Feline Parvovirus: Infection, Symptoms and Treatment

For many, parvovirus in cats is associated with a common intestinal disorder. Therefore, sometimes they do not pay enough attention to it, believing that it’s no big deal, it will go away on its own, a gentle diet is enough. In fact, veterinarians are well aware of the danger of this disease.

What is parvovirus enteritis?

So far we have talked in general terms about what it is. Parvovirus in cats is divided into many types and subspecies, each of which has its own distinctive characteristics. There are several classifications:

The first speaks of damage to the walls.
The second is about the origin of the pathology.
The third divides putrefactive or fermentative processes in the intestines.
The fourth talks about the course of the disease.

The nature of the inflammation can also vary. In particular, doctors divide it into catarrhal, hemorrhagic, fibrinous, necrotic, ulcerative. The presence of through fistulas into the abdominal cavity can be considered an extreme degree. Treatment in this case is accompanied by the installation of drainage tubes and takes place in a hospital under the supervision of a doctor.

Parvovirus

Panleukopenia, feline distemper and parvovirus enteritis are all the names of one terrible disease. There are several types of this disease:

pulmonary;
intestinal (enteritis);
nervous.

Symptoms

Symptoms are usually pronounced and very varied:

heat;
depressed state;
diarrhea and vomiting;
refusal of food and water;
nervous tic (twitching);
swelling of mucous membranes and cough.

Vaccination

A specific means of preventing an animal is its vaccination. Vaccines such as Multifel-3 and Multifel-4 are used for it.

They will protect the fluffy from rhinotracheitis, calcivirus infection, chlamydia, etc.

For express diagnosis, the veterinarian needs certain data.

How and when did the disease begin?
Frequency of vomiting and bowel movements.
Consistency, color and volume of stool.
The behavior of the animal and all changes (is there a refusal of food and water, fear of light, etc.).

Treatment should be comprehensive and only be prescribed by a veterinarian. Most often prescribed:

medications to relieve symptoms (including prednisolone);
means that activate the immune system;
medications to combat the pathogen.

In addition to taking medications, it is necessary to provide the animal with rest, care and concern.

Be sure to remove traces of feces from the animal's fur and bedding. Provide him with a cozy place, without drafts and noise.

For feeding, use only high-quality natural food. This will help the cat overcome diseases faster.

In addition, you can include multivitamins in the diet, which will support the weakened immunity of the animal.

The first speaks of damage to the walls.
The second is about the origin of the pathology.
The third divides putrefactive or fermentative processes in the intestines.
The fourth talks about the course of the disease.

Viral

The causative agent of parvovirus infection is the feline FPV virus, which causes the disease panleukopenia. It is characterized by a high degree of contagiousness and the ability of the pathogen to penetrate the body. It affects not only the intestines, but penetrates the bone marrow, destroying blood cells, and depresses the animal’s nervous system. The pathology occurs in acute and hyperacute forms, the average course is characteristic of vaccinated animals.

Kittens around two months of age are especially susceptible to parvovirus. This is the time when the body experiences a decrease in antibodies that were obtained from mother's milk, and immunity has not yet formed. Adult animals are also defenseless against infection if they are unaccustomed and weakened. With prompt diagnosis and quality treatment in adult cats, the probability of cure is 40-70%. In other cases, animals die from intoxication, dehydration, and heart failure.

Damage to the upper layer of the internal tissues of the small intestine is coronavirus enteritis.

Symptoms

When infected with coronavirus, an animal practically stops eating, behaves restlessly, sometimes aggressively, and does not react to humans.

In this case it is observed:

swollen, tight stomach;
soreness;
temperature increase;
vomiting and diarrhea.

Most often, the coronavirus is transmitted from an infected individual to a healthy one. The virus is released into the environment through feces. Infection occurs precisely from direct contact with feces.

Animals that are kept in large numbers (for example, in nurseries) and in unsanitary conditions are susceptible to the disease. For animals that do not have access to the street, the chance of becoming infected is minimized, but it still exists and you need to remember this!

The virus poses no danger to humans and is not contagious. Therefore, you don’t have to be afraid of catching enteritis from your pet. Even with direct contact with the animal this is impossible.

How to treat?

The veterinarian, in case of infection with coronavirus enteritis, develops a special treatment regimen, which includes:

drugs that destroy the type of virus that caused enteritis;
antibiotics;
antipyretic (if necessary);
antispasmodics and painkillers;
antiemetics and consolidating drugs;
means restoring water-salt balance;
immunocorrectors.

Maintaining proper feeding is very important for the treatment to be effective. A starvation diet is only required if prescribed by a veterinarian.

In all other cases, it is necessary to offer your pet easily digestible, warm food in small quantities. In addition, it is necessary to provide access to clean water at room temperature.

Usually, after a couple of days of proper care and treatment, the patient’s condition noticeably improves. However, you should stop treatment only after completing the course and final recovery.

Almost all cases of treatment of coronavirus enteritis show positive results. The main thing is to detect the disease as quickly as possible and seek qualified help.

