People who have decided to welcome a cat as a pet know perfectly well that the nature of cats is predatory and independent, which gives these animals a special charm and authenticity.
However, when someone decides to share the house with a cat, they need to know that they have a great responsibility and that the cat needs specific care and attention, which will allow him to enjoy a good state of health and well-being.
- In this peritoAnimal article we will talk about feline panleucopenis: symptoms and treatment of a viral disease of great importance by the high mortality rate.
Feline panleucopenia is a highly contagious viral disease caused by feline parvovirus, once this pathogen enters the cat’s body, affects and destroys healthy cells that divide, causing several symptoms, for example, if intestinal microvillosities are affected, the cat will suffer diarrhea.
Feline parvovirus disease causes a shortage of white blood cells, the cells of the defense system, because it attacks the bone marrow because it is an area that continuously divides cells; Unfortunately, this disease is also able to cause a decrease in red blood cells, developing an even more severe clinical picture.
It has a high mortality rate and can affect cats of any age, although those under one year of age, those with a disease or who are immunosuppressed are more prone to infections. The virus is transmitted when a healthy cat comes into contact with the stool., urine, blood, fleas or secretions of an infected cat.
Symptoms of feline panleucopenia may vary from animal to animal, depending on many factors, such as age or the state of the immune system, you may notice a slight manifestation in your cat or a clinical picture that involves significant severity, you should suspect the presence of this disease when your pet has any of the following symptoms :
If you notice any of these symptoms in your cat, you should urgently go to the veterinarian to start treatment as soon as possible.
To confirm the diagnosis of feline panleucopenia, the veterinarian will rely on the symptoms and the complete medical history of the animal, in addition to performing a blood test that, in the presence of the virus, will show changes in the white blood cells and also in red.blood cells, depending on the stage of the disease.
The final diagnosis is made by the ELISA test, using a stool sample extracted, preferably directly from the rectum.
Treatment of feline panleucopenis is not specific, as it is not possible to treat a viral infection and the goal of treatment is to keep the animal alive until an immune response capable of defeating the virus appears, which can take between 5 and 7 days.. Depending on the clinical manifestation of symptoms, the veterinarian may use the following therapeutic measures:
Please note that the veterinarian is the only person qualified to prescribe a particular treatment.
If you want to prevent feline panleucopenis in your pet, it is important to consider the following tips:
As mentioned above, feline panleucopenia is a highly contagious viral disease caused by feline parvovirus, although it is very serious for cats, feline parvovirus does not affect humans or other animals, it is an exclusive disease of cats and other family members, felines, mustelids, livestock.and procyonids.
However, it is important to remember once again that if there is a feline infected with the feline Panleucopenia virus, it should be in an extremely hygienic environment to eliminate the virus It is recommended to keep young, sick and unvaccinated cats away from foreign cats.or those who overcame the disease a few months earlier.
This article is for information only, at Animal Expert.com.br we cannot prescribe veterinary treatments or make any type of diagnosis. We suggest that you take your pet to the vet in case of any kind of condition or discomfort.
If you would like to read articles similar to Panleucopenia feline: symptoms and treatment, we recommend that you visit our Viral Diseases section.