Coronavirus Gastroenteritis in Cats Can Be Cured

Description of the disease gastroenteritis in cats

Gastroenteritis is nothing more than inflammation of the stomach and small intestine, accompanied by digestive disorders, and both of these pathological processes occur in the body of the purr simultaneously and are closely related to each other. Gastroenteritis is caused by many unrelated reasons, including defects in keeping the cat and various infections, including such dangerous ones as meningitis or coronavirus.

Attention!

According to the nature of the inflammatory process, gastroenteritis is divided into serous, catarrhal, hemorrhagic, fibrinous and purulent.

And by origin - infectious and non-infectious. In this case, the causes of infectious gastroenteritis are often diseases that pose a serious threat to the health and life of the cat.

Clinical manifestations: symptoms and causes

Symptoms

In the vast majority of cases, the cat experiences a decrease or complete absence of appetite. The animal is weakened and looks depressed.

In addition, the following signs of digestive disorders are also observed:

• Vomiting - sometimes with traces of blood or bile.
• Diarrhea - often also with blood, mucus and waste of undigested food; it can also be with signs of the presence of fat (steatorrhea, or, in other words, fatty feces).
• Abdominal pain - the cat is hunched over and acting restless.
• When palpated, her abdomen is painful and tense.
• With the purulent and hemorrhagic form of gastroenteritis, the temperature may be elevated, and pus and blood are visible in the feces, which themselves have the characteristic appearance of the so-called raspberry jelly. The animal is lethargic, apathetic and inactive.
• Due to frequent vomiting and diarrhea, dehydration can develop, during which the cat loses a lot of weight, its eyes become sunken, and the skin loses its elasticity and, if folded, it will not straighten out immediately.
• The mucous membranes are pale; if the liver is involved in the process, they may also be icteric.
• With coronavirus gastroenteritis, damage to the central nervous system is also possible: the cat may have paralysis, paresis, ataxia and seizures.

Causes

Non-infectious gastroenteritis:

• Incorrect, unbalanced nutrition: feeding low-quality, rough, spicy or too salty food, skipping feedings for no significant reason.
• Binge eating.
• Poisoning with heavy metal salts that may be present in the food.
• Food allergies.
• Side effects of medications that negatively affect the digestive system.

Infectious gastroenteritis:

• Viruses - parvovirus, coronavirus, hepatitis.
• Bacteria - E. coli, salmonella.
• Parasites - worms, isospores, coccidia.

Non-infectious diseases and pathological processes in the body:

• Diseases of the gastrointestinal tract: gastritis, liver disease, pancreatitis, intestinal obstruction.
• Accumulation of hairballs in the stomach or intestines - trichobezoars, which are caused by ingestion of hair during licking.
• Congenital or acquired defects in the structure of the digestive organs.
• Stress.

Important!

One of the most severe and dangerous forms of gastroenteritis is hemorrhagic, which often begins for no apparent reason. Scientists suggest that this disease is of an autoimmune nature, or that it can occur due to infectious diseases.

Symptoms

The FCoV virus, having entered the cat’s body, “nests” on the intestinal mucosa. In the presence of favorable conditions (a decline in the animal's immunity, stress, poor nutrition), the infectious agent begins to multiply rapidly, causing inflammation of the intestinal mucosa, and then the stomach. The secretory and motor functions of the gastrointestinal tract are disrupted, and catarrh of the stomach and intestines develops.

Signs of gastroenteritis in cats are usually quite pronounced and difficult to ignore. This:

• diarrhea,
• vomit,
• poor appetite
• blood and mucus in stool
• in severe cases - elevated temperature.

The animal becomes apathetic, stops grooming itself, and has a dull look. When you try to drink water or eat something, you experience “dry” gagging.

Attention! Often the cat owner mistakes the above symptoms for a common intestinal disorder and tries to cure the pet on his own. This cannot be done: coronavirus gastroenteritis can be fraught with serious consequences. If not properly treated, the relatively harmless FCoV virus can mutate into a highly virulent strain of FIPV that causes peritonitis, often leading to death.

Kinds

Coronavirus

Coronavirus gastroenteritis often occurs in cats. This is not surprising, given that many of them have been carriers of coronavirus almost from birth. The fact is that the causative agent of this disease is highly virulent, or, to put it simply, the coronavirus is very contagious.

It is easily transmitted from one cat to another, and animals kept in nurseries or shelters are at particular risk, since it is their large concentration that simplifies the route of transmission of the virus.