Diagnostics

In order for the veterinarian to make a diagnosis, you must provide him with detailed information on the following points:

How long does the disease last?
Is your pet vaccinated and when was he vaccinated?
What does stool look like, smell and color like?
When was the animal treated for helminths?
What have you been fed in the last few days?

Panleukopenia, feline distemper and parvovirus enteritis are all the names of one terrible disease. There are several types of this disease:

pulmonary;
intestinal (enteritis);
nervous.

Symptoms

Symptoms are usually pronounced and very varied:

heat;
depressed state;
diarrhea and vomiting;
refusal of food and water;
nervous tic (twitching);
swelling of mucous membranes and cough.

Vaccination

A specific means of preventing an animal is its vaccination. Vaccines such as Multifel-3 and Multifel-4 are used for it.

They will protect the fluffy from rhinotracheitis, calcivirus infection, chlamydia, etc.

For express diagnosis, the veterinarian needs certain data.

How and when did the disease begin?
Frequency of vomiting and bowel movements.
Consistency, color and volume of stool.
The behavior of the animal and all changes (is there a refusal of food and water, fear of light, etc.).

Treatment should be comprehensive and only be prescribed by a veterinarian. Most often prescribed:

medications to relieve symptoms (including prednisolone);
means that activate the immune system;
medications to combat the pathogen.

In addition to taking medications, it is necessary to provide the animal with rest, care and concern.

Be sure to remove traces of feces from the animal's fur and bedding. Provide him with a cozy place, without drafts and noise.

For feeding, use only high-quality natural food. This will help the cat overcome diseases faster.

In addition, you can include multivitamins in the diet, which will support the weakened immunity of the animal.

Viral or infectious rotavirus enteritis is another form of the disease.

Symptoms

The symptoms are the same as in the previous forms, but diarrhea and vomiting are more pronounced. As a result, rapid dehydration and exhaustion of the body occurs. The following are added to the clinical picture:

ulcers and wounds in the corners of the mouth;
dull and pale mucous membranes of the eyes;
dryness and stiffness of the coat;
severe abdominal pain.

DNA parvovirus causing panleukopenia is not new. It has especially spread since the 70s of the last century, when breeding cats and developing new breeds became popular. Not only domestic pets are susceptible to the virus, but also their wild relatives - tigers, lions, leopards, etc., as well as representatives of the mustelid family - ferrets, minks. A very similar disease occurs in dogs; its causative agent is canine parvovirus.

READ When to sterilize a cat in the World Cup, pros and cons, what veterinarians think

Parvovirus is a tough, persistent virus. It “sticks” to any surface, is resistant to high temperatures and many disinfectants (at home, if there are no special preparations, the most effective means of destroying the virus is household bleach). But even the most thorough treatment does not guarantee complete destruction of the virus. Therefore, you should not bring a new animal into the room where the sick cat was located earlier than a year later.

Once in the animal’s body, the virus multiplies in the lymphoid tissue of the cat’s throat (thymus and spleen). It then spreads throughout the cat's body, attacking and destroying cells that are dividing rapidly. First of all, these are the cells of the bone marrow and the tissue lining the intestines. Therefore, the effect of parvovirus resembles radiation sickness (leukemia) or poisoning. And owners often initially assume that the pet “ate something wrong.”

The first speaks of damage to the walls.
The second is about the origin of the pathology.
The third divides putrefactive or fermentative processes in the intestines.
The fourth talks about the course of the disease.

The nature of the inflammation can also vary. In particular, doctors divide it into catarrhal, hemorrhagic, fibrinous, necrotic, ulcerative. The presence of through fistulas into the abdominal cavity can be considered an extreme degree. Treatment in this case is accompanied by the installation of drainage tubes and takes place in a hospital under the supervision of a doctor.

Plague
Parvovirus enteritis
Coronavirus enteritis
Rotavirus enteritis
Infectious hepatitis

A viral infection in dogs with damage to the gastrointestinal tract is caused by the causative agent of parvovirosis. Dogs are susceptible to infection by two types of parvovirus. Parvovirus type 1 (CPV-1) is a relatively non-pathogenic virus that sometimes causes myocarditis, pneumonitis, and gastroenteritis in very young puppies.

Parvovirus type 2 (CPV-2) causes classic parvovirus enteritis 5-12 days after infection through the fecal-oral route of transmission. CPV-2b is a recently discovered form of CPV-2 resulting from a mutation of the virus that may be more pathogenic in some dogs. Dobermans, Rottweilers, Pit Bull Terriers and Labrador Retrievers appear to be more sensitive than other breeds.

Replication of the virus occurs in the intestinal crypts and causes severe desquamation of villi, diarrhea, vomiting and subsequent movement of bacteria within the gastrointestinal tract. When contacting a veterinary clinic, the owner usually reports the development of apathy and anorexia in his animal or vomiting with or without blood.

