● Severe abdominal pain
Due to the reduced immunity, other infections can worsen the clinical picture. Very young kittens may show a strange way of walking when the brain is
Affected. Feline distemper has a high mortality rate, especially among young cats. In animals that survive the disease, diarrhea can persist for a longer time.
Some cats die without showing any symptoms.
Contagion.
Outside the cat, the virus is very resistant and can remain present in the environment for months. Only disinfecting surfaces that are easy to clean can
render the virus harmless. A sofa or fitted carpet, however, cannot be properly disinfected. The virus is therefore very difficult to get rid of, so that a once
-
But as will become apparent below, you as a human can also transmit the disease. Unintentionally and unknowingly, you can bring the virus home.
The virus spreads easily. Cats can become infected in various ways: through mutual contact between cats but also through people (the virus can be on the
clothing, hands or shoes of an unsuspecting visitor and thus be transmitted).
Fleas can also transmit the disease from one cat to another. However, the disease cannot be transmitted to humans. There is no possible treatment against
this disease. It is possible to try to support the cats with IV fluids and antibiotics (against the other infections). When the kittens no longer receive mother's
milk, they must be vaccinated. At 6 to 8 weeks for the first time against feline distemper and cat flu.
This vaccination must be repeated when they are 12 weeks old, with a combination vaccine against feline distemper and cat flu.
The kitten is now protected for a year.
Vaccinating the mother cat before mating ensures that she passes on good immunity to the kittens through her milk for the first weeks of life. According to
American veterinary literature, a cat has sufficient antibodies against the feline distemper virus for 3 to 4 years, provided the cat received its last vaccination
at a minimum age of 16 weeks. However, it is wise to repeat these vaccinations annually. For catteries and cat shows, vaccination is often mandatory.
How often and how shortly before the cat must be vaccinated against feline distemper varies per cattery. So ask about the vaccination requirements when
making a reservation. It is sometimes thought that it is no longer necessary to have older cats vaccinated.
But it is precisely those cats that are more susceptible to diseases because they are older.
And no unvaccinated cat can withstand feline distemper.