If a cat gets sick with coronavirus, it will experience the following symptoms of the disease:

• Vomiting.
• Weak or no appetite.
• Vomiting and/or diarrhea.
• The stool is liquid, and the vomit is often yellowish and foamy.
• The animal is apathetic, its gaze becomes dull.
• The temperature usually rises.
• If you try to feed a cat, it may have so-called “dry vomiting”: the animal vomits, but no vomit is released.

Attention!

If your cat has any of these symptoms, let alone more than one, you should immediately take him to a veterinarian for diagnosis and treatment.

Non-infectious

Gastroenteritis caused by improper feeding or, for example, allergies is less dangerous for a cat than an infectious disease.
It is faster and easier to treat and, as a rule, complete recovery occurs.

But at the same time, it is necessary to remember that if the cause of the pet’s disease is not immediately eliminated and the correct diet is not chosen for it, the disease may recur.

Causes of blood in stool

The appearance of droplets of blood in cat feces is caused by various chronic diseases and acute conditions that require immediate medical intervention.

In most cases, the main reason for finding thin streaks or barely noticeable spots in the stool is an unbalanced diet. As a result, problems with digestion and excretory function.

We will discuss the main problems that any veterinarian will consider if there are complaints about the appearance of abnormal discharge from the pet’s intestines.

Constipation

One of the most common factors that can provoke extravasation in the feces of pet cats is constipation. Tight masses passing through the digestive tract injure its thin walls. As a result, the intestine becomes scratched and begins to bleed.

The main causes of constipation are:

• matted fur (that the cat could not regurgitate naturally);
• predominance of dry food in the diet;
• lack of vegetables on the menu;
• small amount of liquid consumed during the day.

In addition, foreign objects in the stomach, as well as parasites, are common culprits for constipation.

Parasites

Also, intestinal bleeding is due to the fact that the cat’s body is affected by helminths adapted to living in various parts of the gastrointestinal tract. Using laboratory tests, Giardia and Coccidia are detected.

These microorganisms penetrate the soft and loose intestinal wall, and as a result, cracks are formed that do not heal on their own. Blood in feces when infected with parasites looks like dark clots.

Colitis

Pathological changes in pet excrement are often associated with the development of acute or chronic colitis in the body, an inflammatory process occurring in the large intestine. This disease occurs in several types (for example, ulcerative, ischemic, etc.) and differs in localization (proctitis, typhlitis or pancolitis).

The acute phase is accompanied by pain inside the abdomen, so the sick cat often cries. The chronic process is a consequence of improper treatment of the acute period of the disease.

The etiologies of colitis are:

• mistakes in nutrition (for example, a cat ate a mouse that died from intoxication with chemical products);
• poisoning with toxic substances.

Colitis is also caused by viruses or bacteria that trigger an inflammatory process in the animal’s body.

Helminths

Polyps

Bloody spots in feces can be caused by polyps - tight, shapeless growths on the walls that prevent the normal passage of waste from the body through the large intestine. As soon as the stool becomes a little denser than usual, the likelihood of injury to the mucous membrane increases.

Polyposis is often congenital, but most often the disease is provoked by improper keeping of the pet, in particular by errors in nutrition. The disease is classified as a tumor, most of which is benign.

Rectal prolapse

If, along with the appearance of blood in the excrement, you notice inflammation of the anus or see an intestine that sticks out or protrudes from it, this means that the animal:

• time failed to perform an act of defecation;

• strained or strained the peritoneum due to loose stools.

The latter is often provoked by dysbiosis.

In female cats, rectal prolapse is a consequence of a difficult pregnancy or the result of a prolonged labor. Also, a prerequisite for protrusion of the walls of the anus are diseases of a malignant nature.

Gastrointestinal problems

Indigestion in a pet's stomach or a buildup of fur can cause both hardening and thinning of the stool. In the first case, tight lumps injure the mucous membrane, but in the second, waste products, oversaturated with bile, irritate the intestinal walls and create a favorable environment for the occurrence of allergies and the proliferation of pathogenic flora.

The most common gastrointestinal problems that result in drops of fresh or dried blood in the stool are:

• enteritis (gastroenteritis);
• stomach ulcer;
• pancreatitis.

Sometimes extravasation is far from the only indicator of problematic functioning of the gastrointestinal tract of a furry pet. Along with this manifestation, cats experience frequent urination and profuse vomiting.