In the early stages of infection, diarrhea may be absent and usually occurs 24 to 48 hours after the onset of vomiting. Diarrhea is often profuse and hemorrhagic. In severe cases, protein-losing enteropathy, characterized by panhypoproteinemia, may occur. Dogs are predisposed to sepsis secondary to neutropenia associated with viral infection of progenitor cells in the bone marrow and bacterial translocation due to intestinal damage.

Clinical signs of co-infections such as diseases caused by canine distemper virus, coronavirus, Salmonella, Campylobacter, Giardia or other intestinal parasites may appear.

Symptoms of viral infection in dogs are mostly nonspecific. Anorexia, apathy, fever, vomiting, diarrhea and dehydration are common. Hypothermia, jaundice, and disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC) are usually observed in severe cases with the addition of bacterial sepsis or endotoxemia.

Diagnostics

A preliminary diagnosis is often made based on clinical features, history, and physical examination. History such as sudden onset of vomiting and diarrhea in a young dog should be taken into account, especially if the puppy is unvaccinated or only partially vaccinated.

It is not for nothing that panleukopenia is called feline distemper, since the disease is very contagious.

First of all, the virus is transmitted through direct contact with an infected or recovered animal.

Secondly, loose, watery stools, vomiting, as well as the patient’s household items (bowls, combs, toys, beds, etc.) contain a huge amount of parvovirus, which can persist in the environment for a very long time.

It is possible that parvovirus can spread through the air, entering the cat's upper respiratory tract during vomiting.

Infection is also possible through blood-sucking insects - fleas.

The virus can enter the house and from the street - on the owner’s clothes or shoes.

Kittens can acquire the panleukopenia virus in the womb.

Coronavirus enteritis in cats

Damage to the upper layer of the internal tissues of the small intestine is coronavirus enteritis.

Symptoms

When infected with coronavirus, an animal practically stops eating, behaves restlessly, sometimes aggressively, and does not react to humans.

In this case it is observed:

swollen, tight stomach;
soreness;
temperature increase;
vomiting and diarrhea.

The virus poses no danger to humans and is not contagious. Therefore, you don’t have to be afraid of catching enteritis from your pet. Even with direct contact with the animal this is impossible.

How to treat?

The veterinarian, in case of infection with coronavirus enteritis, develops a special treatment regimen, which includes:

drugs that destroy the type of virus that caused enteritis;
antibiotics;
antipyretic (if necessary);
antispasmodics and painkillers;
antiemetics and consolidating drugs;
means restoring water-salt balance;
immunocorrectors.

We suggest you familiarize yourself with: Borage worm in cats, symptoms and treatment
For the effectiveness of the treatment, it is very important to maintain proper feeding. A starvation diet is only required if prescribed by a veterinarian.

In all other cases, it is necessary to offer your pet easily digestible, warm food in small quantities. In addition, it is necessary to provide access to clean water at room temperature.

Usually, after a couple of days of proper care and treatment, the patient’s condition noticeably improves. However, you should stop treatment only after completing the course and final recovery.

Almost all cases of treatment of coronavirus enteritis show positive results. The main thing is to detect the disease as quickly as possible and seek qualified help.

Diagnostics

In order for the veterinarian to make a diagnosis, you must provide him with detailed information on the following points:

How long does the disease last?
Is your pet vaccinated and when was he vaccinated?
What does stool look like, smell and color like?
When was the animal treated for helminths?
What have you been fed in the last few days?

Primary and secondary form

As a rule, a healthy animal, vaccinated according to age, which is properly fed with high-quality feed, has less chance of getting sick. Parvovirus often turns out to be not a separate disease, but a symptom of an underlying pathology. Therefore, primary and secondary catarrhs are distinguished:

Primary infections include foodborne infections. That is, opportunistic microflora, salmonella, E. coli, anaerobes that develop when poisoned by bad food. This also includes bacterial and mycotic infections that develop when eating moldy foods.
Secondary parvovirus develops against the background of infectious processes of viral origin.

Another point is the pH of the internal environment. According to this indicator, acid and alkaline inflammation are divided. At first glance, the information is redundant. But it is very important for the doctor. The correctness of diagnosis and its future treatment depends on this knowledge. With the acidic nature of the inflammatory process, fermentation processes develop with the release of carbon dioxide and methane. When alkaline, a process of decay occurs with the formation of a large amount of toxic substances. Of course, both options can hardly be called favorable. These are simply features of the course of the disease that need to be taken into account when making a diagnosis and prescribing treatment.

Causes

It is impossible to help an animal without knowing what parvovirus is. In cats, this disease quite often leads to death. The death rate is especially high among kittens and older animals. Their weight is relatively small, and dehydration occurs within a few days.

This is a disease of viral etiology caused by parvovirus. It is characterized by extremely high contagiousness. Kittens are most often affected. It also has other names: infectious enteritis and feline panleukopenia. The pathogen is extremely stable in the external environment. That is why it is a headache for nurseries and shelters for homeless animals. They are always full of pets and complete disinfection is extremely difficult. Once a sick animal gets into them, the pathogen, along with feces or vomit, settles in the cracks of the wooden floor, and is then transmitted from one to another.

