Panleukopenia in cats is a fairly common disease. This disease is widely known as distemper. Young animals under the age of 1 year are especially susceptible to it.
Panleukopenia is considered a highly contagious disease. It mainly affects the digestive system, but can also cause complications in other organs.
Etiology of feline panleukopenia
- The causative agent of panleukopenia in cats - DNA - containing a virus of the Parvoviridae family
- Representatives of the feline, raccoon, civet, (mustelidae?) families are susceptible to panleukopenia.
- Virus tropism for actively dividing cells
- The virus can replicate in the thymus and lymphoid tissue of dogs
- Mutation of FPV to CPV, ability to infect cats is lost
- CPV-2 was isolated from leopards (an offshoot mutation)
- Confusion with nomenclature
- Representative of the Viverridae family - spotted lingsang
Pathogenesis
Because immune cells in the blood are attacked by various pathogens, this virus can lead to an anemic state and can open the body to infections from other diseases - viral or bacterial.
In the unvaccinated cat population, panleukopenia is one of the most fatal diseases. The causative virus is very stable and can survive for years in a contaminated environment, so the best preventive goal is to vaccinate the entire cat population.
Kittens between two and six months of age are at greatest risk of developing severe symptoms, as are pregnant and immunocompromised cats. In adult cats, panleukopenia is often milder and may even go unnoticed. Fortunately, cats that survive this infection are immune to any further infection by this virus. On the other hand, there are strains of the panleukopenia virus that provide almost 100% mortality.
Symptoms and signs of panleukopenia in cats
The gate of infection is the respiratory tract, gastrointestinal tract.
- Affects rapidly dividing cells: lymphoid tissue (bone marrow, thymus) – leukopenia; enterocytes – destruction of enterocytes – disturbance of maldigestion and malabsorption – diarrhea – dehydration, hypoalbuminemia, hypokalemia, hypoglycemia
- Factors complicating the course of panleukopenia: The presence of other gastrointestinal diseases: cystoisosporosis, helminthiasis, giardiasis, cryptosporidiosis, toxoplasmosis, clostridiosis, salmonellosis, eosinophilic, lymphocytic-plasmacytic infiltration of the mucous membrane, etc.; Poor feeding; Chronic viral infections.
- The incubation period for panleukopenia is 2-10 days
- Clinical signs of panleukopenia: at the beginning apathy, hyperthermia, anorexia, pain in the abdominal wall, prolapse of the third eyelid, then (2-5 days) hypothermia, vomiting, diarrhea, stupor, coma, death
Ataxia in kittens with panleukopenia
- Cause: infection of the placenta with a virus, transplacental infection of kittens, cerebellar hypoplasia, keratitis, hydrocephalus, hydroanencephaly, fetal death
Forms of the disease
Like any viral disease, panleukopenia has an incubation period when you will not even realize that your cat has distemper. Symptoms appear after a minimum of three days, and a maximum of 8-10 days. At the end of incubation, viral particles attack the host’s body, affecting the brain and bone marrow, gastrointestinal tract, blood cells or embryos located in the womb of a pregnant female. The disease occurs in fulminant (superacute), acute and subacute forms.
Lightning form
The fulminant stage usually occurs in a kitten. Plague develops extremely quickly, within a few hours. Often the symptoms do not even have time to appear before the pet dies in just a couple of days. The signs resemble rabies - the animal has a fear of light and sound, refusal to drink and eat, convulsions and paralysis. Very young kittens stop reacting to the presence of their mother.
Acute form
In the acute form, a longer incubation period is observed - 1-3 days. This type of canine plague manifests itself in adults. With it, the animal is apathetic and weak, mostly lying down. Due to spasms in the throat and abdominal pain, the sick person refuses water and drink. The temperature rises sharply to 41 degrees. The pet experiences diarrhea and vomiting streaked with blood. When examining the lymph nodes, you will notice that they are all inflamed. If the temperature drops below 37 degrees, there is little chance of salvation.
Subacute form
In this form, the disease occurs in elderly and adult individuals with strong immunity, most often vaccinated. In a strong cat, panleukopenia may have a long incubation period; the symptoms are similar to the acute form, but blurred. Often the owner does not immediately understand that the pet is sick. The prognosis for this course is favorable: the majority of tailed animals that receive adequate treatment recover.