Vomit

Worm infestation

One of the most common reasons for finding inclusions in excrement is helminths. They enter the body:

• with dirty water;
• from other animals;
• from contaminated foods (most often small fish that cats eat raw).

In cats, tapeworms, roundworms and flatworms are most often found, which can also be dangerous for people.

The presence or absence of parasites cannot be detected by a simple examination, so feces with streaks must be collected and transferred to the laboratory technicians of a veterinary clinic. They will conduct special stool tests and be able to confirm or deny the presence of worms.

Bacterial infections

If we talk about bacterial infections, the appearance of inclusions in such situations is provoked by the penetration of pathogens into the body:

• salmonellosis;
• colibacillosis;
• campylobacteriosis.

Sometimes the detection of streaks in the stool may indicate the beginning of the process of intestinal tuberculosis.

Dysbacteriosis

With poor nutrition, a predominance of rough food, insufficient amounts of protein or lack of fiber, the microflora of the body in pets is disrupted. This leads to disruptions in the rhythm of bowel movements, changes in the structure of the stool or its consistency.

With dysbacteriosis, pet furry cats lose their appetite, their fur becomes dull, and their playfulness disappears. A sick cat is more susceptible to viral infections and more likely to suffer from allergies.

Problems with stool

Coronavirus enteritis

If a disorder is detected in the feces of a small kitten, then coronavirus enteritis must be ruled out. It is important to say that this disease is deadly for children, since its consequence is dehydration due to prolonged diarrhea and vomiting.

Pedigree individuals are most susceptible to infection with viral enteritis, since their gastrointestinal tract is weaker compared to simpletons.

Viruses

Foreign body in the intestine

Cats are great lovers of balls and threads. They are also partial to New Year's decorations, for example, confetti, rain and streamers.

Often found in the stomachs of cats:

• wool;
• sewing threads;
• oilcloth (casings of cheap sausages, for example);
• pieces of plastic;
• thin ribbons.

Particular attention should be paid to kittens. Since small, inquisitive animals, not understanding the danger, strive to explore the world and eat inappropriate food, for example, hollow chicken bones or sharp fish ridges.

X-ray

Dry food intolerance

One of the reasons for the appearance of blood in pets’ stool may be feeding on dry food that is not suitable in composition, age restrictions or density.

Cheap food, rich in flavorings, just like rough natural food, provokes constipation, causing bleeding.

Diagnostics

As a rule, when there is gastroenteritis, the veterinarian will first examine the cat's mouth. With this disease, a white coating will be noticeable there, and the animal may drool profusely.

In addition, they do a general blood test and biochemistry and a stool test for worm eggs. They may also recommend doing scatology to identify blood, pus, fats and undigested food particles present in the stool.

Virological and bacteriological diagnostics are also indicated.

In addition, an X-ray examination of the intestines and an ultrasound of the abdominal cavity are performed.

If coronavirus is suspected, a separate special test is performed.

Attention!

With the hemorrhagic form of gastroenteritis, heart rhythm disturbances are often observed, and therefore an additional ECG should be performed.

What can trigger the disease?

Gastroenteritis often occurs against the background of an existing disease, and sometimes it is caused by negative external factors.

Diseases that provoke gastroenteritis:

• Meningitis.
• Pneumonia.
• Oncology and benign tumors.
• Coronavirus infection.
• Poisoning.
• Diseases of the pancreas.
• Addison's disease.
• Hyperthyroidism.
• Viral diseases.
• Escherichia coli.
• Salmonellosis.
• Intestinal volvulus.
• Pathological processes of the gastrointestinal tract, such as gastritis and pancreatitis.
• Intestinal obstruction.
• Liver diseases.
• Atherosclerosis.
• Heart diseases.
• Metabolic disorders.
• Worms.

External factors leading to gastroenteritis:

• Unbalanced diet.
• Lack of a stable pet feeding regimen.
• Binge eating.
• Poor-quality ready-made food that contains an excess of dyes and preservatives.
• Food allergies.
• Ingestion of a foreign body.
• Stressful situations.
• Excessive licking, leading to the formation of trichobezoars in the cat's stomach - hair balls made from ingested hair.

Infection process

Coronavirus is one of the most mysterious viruses known to science.
There are two strains of this pathogen found in cats: FIPV and FECV. The first of them causes infectious peritonitis, but the second is precisely the cause of infectious gastroenteritis.