What is feline parvovirus?

Feline parvovirus is the virus that causes feline panleukopenia . It is a very contagious disease and it is also very dangerous. Also known as feline infectious enteritis, feline fever or feline ataxia.

This virus is in the air, in the environment. This means that at some point in their lives, all cats will be susceptible to it . It is important to vaccinate your cat against this disease as it can be fatal...

Parvovirus incubation period in cats is 3-6 days. After this, the disease will progressively worsen over 5-7 days. It is necessary to diagnose it as soon as possible in order to fight it...

Parvovirus interferes with normal cell division and causes damage to the cat's bone marrow and intestines. The immune system is weakened, which leads to a decrease in the number of white blood cells, which are necessary to fight the disease. The number of red blood cells also decreases, causing anemia and weakness .

In children

Aerophagia in infants is a common phenomenon, because an unformed esophagus, large volumes of nutrition, weakness of the cardiac sphincter and the process of breastfeeding itself contribute to the swallowing or suction of excessively large portions of air. This is not a pathological process, but it can lead to frequent intestinal colic in infants. Therefore, experience and dexterity in breastfeeding and bottle feeding is very important; a young mother may be advised to follow the rules:

postural therapy - positioning the child lying at an angle of 45-60°;
control that the child grasps the entire nipple and the isola, and does not take breaks during feeding;
You should not forget to hold the baby in an upright position for 10–15 minutes after feeding, allowing the air that entered the baby’s stomach during feeding to escape;
for bottle-fed children, it is necessary to choose the right formula; it may be better to switch to NAN Comfort or Nutrilon Comfort.;
To remove gases from the baby's intestines, you can use gas tubes or enemas, but we must not forget that they may be unsafe for premature babies and children with easily vulnerable intestinal mucosa.

Aerophagia is also characteristic of children suffering from gastroenterological diseases, hyperexcitable children, as well as mentally retarded children. This problem is quite difficult for parents to recognize on their own, so it is important to undergo an examination by a qualified specialist.

Routes of infection

How dangerous can parvovirus found in cats be? Is this disease dangerous for humans? The FPV strain is not transmitted to dogs or people, so you don’t have to worry about your safety. But the canine pathogen can be transmitted to cats. Let's look at the routes of infection:

The virus can persist in the external environment for up to a year, as we have already noted above. Therefore, if your cat or dog was sick, then before adopting a pet, you must give it all preventive vaccinations.
In most cases, infection occurs through contact with dried feces or other secretions of sick animals. Most often when they contaminate food or water. Less commonly, healthy pets can become infected during play by biting toys and other objects that have previously been in contact with a sick animal. It should be noted that parvovirus in cats develops so rapidly that the owner does not always have time to take the pet to a specialist.
The disease is transmitted less frequently from other cats through direct contact, but this possibility cannot be ruled out. If animals are constantly nearby and come into close contact (playing, licking each other), then the possibility of an epidemic cannot be ruled out.

What causes the disease?

Enteritis in cats can be bacterial or viral. Bacterial develops when the intestinal mucosa is damaged due to the active proliferation of pathogenic bacteria. What can cause this damage?

Poor quality food. The animal's diet should not contain long bones, sweet, fatty, salty or smoked foods. The same goes for stale water and moldy or expired food. However, even if you rely on an industrial diet, it is quite possible that it contains substances that can cause an inflammatory process in the gastrointestinal tract. Artificial colors, flavors, flavor enhancers, and bone meal present in industrial delicacies not only provoke inflammation, but also cause the development of allergies and skin diseases. The constant intake of these substances into the body leads to decreased immunity and dysfunction of the gastrointestinal tract.
Toxic substances. They can enter the body with food or accidentally. Household chemicals, medications, and some plants can cause poisoning in cats. As a rule, cats cope well with minor poisoning on their own thanks to their natural defense mechanism. But the entry into the body of a large amount of poison and substances with a strong toxic effect will require immediate help from the owner.
Helminthiasis. Due to the presence of helminths in the body, the intestinal mucosa is damaged and becomes a gateway for infection.

Viral enteritis is divided into three types: parvovirus, coronavirus, rotavirus. All of them are transmitted when an animal comes into contact with a pathogen. This can be direct contact between a healthy and an infected animal, through a common tray, bowl; the disease can even be “brought” from the street on shoes, for example, if a piece of excrement remains on the sole.

We suggest you read: The kindest cat breeds for families with children

Description of the disease

Parvovirus in cats is a problem of the digestive tract, or rather the intestines.
In this case, a severe inflammatory process is observed in the small intestine, involving the internal mucous layer, and in some cases even the serous membrane. As a result, we observe a violation of all functions of the gastrointestinal tract. This manifests itself in the form of diarrhea, refusal to eat, and severe pain. During illness, organ function is disrupted due to inflammation of the internal mucous membranes. If the disease is not immediately detected and treatment is not started, the inflammation will spread to the muscle tissue and serous membrane. In very advanced cases, the prognosis is usually not good and the disease leads to death of the animal.

