Cat's nose: symptoms and treatment of viral respiratory infection
Cat runny nose symptoms and treatment
Has your cat experienced runny nose-like symptoms??
Or maybe your kitty is sick, sneezing and you don't know what is causing it?
You happened to find a sick, runny kitten and you don't know if you can help him?
In the article below, I will try to dispel your doubts and answer these questions. You will also learn how you can bring relief to your pet.
- What is a cat's nose?
- Why is it so hard to fight a cat's nose??
- Infection with feline herpes virus FHV-1
- How to recognize a cat's runny nose?
- Infection with feline FCV-1 calicivirus
- Cat runny nose symptoms
- Cat runny nose treatment
- How to protect your cat from a runny nose?
What is a cat's nose?
It might seem that the cat's runny nose, as the name suggests, is neither a complicated nor life-threatening disease.
It turns out, however, that this is the common name for a viral infection of the feline upper respiratory tract.
Why is it so hard to fight a cat's nose??
Cat's nose is a serious disease caused by several types of viruses.
To make matters worse, there are often complications caused by bacteria - chlamydia and mycoplasmas.
The disease can even be fatal, so you cannot ignore the symptoms that precede it.Depending on the number of pathogens with which our pet has been infected, we encounter various symptoms of the disease and use various methods of treatment.
Infection with feline herpes virus FHV-1
Cat runny nose symptoms The most common cause of cat runny nose is infection feline herpes virus type 1 (FHV-1).
It belongs to the same family of viruses as the common ones herpes simplex virusj people or chickenpox virus.
It is a virus that is often found in the environment.
Infection occurs after the virus comes into contact with the mucosa of the upper respiratory tract and infection is usually limited to the site of its entry.
How to recognize a cat's runny nose?
We can observe the typical symptoms of cat runny nose, such as:
- tearing,
- cough in a cat,
- serous outflow from the nose and conjunctival sacs,
- sneezing in a cat,
- profuse foamy saliva.
Kittens are becoming gloomily and listless, by what lose weight quickly.
Often there are also changes in the eyeball consisting of keratitis with ulceration.
Without the intervention of a veterinarian, it can even happen permanent loss of vision in an animal.
Suckling kittens and kittens in the first weeks after weaning are particularly vulnerable to infection. The disease usually affects all litter kittens.If no secondary bacterial infections develop during herpes virus infection clinical signs of cat runny nose may resolve spontaneously after 2-3 weeks.
However, even if the clinical symptoms improve, it does not mean that you are cured:
the animal may become an asymptomatic sower or it turns into a latent form and in any stressful situation, such as a cat's pregnancy or deterioration of the animal's living conditions, the disease may attack our pet again.
What they might look like symptoms of cat runny nose you can see in the video below
Poor Russian blue kitten Lena has cat flu
Watch this video on YouTube
Infection feline calicivirus FCV-1
In second place among the triggers cat runny nose emerges feline calicivirus (FCV-1).
Infections caused FCV they are the greatest danger in large animal clusters, such as farms, shelters, and in cellar or trash cats.
The main route of spread of the germ is the aerogenic route in direct contact with a sick cat, with an asymptomatic carrier or the germ in the environment.
Cat runny nose symptoms
How to recognize a cat's runny nose? The most common symptoms of calicivirus infection take the form of ulcers and erosion on the tongue, palate and lips.
In addition, a pet infected with calicivirus shows symptoms similar to infection with feline herpesvirus, that is:
- cough in a cat,
- the cat sneezes,
- serous discharge from the nose.
With bacterial complications, it can appear fever and even gastrointestinal symptoms such as vomiting if diarrhea.
In the work of a veterinarian, we most often deal with a cat's nose complicated by various pathogens.
Therefore, despite the initially mild course of the disease, consultation with a veterinarian is very important.
Cat runny nose treatment
Cat runny nose treatment The treatment of our patients with catarrh symptoms is based primarily on implementation antibiotic therapy.
The antibiotic is used to prevent bacterial complications, keep the animal hydrated and support its immune system to fight the disease faster.
Home treatments for cat runny nose are ineffective.It is very important to provide sick cats with proper hygienic conditions.
A pet kept in a warm, dry and quiet place, isolated from other potential sources of disease, has a much better chance of recovery and quick recovery.
How to protect your cat from runny nose?
How to prevent infection? Young kittens are the most vulnerable to catarrh under 4 weeks of age, therefore it makes sense to wean unborn babies from their age 4-5 weeks.
Little kittens should be given special care until they reach their age 9-12 weeks and the use of preventive vaccination.
Kittens should be vaccinated for the first time when they are old 9 weeks life with revaccination in 12 weeks.
It should be remembered that we only use vaccines in healthy and previously dewormed kittens.
We must also take into account the fact that cat's nose is a recurrent infectious disease under favorable conditions for the virus.
Poor living conditions and any stressful situation causing a decrease in immunity in cats are predisposing factors for reinfection.
Therefore, travel, moving or the appearance of other animals in the habitat of our cat may cause the disease to relapse.
Summary
Do not underestimate the first symptoms of the disease! If your kitten becomes sad, has lost his appetite and willingness to live, and has problems with the respiratory system, do not wait - contact your vet, because even an initially mild disease can turn out to be fatal.
Remember not to underestimate the problems of our four-legged pets.
Sources used >>