As a rule, cats become infected by eating feces or sniffing them, and microscopic doses of the filler on which the causative agent has come into contact with the disease are sufficient for infection.

The virus persists in the external environment for quite a long time - up to a week, which makes it even more dangerous in terms of virulence.

There is no intrauterine transmission of the virus through the placenta. Moreover, as long as kittens receive antibodies from their mother cat’s milk, they do not get sick with coronavirus.

The “dangerous” age comes later - at 5-7 weeks, when passive immunity is already fading, and active immunity has not yet had time to develop. At this time, children are especially vulnerable and susceptible to infection with coronavirus.

But a particular danger to the health and life of cats is that the relatively harmless FECV, under the influence of certain, not fully studied factors, can mutate and turn into a deadly FIPV, causing infectious peritonitis, from which a lot of cats and, especially, kittens die. .

Important!

Even if the coronavirus has entered the cat’s body, this does not mean that it will certainly get sick. If the animal is healthy and has good immunity, then the coronavirus pathogen will be completely eliminated from its body. This process can take two weeks or several months.

For the cat itself, excretion of the pathogen along with feces is completely harmless, but at the same time it can infect other animals that have weaker immunity.

Is it transmitted to humans?

Both strains of feline coronavirus do not pose a danger to humans, and this applies to those with weakened immune systems, the elderly, and even newborn babies.
Therefore, if a cat in the family has contracted coronavirus gastroenteritis, one should not be afraid of infection and, especially, there is no need to euthanize or throw the animal outside for this reason.

Coronavirus gastroenteritis disease concept

The pathogen that causes coronavirus gastroenteritis in cats is a special microorganism that can cause several diseases at once. Once in the gastrointestinal tract of a cat, the virus can provoke a mild degree of illness without threatening the life of the furry pet. But in some cases, the coronavirus pathogen begins to mutate, causing serious inflammation of the abdominal cavity, which in 100% of cases ends in the death of the animal.

If you examine the virus under a magnifying glass of a microscope, its head will be shaped like a crown, hence the name coronavirus. The microorganism is relatively stable in the external environment and, under favorable conditions, can be viable for more than 1 month. The causative agent of the disease is considered to be infected animals that excrete coronavirus in their feces. Some cats can carry the virus, but will never get the infection themselves.

How to treat?

As for medications used in the treatment of gastroenteritis, especially if it occurs in purulent or hemorrhagic forms, or is infectious in nature, then all prescriptions should be made only by a veterinarian.

Attention!

You should absolutely not treat gastroenteritis on your own, since this disease can cause extremely serious complications and, if treated incorrectly, can result in death.

How is gastroenteritis treated?

This disease does not belong to the category of lungs, and therefore only a veterinarian must draw up a plan of therapeutic measures. The basic treatment is quite simple: you need to restore the water and electrolyte balance in the animal’s blood. This is especially important if gastroenteritis is treated in kittens, which without adequate therapy will simply die in just a couple of days. The method of administration of drugs depends on the degree of dehydration: orally or intravenously. Until the animal’s condition improves, it is advisable to keep it on a starvation diet, maintaining its vital functions through intravenous infusions.

What are the prognosis for coronavirus gastroenteritis in cats?

The prognosis for coronavirus gastroenteritis can be completely different: from complete recovery to the death of the animal.

• In approximately 50% of cases, the cat will recover from this disease with severe signs of diarrhea, after which clinical recovery will occur when all symptoms of the disease disappear and the cat looks completely healthy. But for a long time (from 1 to 9 months), the virus will be excreted along with her feces.
• In approximately 10% of cases, cats die because the virus has mutated into a form that causes incurable coronavirus enteritis, which causes irreversible pathological processes in the body.
• It also happens that the disease takes a chronic form. This happens when the cat has good immunity, but cannot completely cope with the causative agent of the disease. Then the purr will experience diarrhea from time to time, which can, to one degree or another, be treated with improvised means. But in this case, the cat will remain a lifelong carrier and distributor of coronavirus.

This is interesting!

There are cats that are immune to coronavirus. They will not get sick even if they are surrounded by sick animals. Moreover, this stability does not depend on the breed or origin of the cat.

Coronavirus infectious diseases of cats

What is coronavirus?
What diseases does coronavirus cause in cats? Is it dangerous for humans? How to protect your cat from getting an infection? Coronavirus infections are quite widespread among wild and domestic cat populations. These diseases cause a lot of trouble to the owners of catteries, where, due to the large number of cats being kept together, it is difficult to ensure the cleanliness of the livestock from infectious agents and there is a high risk of animals becoming infected from each other.