The causes of the disease may be:

use of low-quality feed;
abrupt transition from one food to another;
drinking bad, contaminated water;
feeding your pet bones;
infection with viral or bacterial infections;
presence of intestinal helminths;
dysbiosis.

When does a cat become contagious?

An important question, because usually we start to think about it only when we see an obvious illness in our pet. Symptoms of parvovirus in cats appear on days 4-6, but already on the second day from the moment of infection the pathogen begins to be excreted in feces. Kittens are most susceptible at 12 weeks of age. At this time, the amount of antibodies in the blood that were received from the mother sharply decreases. But new ones don’t have time to develop. But unvaccinated adult cats are no less susceptible to this disease.

Ways to infect cats with leukopenia

Most often, young cats are affected. Sick cats or animals that have been ill without symptoms can become virus carriers. Stray animals are contagious, as are wild minks, raccoons, and ferrets - constant carriers of infection. What are the ways of transmitting the disease, the causes:

through feces;
through saliva and fluids coming from the nose or eyes;
in utero;
through a common animal feeder;
in direct contact of cats;
with bites of blood-sucking insects;
through contaminated surfaces.

Young kittens aged 1-3 months are at greatest risk of infection. During this period, babies stop feeding on mother's milk, so the content of antibodies in the cubs' body decreases. Even if the cat is already an adult, the animal is not immune from the disease until it is vaccinated.

The risk of infection in cats depends on the season. The incidence of the disease increases in summer and late autumn. Mortality depends on the age of the cats. When infected prenatally or immediately after birth, up to 90% of kittens die.

Can people get plague? The feline panleukopenia virus is not dangerous to humans. This pathogen is species-specific, that is, it affects only cats, minks and raccoons. Dogs are also in no danger of contracting the disease from cats.

Signs of the disease

The main symptom of feline enteritis is diarrhea. The feces contain a significant amount of undigested food, mucus, and blood impurities.

In addition, animals may experience:

apathy;
deterioration in the condition of the coat (it becomes dull and shaggy);
dehydration;
increase in body temperature;
conjunctivitis;
colic;
vomit;
increased gas formation, accompanied by rumbling stomach.

The final diagnosis is made based on:

information about vaccinations, dewormings and feeding habits received from the owner;
clinical examination;
laboratory test results.

If viral or bacterial enteritis is suspected, serological blood tests or bacterial culture of collected biological materials are performed.

Forms of feline distemper

The incubation period for panleukopenia in cats lasts from 9 to 12 days. The following types of disease are known:

Hyperacute course is rare. Basically, this nature of the disease manifests itself in kittens under one year of age and appears in the form of a nervous lesion. Behavioral disorders are observed. The kitten is overly excited and scared, does not sleep, does not eat (exhaustion) and does not drink. Frequent foamy vomiting, sometimes diarrhea. You can note a deterioration in the external condition of the coat and skin: dryness, dull shades, brittle hair.

The nervous form of the disease in carnivores quickly develops into convulsions in certain areas or throughout the animal’s body. Partial paralysis of the legs or internal organs is possible. Without the help of a doctor, the prognosis of this form is death within 1-2 days after the onset of symptoms.

The acute course occurs in the form of a disease of the respiratory tract or gastrointestinal tract.

The pulmonary form of chronic panleukopenia is accompanied by damage to the mucous membranes of the mouth, eyes and nose. You can see ulcers, purulent films that dry out and clog the nostrils and lacrimal glands. There is shortness of breath and oxygen starvation.

A severe course is characterized by pallor and partial bluing of the mucous membranes, symptoms of heart failure. The cat has a dry and hot nose.

The intestinal form has an incubation period of two days to a week. The main symptoms by which you can understand the disease: loss of appetite, frequent yellow vomiting with foam and bile, later with blood.

Body temperature is elevated (more than 40 ⁰C). The cat can't drink. If the animal manages to take a few sips of liquid, vomiting will immediately begin. Painful sensations cause the cat to press to the floor. The characteristic pose of the animal is spread out on its stomach with its paws outstretched. If the belly is touched, the cat may vomit. Loose, flaky stools that are bloody or colorless and have a foul odor. Some cats do not develop diarrhea.

Symptoms depend on concomitant infections. An elevated temperature indicates the presence of a bacterial infection against the background of a decrease in immunity caused by panleukopenia. The death of a cat occurs a maximum of five days after the appearance of initial signs. Older animals get sick longer and die mainly from enteritis, leading to dehydration. After illness, the cat continues to be a spreader of infection.