Main signs and symptoms of feline panleukopenia
- Vomit
- Diarrhea/bloody diarrhea
- Dehydration
- Weight loss
- Heat
- Anemia (due to low red blood cells)
- Rough and disheveled fur
- Depression
- Complete loss of interest in food
- The cat is hiding
- Neurological symptoms (eg, lack of motor coordination)
- Causes of the disease (Etiology of panleukopenia in cats)
Feline parvovirus (FPV, causative agent of panleukopenia)
is the root cause of panleukopenia in cats. Cats acquire this infection when they come into contact with contaminated saliva, blood, feces, urine or other body fluids. The virus can also be transmitted by people who do not wash their hands properly or change clothes between contacts with cats or by materials such as bedding, food utensils or equipment that have been used on other cats.
Washing your hands with soap and water after handling any animal will minimize the chance of transmitting infection to healthy animals.
This virus can remain on many surfaces, so it is important to use safe and effective methods to prevent transmission of this disease. However, even in the cleanest conditions, small amounts of the virus may remain in the environment in which the infected cat was exposed. Feline parvovirus is resistant to disinfectants and can remain in the environment for up to a year, waiting to cause infection.
Kittens can contract the disease in the womb or through breast milk if the pregnant or nursing mother is exposed. As a rule, an unfavorable prognosis does not apply to those kittens that were exposed to this virus in the womb. They receive immunity for some time after birth (colostral immunity lasts about 14 days after stopping breastfeeding). Such kittens can also be exhibited in nurseries, pet stores, shelters and boarding schools.
Symptoms from the first signs to severe form
At different stages of plague, cats exhibit a large number of characteristic symptoms.
:
- refusal of food, drink and favorite treats;
- a sharp increase in body temperature to 40-41 degrees;
- yellow-green vomit;
- urine of rich yellow and orange color;
- blue discoloration of blood vessels on the roof of the mouth;
- separation of purulent contents from the eyes;
- blood red eye color;
- dry cough due to swelling of the larynx;
- nasal discharge;
- drying of mucous membranes;
- apathetic and depressed state, tendency to solitude;
- diarrhea;
- red purulent spots on the skin;
- trembling and convulsions;
- hard breath.
If one of these symptoms occurs, there is no need to suspect distemper in cats, but the pet's condition will still require examination by a veterinarian. But if several of the mentioned signs coincide, it is better to urgently take your pet to the doctor - it is quite possible that the doctor will confirm the symptoms of distemper in the cat.
Diagnostics
Establishing diagnosis
- Comprehensively: life history data (contact with other cats, place of purchase, visit to a veterinary clinic, hospital treatment), vaccine history (colostral immunity, vaccination window), clinical signs, laboratory tests (general blood count, examination of feces or direct washings). intestines, nasopharyngeal swabs, blood for detection of the virus by PCR - may be false negative), ultrasound
- Blood tests
- White blood cell count less than 5,000
- Lymphopenia
- Thrombocytopenia
- Increased AST, ALT, bilirubin
- Azotemia (usually prerenal causes)
- Hypokalemia
- Hypoalbuminemia
- Hypoglycemia
- Laboratory error - both false negative and false positive information are possible
You will need to provide details about your cat's health and recent actions to your veterinarian. If your cat has recently come into contact with other cats or is going outside at all, it may be important to refer your veterinarian for a proper diagnosis.
Panleukopenia can mimic many other types of diseases
, including poisoning, feline leukemia (FeLV), feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV) and pancreatitis, intestinal and gastric foreign bodies, bacterial infections and helminthic infestations, among others, so it is important to give your veterinarian as much detail as possible so they can prescribe appropriate treatment .
Differential diagnoses for panleukopenia
- Leukemia
- Lymphoma
- Acute poisoning
- Foreign body of the gastrointestinal tract
- Sepsis
Your doctor will then perform a physical examination with routine laboratory tests, including a complete blood count, serum chemistry profile, and urinalysis. Laboratory test results are usually nonspecific, but a significant loss of white blood cells (leukocytopenia) will indicate panleukopenia to your veterinarian.
Feline parvovirus attacks and kills cells that divide rapidly, such as those produced in the bone marrow and intestines, so blood tests usually show a decrease in the number of white cells (leukocytes) and red blood cells.
Treatment of cats with panleukopenia
Sick cats require immediate treatment and often hospitalization. The first main goal of treatment is to restore body fluid levels and electrolyte balance. Specific treatment will depend on the severity of your cat's illness, but it will likely involve hospitalization for several days in an isolation facility to prevent it from spreading to other animals. Since in cats with panleukopenia the immune system practically does not work, sepsis occurs. Therefore, veterinarians prescribe broad-spectrum antibiotics for panleukopenia, usually intravenously.