Causes of coronavirus infections

Coronaviruses are a type of RNA virus. A huge variety of similar infectious agents circulate in nature, some of them are causative agents of severe infectious diseases of cultivated plants and domestic animals.

For the cat family, two types of diseases caused by coronaviruses pose a danger:

1. Feline infectious peritonitis, or FIP , is caused by a highly pathogenic strain of coronavirus. The disease is almost 100% fatal.
2. Infectious coronavirus enteritis and gastroenteritis are caused by feline low-pathogenic intestinal coronaviruses (LPEC) and are mild and do not pose a threat to life.

The IPC virus is difficult to distinguish from the CCPV virus; these two viruses are very similar in structure and judging by the latest research, there is a high probability that the highly pathogenic infectious peritonitis virus is a mutation of one of the strains of low-pathogenic intestinal coronaviruses.

In Russia, there is an annual increase in the incidence of coronavirus peritonitis in cats, which may be due to the emergence of an increasing number of cat nurseries, which, without proper anti-epizootic measures and in conditions of difficult diagnosis, unwittingly become reservoirs of pathogenic strains of the virus.

Routes of infection

According to research, the main route of infection in natural conditions is oral, that is, through the mouth. The virus enters the body through food and water or by licking while washing.

In addition to oral infection, there is information about the possibility of transplacental, that is, intrauterine infection of kittens from a cat.

Infected animals spread the virus by excreting it into the external environment in feces, saliva and urine.

The virus can only exist inside the body; if it enters the external environment, it dies within a couple of days. The virus is detrimental to high temperatures and conventional disinfectants, including laundry soap.

It is noted that after penetration into the body of a healthy animal, the IPC virus initially attacks the epithelial cells of the tonsils and intestines, where it can remain for a long time.

After infection with the infectious peritonitis virus, a cat can be a virus carrier for a long time without showing any visible signs of illness, but can infect the environment and infect kittens, which quickly die in the first week after birth or in utero.

Coronavirus enteritis in cats

After penetration into the body, CCTV viruses penetrate the surface layer of the intestinal epithelium, where their pathogenic effect manifests itself in the form of infectious enteritis of coronavirus origin.

In cats, infectious enteritis, in addition to coronaviruses, can be caused by parvoviruses (panleukopenia) and rotoviruses (rotoviral enteritis).

The symptoms of all viral enteritis are similar to each other, but compared to parvovirus and rotavirus enteritis, coronavirus is much easier.

Kittens most often get sick during the weaning period. The disease begins with rapid vomiting, which is followed by diarrhea. There may be no temperature or it may be low. Lethargy and lack of appetite appear.

In mild cases, the disease lasts several days, then all symptoms disappear and the animal recovers. This course is typical for animals with not weakened immune systems and if the coronavirus infection is not superimposed on other viral or bacterial infections.

Coronavirus enteritis of moderate severity, with proper care and the use of necessary medications, can be easily cured. After recovery, the cat remains a virus carrier for another 1-9 months; it excretes the virus in its feces, which poses a threat of infection to nearby cats.

Infectious coronavirus peritonitis of cats

Coronavirus peritonitis is a fairly young disease and therefore it has not been sufficiently studied and raises many questions, not only among cat owners, but also among practicing veterinarians.

The first mention of this disease appeared in the USA in the 60s. Then, in 1977, the coronavirus peritonitis virus was isolated in the laboratory and described, and officially registered only in 1981.

The causative agent of IPC, unlike CCTV, is capable of infecting macrophages - cells of the immune system, therefore IPC is classified as an AIDS-like virus.

The virus is highly pathogenic, with IPC mortality reaching 100%. The fact that this disease affects the body's immune cells makes this disease, at this point in time, incurable, like human immunodeficiency, as well as FIV and feline leukemia.

Coronavirus infectious peritonitis is a slow-onset disease; several years may pass from the moment the pathogen enters the body until clinical signs appear.

According to the observations of specialists, susceptibility to the disease is higher in kittens, from 1 month to a year, in adult animals after 7 years of age.

It has been noted that breeds with blue coat color are more prone to the disease IPC - cats of the British breed and the Russian Blue breed.

Symptoms of FIP in cats

The virus that causes IPC is referred to in the international classification as FIPV and is capable of causing various manifestations of damage to many organs and systems in the body of cats.