First symptoms

Parvovirus in cats may not appear at all during their lifetime. That is, the animal is a carrier, but does not experience health problems. This doesn't happen very often. In other cases, we can observe the following picture:

Violent vomiting. The attacks are very serious, the animal simply turns inside out. If you are sure that he had nothing to poison himself with, then you should immediately consult a doctor. Signs of parvovirus in cats are rapidly increasing. Sometimes in the morning the owner sees that the pet is vomiting, and when he comes home from work in the evening, he finds him in a puddle of vomit and bloody diarrhea, half dead and exhausted.
Fever. In the most severe cases, the temperature begins to drop. This indicates that death is approaching.
The animal may become very thirsty and hungry, but becomes so weak that it is unable to eat or drink. Therefore, we have to install a system with glucose and physical. solution.
Diarrhea with and without blood. Diagnosis of parvovirus in cats can be difficult when the clinical picture is mixed. But diarrhea should not be ignored. Be sure to contact your veterinarian if you see black stool that looks like tar. This happens when the upper intestines are affected.

Unfortunately, owners do not always have time to react. The animal dies within just a few hours. Sometimes kittens that are born to a cat are carriers of the FPV virus. This leads to serious damage to the nervous system and developmental problems.

Symptoms of panleukopenia in cats

After entering the cat’s body, the panleukemia virus begins to rapidly reproduce in the lymphoid tissue, bone marrow and intestinal epithelium. The consequence of the reproduction of parvovirus is a disorder of the functions of the affected organs in the cat’s body. In young kittens, the retina and cerebellar tissue are vulnerable. Infection of a pregnant female with parvovirus often leads to damage and death of the embryo. The consequence of damage to leukocyte cells inside the bones and lymphocytes in the lymph becomes panleukopenia. Damage to the intestinal epithelium leads to the disappearance of adsorbing cells on the villi. The severity of the disease is determined by how much the intestinal border cells are affected.

Mechanism of disease development

The causative agent of calicivirus enters the cat’s body and begins to actively multiply. As a result, smooth bubbles in the shape of hemispheres with clear boundaries form on the oral mucosa.

Their diameter is usually from 0.5 to 1 mm. The location of these bubbles is the upper and lateral parts of the tongue, the hard palate and the outer surface of the nostrils.

After a few days, the blisters burst, and ulcers form in their place. When carrying out therapeutic measures over the next 2-3 weeks, the mucous membranes at the sites of ulcers are restored.

Calicivirus multiplies most actively in cats in the submandibular lymph nodes and recesses of the tonsils. After treatment ends, the virus remains in the tonsils for several weeks. During this period, the animal is a carrier of the infection.

If left untreated, the ulcers deepen into the mucous membrane. In addition, the virus can penetrate the lungs and bronchi, causing their necrosis and the development of pneumonia. In especially severe cases, the causative agent of the disease affects the brain and leads to the death of the cat.

Clinical signs and diagnostic measures

Veterinarians distinguish several variants of the course of parovirus infection.:

the hyperacute form is characterized by elevated body temperature and death of the patient within a full day;
the acute type is accompanied by fever and pain in the abdominal area. Vomiting and diarrhea occur, accompanied by dehydration. The cat is thirsty, but she does not use the gifts of nature. Damaged intestinal tissue promotes rapid growth and development of the population of intestinal viruses. The probability of death is from 25 to 90%;
the subacute form is characterized by mild depression and minor effects on the cat’s body. The recovery process is rapid and the likelihood of mortality is negligible;
subclinical infection develops unnoticed by the animal and the owner, accompanied by mild fever;
the intrauterine form of the disease leads to fetal death or hypoplasia of the cerebellum of an underdeveloped cat.

Diagnostic measures are characterized by close attention to the pet's behavior, infections and concomitant diseases.

When visiting a veterinary clinic, a blood, urine, and feces test is performed. Employees compare the standard amount of antibodies and probable viral formations.

Parvovirus infection is accompanied by the following symptoms::

Moisturizing the mouth and the area around it. Vomiting and foam.
Temperature instability (the early stage is characterized by an increase and then a sharp decrease in balance).
The cat's body experiences hunger and thirst, but cannot satisfy its own needs.
Feces have a liquid consistency, sometimes there are bloody impurities.

It is important to know

The development of infection is often accompanied by its inconspicuous course.

Diagnosis

The veterinarian takes the animal's feces or intestinal scrapings for analysis. Today there are techniques that make it possible to find in this material not only the virus, but also the antibodies that are secreted by the body in response to its introduction. If a litter of kittens is affected, an autopsy and culture of materials is performed. This is not only a diagnosis, but also a chance to develop a suitable diagnostic technique.

Before mating, it is necessary to take blood tests for both the cat and the cat. If specific antibodies are detected in it, then the animal is a carrier of the virus. He is excluded from breeding.

Diagnostics

Panleukopenia must be distinguished from toxoplasmosis, rotavirus, coronavirus enteritis and inflammation of the intestines of nutritional etiology.

To make a diagnosis, data from the veterinary service on the epizootic situation, clinical symptoms, and laboratory tests are used. A blood test reveals a decrease in the concentration of leukocytes to 3*109/l, with the norm being 5.5...18.5*109. Neutrophils practically disappear from the peripheral blood, and the number of lymphocytes remains unchanged.

