Site owned by Pedernales Veterinary
Center all rights ® 2009
Site last updated on:07/09/2011
Design by: Comfort Webs.com
Issues with website please contact
webmaster: linda@comfortwebs.com
Name
Upper Respiratory Infections, Feline
Short Description
Infectious upper respiratory complex: feline herpesvirus, feline
calicivirus, and Chlamydia psittaci
Affected Animals: Young kittens, unvaccinated adult cats, and cats
kept in multiple-cat households or catteries. The diseases are
usually worse in young kittens and immunocompromised animals.
Overview:
Upper respiratory infections are a common illness
in felines, especially young kittens. Highly contagious to other
cats, upper respiratory infections typically are accompanied by
"cold-like" symptoms such as sneezing, discharge from the nose, and
lack of appetite. The cause of feline respiratory infections is
usually viral. Generally, kittens are more severely affected by
these infections than adult cats.
Treatment of upper respiratory disease is aimed at supporting the
nutritional and fluid requirements of the kitten. Medications will
alleviate some of the symptoms but do not eliminate the virus.
Fortunately for most cats, the signs of disease last for only five
to seven days. However, even after a cat has recovered from the
disease, it may continue to carry and shed the virus for months to
years. Vaccines are available to protect cats and kittens from upper
respiratory disease, and are recommended especially for households
and housing facilities containing multiple cats.
Clinical Signs: Clinical signs include anorexia, depression,
fever, and naso-ocular, or nose and eye discharge. Some cases of
upper respiratory infections will result in sneezing, coughing,
hypersalivation, an abnormal or hoarse meow or lack of vocalization,
conjunctivitis, or inflamed eye membranes, and ulceration of the
nose or mouth.
Symptoms:
See clinical signs.
Description:
Feline infectious respiratory diseases are the
upper respiratory infections that are most commonly associated with
two viruses, feline herpesvirus, also known as feline viral
rhinotracheitis, and feline calicivirus. A possible non-viral cause
of an upper respiratory infection is Chlamydia psittaci, although
this organism is associated more frequently with persistent
conjunctivitis.
Upper respiratory infections are highly contagious and can be spread
from one cat to another through sneezing, coughing, or via objects
contaminated with saliva or secretions, such as food and water
bowls. Once exposed to infection, the animal usually will show signs
of disease within one to five days. Generally, the symptoms are more
severe in young kittens.
Most upper respiratory infections improve on their own within five
to seven days. Unfortunately, about 80 percent of cats that recover
from these viruses remain carriers of the disease for months to
years. Feline calicivirus can be shed constantly for months to
years. Typically, times of stress result in the shedding of the
feline herpesvirus and mild clinical signs in the carrier cat. For
example, the nursing mother cat that can infect her kittens with
herpesvirus during the nursing period.
Diagnosis:
A diagnosis of viral respiratory infection
typically is based on the history and physical exam of the kitten or
cat. Specific tests to ascertain the specific causative virus are
not performed routinely unless there is a disease outbreak in a
large group of cats housed together.
If the cat is affected severely, the examining veterinarian may
elect to perform blood tests. Serology tests for feline leukemia
virus, or FeLV, and feline immunodeficiency virus, or FIV, should be
performed in cats with recurrent episodes of disease. Cats that fail
to improve after two weeks, and vaccinated adult cats that have
severe respiratory symptoms, also should be evaluated for FeLV and
FIV.
In order to establish a definitive diagnosis, on infrequent
occasions the veterinarian may perform other tests, such as viral
inclusion body tests of conjunctival biopsies or scrapings, and
direct immunofluorescence of nasal swabs for virus-infected cells.
Virus isolation from cell cultures can be achieved by taking swabs
of the affected areas, and serology can evaluate rising antibody
titers.
Prognosis: The prognosis is good. Most felines will recover
fully from the clinical signs within five to seven days. The
prognosis in cats housed together in groups is dependent upon the
presence of carrier states and re-infections. It is possible for
chronic symptoms of nasal and sinus inflammation to persist with
feline herpesvirus infection if the nasal tissues and underlying
bone are severely damaged. Cats with this condition sometimes are
called "chronic snufflers." A chronic eye discharge can occur
secondarily to feline herpesvirus or chlamydial conjunctivitis.
Transmission or Cause: Direct contact with discharges from the eyes,
nose, or mouth of the infected cat will likely result in infection.
Contaminated objects can be a significant source of infection for up
to 24 hours with feline herpesvirus and for up to 10 days with
feline calicivirus. Items such as cages, food and water bowls, as
well as human hands and clothing can be contaminated with
respiratory secretions. Transmission also can occur when the
infected cat sneezes or coughs and thus aerosolizes the virus so
that it can be inhaled by other felines.
Treatment:
Because no antiviral medications are presently
available, treatment is primarily supportive. The veterinarian will
make specific recommendations based on the cat's symptoms and the
severity of illness. The infected animal should be kept warm and
quiet. Some treatments may include cleaning the discharges from the
nose and eyes, offering highly odoriferous and palatable foods, and
coaxing the cat to eat and drink. Some kittens may need to be fed
via a syringe. Humidifying the airway can be accomplished by taking
the cat into a bathroom filled with steam from a hot shower. The
veterinarian may prescribe antibiotics to prevent secondary
bacterial infections. Eye ointments and nasal decongestants may be
indicated as well.
Most felines with upper respiratory infections are treated on an
outpatient basis to decrease the possibility of contaminating the
veterinary hospital. Severe cases of respiratory infections may
require hospitalization in an isolated section of the veterinary
hospital. Kittens or cats with significant clinical signs may
require subcutaneous or intravenous fluids and oxygen therapy for
pneumonia or low blood oxygen levels. Some cats may require more
advanced feeding techniques until their appetites return.
Prevention:
Prevention of feline herpesvirus, feline
calicivirus, and Chlamydia can be enhanced greatly by the proper use
of vaccinations against these diseases. Immunization offers
protection from clinical signs of disease but not infection.
Therefore, even well-vaccinated cats can be chronic carriers of a
virus.
For prevention of the diseases in groups of cats, additional control
measures are recommended. Routine vaccinations should be performed
on all cats, and new cats should be vaccinated and isolated for
three weeks. In addition, owners should maintain thorough hygiene
techniques, avoid overcrowding, and isolate suspected carriers from
the rest of the population.