The name of the disease is due to the fact that often one of the main clinical signs is peritonitis.

It is accepted to divide the course of IPC into three main forms:

• Wet IPC. With this form of peritonitis, due to damage to the blood vessels of the peritoneum or pulmonary pleura, exudate effusion occurs into the abdominal or thoracic cavity. The development of wet peritonitis is provoked by a weak immune reaction of the body; this form of the disease occurs mainly in kittens. The disease is accompanied by fever up to 40 C, weakness, lack of appetite, peritonitis, with accumulation of effusion in the abdominal cavity, and gradual exhaustion.

When effusion forms in the chest cavity, the disease is accompanied by breathing problems and wheezing.

If the animal does not die in the first weeks, then signs of peritonitis or breathing problems are accompanied by symptoms of renal and liver failure, manifestations of pancreatic dysfunction.

The duration of the wet form of infectious peritonitis is about 6 months. The outcome is fatal, or the disease develops into the form of dry IPC.

• The dry form of peritonitis is characterized by the absence of effusion fluid. This form of peritonitis affects older cats. The disease occurs without pronounced symptoms. A decrease in appetite and physical activity may be noted. In this form, diagnosing the disease is very difficult, this is explained by the absence of pronounced clinical signs. In a later period, multiple signs of damage to internal organs appear, most often the liver and kidneys, less often the nervous system (weakness of the hind limbs, paralysis, paresis, convulsions, behavioral disorders – aggression or apathy) and eyes (hyphema, retinitis, iridocyclitis).
• Hidden form. It is characterized by a long course without the manifestation of any clinical signs. In the latent form, only blood macrophages are affected and the animal can be a virus carrier for a long time without showing signs of disease. By periodically releasing the virus into the environment, the cat, which is a virus carrier, infects healthy animals.

In the latent form, the animal’s body either gets rid of the virus over time, or, if the immune system is weakened, the disease progresses. Viruses from immune blood cells penetrate the internal organs, where characteristic granulomatous nodules and compactions develop.

The dry form of the disease can turn into a wet one, or they occur simultaneously.

Is FIP transmitted to humans?

Infectious peritonitis in cats cannot pose any danger to humans. The virus is specific and only affects the cat family.

Diagnostics

The method for diagnosing the disease is not sufficiently developed. It is not possible to isolate the virus in a conventional laboratory. An accurate diagnosis can only be established based on the results of post-mortem histology of the affected organs.

When making a presumptive diagnosis, the doctor is guided by:

1. Anamnesis data (history of the disease);
2. Based on clinical signs - the formation of fluid in the peritoneal cavity or chest cavity, an enlarged spleen detected by palpation, depressed appetite, a persistent increase in temperature;
3. Test analysis data determining the presence of coronavirus in the animal’s body;
4. Reverse CPR (polymerase chain reaction) data. The reaction determines the presence of viral RNA in the test fluid.

When making a diagnosis, IPC should be distinguished from diseases with similar manifestations:

• Liver diseases - cirrhosis, cholangohepatitis, lymphocytic cholangitis, tumors;
• Cardiomyopathy;
• Lymphosarcoma.

Treatment of coronavirus or treatment of IPC

The prognosis for coronavirus peritonitis is not favorable. The disease is fatal. Information about rare cases of recovery has not been confirmed by research.

With the wet form of peritonitis, the interval from the appearance of the first signs of the disease to the death of the animal does not exceed several weeks.

With early diagnosis and treatment, wet peritonitis can be converted into dry peritonitis.

Dry peritonitis, if treatment is used, can last up to a year. To treat dry peritonitis, use medications according to the symptoms and provide the cat with good nutrition and care.

Prevention

The only reliable way to protect an animal from an infectious disease is vaccination.

In Russia, an effective vaccine to combat IPC has not yet been developed. In exceptional cases, the Primucell FIP vaccine produced in the United States is used. It is administered nasally, that is, through the nose, in the form of drops. For the first time, the animal is vaccinated twice with a short interval, then once a year.