An attentive fellinologist who notices a change in a cat’s behavior is required to measure the temperature. If it is elevated, you need to contact a veterinarian. A drop in temperature is a threatening symptom.

What is important for your doctor to know?

Treating parvovirus symptoms in cats is difficult because they can resemble acute poisoning. It is important to collect anamnesis. Tell your doctor:

When did you notice the first changes?
When was the vaccine last given? Ideally, you should be treated by the doctor who administered the immunization.
Character of stool.
How long ago was the last treatment for helminths?
What did you feed for the last two days?

If a friend in a nursery has become sick with all the livestock, poisoning is most likely occurring. If we are talking about infection, then the incubation period will be different for all cats. When making a diagnosis, it does not hurt to conduct research. But a laboratory is not always available, so the doctor has to act by elimination. That is, they carry out symptomatic treatment and, based on how the animal’s condition changes, they conclude what exactly caused the disease.

Unlike the plague, it is difficult to say in which area parvovirus is most common. In cats, it often appears if the animal walks freely and does not live in an apartment, if it does not have preventive vaccinations. In shelters, the number of cats is usually very large, so the likelihood of a sick animal appearing and infecting the rest is quite high.

Treatment

The worst thing is when the animal is brought in already in serious condition. Then the doctor is faced with the difficult question of how to treat parvovirus in a cat if there is practically no time for diagnosis. Most often, a drip is placed, which allows you to level out dehydration and restore strength to the pet’s body. Depending on the condition of the animal, vitamins, hemostatic and other drugs are added to it.

At the same time, the veterinarian selects antibiotics that are designed to stop the development of pathogenic microflora. Do not forget that both the antimicrobial drug itself and its dosage should be chosen by the doctor. Traditional medicine can help, but you need to agree on the regimen with your doctor, and also not stop traditional therapy.

Treatment of the disease

Unfortunately, specific treatment for infectious enteritis has not been developed to date. If you notice any suspicions, you should immediately isolate the sick animal, as the virus is extremely contagious. When caring for such an animal, we recommend wearing clothes that you won’t mind throwing away, and thoroughly washing your hands with disinfectants.

Symptomatic treatment involves administering fluids into a vein to prevent dehydration of the animal. It is also necessary to use broad-spectrum antibiotics. To stop vomiting, you can give your cat antiemetics. The administration of interferons, which are antiviral drugs, can have a positive effect on the treatment of the disease.

If the cat's condition is satisfactory

Let's consider another situation. The owner noticed that the pet became sad and had diarrhea, and immediately went to the doctor. At the same time, the specialist diagnosed parvovirus. In this case, a starvation diet is prescribed. He is completely deprived of food for at least a day, but access to water is not limited. "Regidron" can be used instead.

To begin with, it is recommended to cleanse the intestines. For this, Glauber's salt is used for acidic catarrh or castor oil for alkaline catarrh. Depending on the pH of the internal environment, weak alkaline or acidic solutions can be used orally, through the mouth. For severe diarrhea, use astringents, such as oak bark decoction.

After a couple of days, you can offer a slimy decoction of oatmeal in meat broth. It envelops the intestinal walls and promotes rapid healing and restoration of its functions. You can start giving minced meat a tiny piece at a time. If there is no improvement, if the diarrhea does not stop in the first 2-3 days, you will have to resort to more serious medications.

How to treat the disease at home

Prescriptions from a veterinarian are carried out at home.

First aid for a pet

First aid should be provided in a veterinary clinic, since with viral enteritis dehydration develops very quickly, worsening the course of the disease and its prognosis.

Treatment of viral enteritis

There is no etiotropic therapy aimed at destroying the virus. Symptomatic treatment is carried out, so early initiation of therapy can significantly alleviate the course of the disease.

The main goals of symptomatic therapy:

restoration of the volume of lost fluid;
restoration of electrolyte balance;
suppression of the growth of secondary bacterial flora.

Treatment usually includes:

broad-spectrum antibacterial drugs: cephalosporins;
amoxicillin in combination with clavulanic acid;

subcutaneous or intravenous fluid administration:

5% glucose solution;

lactated Ringer's solution;

in the absence of vomiting - oral rehydration with drinking solutions:

Oralita;

Regidrona;

Pedialyte;

antiemetics: metoclopromide - to reduce the loss of water and electrolytes;

cardiac drugs: sulfocamphocaine to support cardiac activity;

antacid drugs for prolonged fasting: Kvamatel - to protect the gastric mucosa;

enveloping agents: Almagel - also to protect the mucous membrane;

sorbents:

Activated carbon;

Lignin;

Smecta - for binding and removing toxins that form in the intestinal lumen;

in the presence of blood impurities during diarrhea - hemostatic drugs:

Vikasol;

aminocaproic acid;

for a cauterizing effect on ulcerative lesions of the mucous membrane - a bismuth preparation (De-Nol);

for the treatment of parvovirus gastroenteritis, there is a hyperimmune serum, the administration of which makes sense in the first 5 days of the disease;

vitamin therapy - B vitamins and ascorbic acid are administered to restore metabolism;

immunocorrectors:

Gamavit;

Fosprenil.