What is the treatment strategy for panleukopenia in cats?
- Infusion therapy, electrolyte balance monitoring
- Broad-spectrum antibiotics (cefazolin, amoxicillin)
- Parenteral nutrition
- Beta-leukine, roncoleukin, interferon (virbagen), interferon inducers (cycloferon)
- Blood transfusion of a cat that has been vaccinated or has recovered from panleukopenia
- Antiemetics (thiethylperazine, metoclopramide), antispasmodics, thiamine and other B vitamins (prevention of thiamine deficiency)
- Oral bismuth preparations
- Anticholinergic drugs are contraindicated (platifillin) lead to dynamic intestinal obstruction
- Heparin for suspected disseminated intravascular coagulation
- Complications: DIC syndrome with endotoxemia; Ataxia, fetal myocarditis
- Immunity is strong
- Virus shedding after illness can last up to six months
Good supportive care can mean the difference between life and death. Once your cat returns home from the hospital, you will need to isolate her from other cats until all symptoms have resolved and your veterinarian gives the OK. This may take up to 6 weeks.
This infection has a particularly depressing effect on the physical and mental health of the cat. Your cat will need affection and comfort during the recovery period. It goes without saying that you will need to maintain strict hygiene, and given that this infection can remain on surfaces, be especially clean and careful after handling a sick cat so that you do not inadvertently spread the virus to other cats.
If your cat is treated quickly and effectively, he can make a full recovery. It may take several weeks for your cat to fully recover. Unfortunately, the mortality rate from panleukopenia reaches 90%.
Myth No. 4. More drugs - better chances
Many owners, frightened by the dangers of the virus, want to get as many prescriptions as possible or add medications themselves after reading advice on the Internet. This is not always advisable.
When prescribing therapy, the doctor focuses on the phase of the disease and the patient’s condition, and if he has not prescribed a drug, then perhaps this drug is not needed at the moment.
Sometimes you can see that people rush to inject an animal with several immunomodulators at once when its immune system is working on its own. Or they give antibiotics until they are needed. For example, if the tests reveal an infection, but the animals suffer from it in a latent form and there are no obvious symptoms of the disease (they eat, play, feel tolerable), antibiotics are not needed.
Prevention and control measures for feline panleukopenia
Follow your veterinarian's instructions regarding drug administration, household disinfection, and the need for quarantine. If you have other cats, you will need to monitor them closely for signs of illness. Consult your veterinarian about the possibility of vaccinating other cats at home.
Anything your cat touches should be deeply cleaned and disinfected. Anything that can be washed and dried in a washing machine should be washed, and anything that can be washed in a dishwasher should be washed in a washing machine. This includes bedding, toys, dishes and trays, and a trash can.
Again, keep in mind that even then, you may not be able to remove all traces of the virus. Although your cat will not be susceptible to re-infection after recovery, other visiting cats may still be infected by contaminants that were left behind. You can also infect your friends' cats if you visit them.
Vaccination of cats is the most important means of preventing panleukopenia.
Before you bring a new kitten into your home, find out if it has been vaccinated. Fortunately, the vaccine is so effective that just one dose prevents most cases of panleukopenia virus infections. Be alert for any signs of illness, especially in young kittens, and ask your veterinarian to examine your pet as soon as possible if you notice anything of concern.
Consequences and pathological changes in the body
To better understand the danger of panleukopenia, you need to know its consequences and pathological changes in the body. Let's start with lifetime consequences:
- Long-term disorders of hematopoiesis (the process of blood production).
- Neurological disorders are possible.
- Miscarriages, pyometra or severe endometritis, maceration or mummification of fetuses, infertility (and in cats too).
- Growth and developmental disorders are often diagnosed in young animals after panleukopenia. In particular, the pet may remain miniature for the rest of its life.
- If the inflamed mesenteric lymph nodes have been compressing the intestines for a long time, the cat may well suffer from constipation for the rest of its life.
Good to know
- Trichopolum instructions for veterinary medicine
- Instructions for the use of the antibiotic Baytril in animals
- Instructions for use of metronide
- Instructions for ceftriaxone preparations for animals
- Use of Metrogyl in veterinary medicine
- Instructions for doxycycline in animals
- Metronidazole (Metronidazole) for animals (instructions for use in veterinary medicine, doses, indications and contraindications)
- Atovaquone (ATOVAQUONE)
- Azithromycin, instructions for animal therapy