Other methods of prevention:

1. Compliance with general hygiene rules - timely cleaning of the litter box, periodic disinfection of the room and care items, especially if there are several cats in the house. You can’t give your cat grass picked on the street; it’s better to buy it at a pet store or grow it yourself.
2. Timely treatment against helminthic infestations will help maintain a high level of immunity in the cat. Helminths, parasitizing in the digestive tract of an animal, feed at the expense of the host, causing vitamin deficiencies and a lack of important micro- and macroelements, essential amino acids, causing intoxication, and injuring the intestinal mucosa. All this together causes a blow to the immune system, reducing its ability to resist dangerous infectious agents.
3. Limit contact with other members of the cat family. The disease is very contagious, that is, the risk of infection through contact with a sick animal or virus carriers, in most cases, leads to infection. Further, it all depends on the strength of the cat’s immunity.

Only 10% of virus carriers develop a clinical infection. Many cats, in the absence of further contact with the source of infection for several months, are completely free of the virus.

If there is a suspicion that a cat has IPC, the first thing to do is to isolate the animal from other cats, if any, in the house, then contact a specialist for a symptomatic and laboratory examination.

When testing for the presence of the virus in large groups of cats, up to 80% of virus carriers can be detected, although clinical signs may be absent.

If the presence of a virus is detected in a cattery, the owner should take the following measures to improve the health of the livestock:

• Regular tests, once every 3 or 6 months, of all animals for virus carriers.
• Keep positively and negatively reacting cats separately, placing them in small groups of 3-4 heads, regularly examining and moving cats with a negative reaction to a group of animals free from the virus.
• Mate only animals that react in the same way – seropositive with seropositive, and negative with negative.
• Practice early weaning of kittens from their mother, at 5 weeks of age.
• Before introducing new animals into the nursery, they must first be vaccinated.

In order to reduce the risk of developing infectious peritonitis for clinically healthy animals that are virus carriers, you need to:

1. Avoid stressful situations for the cat during the period of the virus carrier;
2. Avoid the use of immunosuppressive drugs (corticosteroids, progestogens);
3. Avoid mating animals that react positively and obtaining offspring from infected cats.

Interesting video:

Source: https://okotikah.ru/bolezni/koronavirus-u-koshki.html

Recovery

The first thing to do if a cat develops gastroenteritis is, if possible, to eliminate the cause of the disease and establish proper nutrition:

• For the first two days, do not feed your pet anything at all.
• Later, give him low-fat beef broth and a decoction of herbs: sage, chamomile, St. John's wort, flaxseed, and a weak decoction of oak bark.
• On the fourth day, you can feed one boiled or raw egg three times a day; liquid oatmeal or rice porridge is also allowed, and you can add a little boiled chicken or minced beef to them.
• Then you can give fermented milk products, porridge with milk and vegetable soups.
• From the tenth day, if everything is normal, you can return to your pet’s normal diet.
• In case of coronavirus gastroenteritis, your pet should be fed light, well-digestible food. For example, you can give him boiled chicken or boiled lean fish. If the animal is too weakened by illness, then it is best to feed it only low-fat broths.

Important!

Diet for any gastroenteritis is of primary importance for recovery. Therefore, it is necessary to feed a cat with this disease only those foods that are allowed and in no case give it prohibited treats.

Prevention

It is necessary from the very beginning to establish a proper diet for the kitten, excluding the pet from consuming foods that are harmful to it, spices, or excess salt. You can’t overfeed your cat, and you can’t skip feedings unless necessary.

You should feed either high-quality commercial food of premium class or higher, or natural products, but in no case mix dry food and natural food.

If there is a need to change food, then the new product must be introduced gradually, increasing its share in the daily diet over several days.

It is necessary to periodically remove worms in accordance with the recommendations of veterinarians.

In order to avoid the possibility of contracting coronavirus gastroenteritis, you need to:

• Avoid contact of your cat with sick and street animals that can spread coronavirus.
• If the cat did come into contact with them, then it is necessary to minimize the likelihood of any stress, since most often it is they that cause the disease.
• If another cat is taken into the house, it must be kept in quarantine before introducing it to the purring cat already living in the house.
• If there are several cats in the house, their litter boxes should be located as far from each other as possible.
• If a nursing cat is found to be a carrier of the coronavirus, the kittens should be separated from their mother in the first five weeks of their life.
• As a filler for trays, you should use a mixture based on clay and minerals, which clumps together after use.
• Carriers of coronavirus and cats that have not previously been in contact with the causative agent of the disease should not be kept in the same room: they must be separated.

Important!

Under no circumstances should you take another cat into a house where the carrier lives if the cat has not been in contact with the coronavirus. And you also cannot take an animal that already has the virus in its body into a house where there lives a cat that is free from carrying this pathogen.