Table: medications for the treatment of viral enteritis

Name	Compound	Operating principle	Price, rubles
Sinulox	amoxicillin; clavulanic acid.	Broad-spectrum antibacterial drug. Cannot be used during pregnancy and lactation.	910
Claforan	Cefotaxime	Broad-spectrum antibacterial drug. Cannot be used during pregnancy and lactation.	from 81
Regidron	potassium chloride; sodium chloride; sodium citrate dihydrate; dextrose.	For the correction of electrolyte disturbances in dehydration associated with vomiting and diarrhea	from 355
Cerucal	Metoclopromide	Antiemetic - to reduce the loss of water and electrolytes; increases the tone of the stomach and intestines while weakening their peristalsis. Not allowed during the first half of pregnancy and lactation; in the second half of pregnancy it is prescribed for health reasons.	from 112
Kvamatel	Famotidine	Suppresses gastric secretion and protects the mucous membrane of the digestive system from the corrosive effects of gastric juice; prescribed for the period of the cat's starvation diet. Not allowed during pregnancy and lactation.	from 126
De-Nol	Bismuth tripotassium dicitrate	Protects the mucous membrane, is able to suppress the growth of certain types of bacterial flora. Not allowed during pregnancy and lactation.	from 249
Smecta	Dioctahedral smectite	Absorbent; helps bind and remove viruses, bacteria, their toxins, and inflammatory products from the intestines. Possible during pregnancy and lactation.	from 144
Aminocaproic acid	Aminocaproic acid	Hemostatic agent; prescribed for signs of intestinal bleeding due to enteritis	from 34
Fosprenil	Disodium phosphate polyprenols	Strengthens the cellular and humoral immune response, alleviates and shortens the course of the disease. Possible during pregnancy and breastfeeding.	from 170

Photo gallery: drugs for the treatment of enteritis

Rehydron restores electrolyte balance in case of dehydration

Cerucal is prescribed for uncontrollable vomiting

Kvamatel protects the gastric mucosa from the aggressive effects of gastric juice

De-Nol protects the gastric mucosa, has anti-inflammatory and antibacterial properties

Smecta introduces toxins from the body resulting from the activity of viruses and bacteria

Fosprenil is an innovative medicine of natural origin to relieve cats and dogs from viral infections

Sinulox is a broad-spectrum antibiotic of the penicillin series.

Video: what to do for diarrhea in cats

Use of traditional medicine

Treatment of viral enteritis with prescribed medications can be supplemented with traditional medicine, having previously agreed on their use with a veterinarian. The following recipes may be useful:

Rice broth. Has enveloping, soothing and antidiarrheal effects:
Bring to a boil and cook for 40 minutes, replenishing the evaporated liquid.
Filter the resulting white viscous broth and give the cat 1 tablespoon several times a day.
St. John's wort infusion. St. John's wort has astringent, antimicrobial, hemostatic and anti-inflammatory effects. The plant is poisonous, so the dosage should be strictly observed:
Place in a boiling water bath for 30 minutes.
Dosage - 1 ml per 1 kg of weight, divide the daily dose into 3 doses.
St. John's wort infusion is given half an hour before feeding.
Nettle infusion is a hemostatic, anti-inflammatory and healing agent:
Place in a boiling water bath for 30 minutes, then remove and filter.
Use 1 teaspoon 3 times a day.
Oak bark decoction has antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, astringent and hemostatic effects:
Cool and filter.
Use 1 tablespoon 3 times a day.

Traditional medicine can help in the treatment of enteritis, but their use should be agreed with a veterinarian

Caring for a sick animal

A large role in care is given to replacing the amount of lost fluid - you should count how many times and in what volume there were vomiting or loose stools. If vomiting persists, a fluid (5% glucose solution or 0.9% sodium chloride solution) can be administered subcutaneously at home; if there is only diarrhea, then drink it in the form of solutions.

You can begin to fight vomiting and diarrhea only under the guise of antibacterial therapy. The cat should not be fed for the first 1-2 days, then you can offer him meat broth, a little mixture of boiled rice and minced meat with broth, as well as canned food from the Gastro Intestinal veterinary line.

Royal Canin Gastro Intestinal for cats is prescribed for diarrhea, gastritis, intestinal inflammation, colitis, anorexia, poor digestion and absorption of nutrients

The cat must be kept in a warm room, and its litter tray and fur must be kept clean. A timely visit to the veterinarian is of great importance, since only a doctor can assess the dynamics of the disease and promptly make changes to the treatment regimen.

Prevention measures

They are quite simple. When you consider how difficult and expensive it can be to diagnose and treat parvovirus in cats, it becomes clear that these measures need to be followed throughout your furry pet's life. Prevention comes down to the following points:

Timely vaccination against viral and bacterial infections.
Preventive deworming, the timing must be determined by a veterinarian.
For feeding you need to use only high-quality feed and fresh products.
There should always be clean water in the bowl.