Panleukopenia is a contagious feline disease that is acute, accompanied by fever, disruption of the gastrointestinal tract, symptoms of cardiovascular failure and often resulting in the death of the animal.
Panleukopenia is an infectious gastroenteritis or animal plague. The disease has some features: mass character - all cats are susceptible to this pathology, regardless of breed; seasonality - begins in early spring, peaks in summer and gradually decreases towards winter; age indicator - the maximum susceptibility to the virus is observed in kittens from 3 months. up to 1 year old and in adult cats 8-9 years old.
Causes of panleukopenia
The causative agent of the disease is parvovirus, which has a size of 20 to 25 nm and is resistant to changes in pH, heat, the action of ether, chloroform, pepsin and trypsin. The microbe retains its viability in the external environment for a whole year, due to which it is widespread in nature.
The source of infection is sick or ill cats, which secrete viruses into the external environment with vomit or feces. The first clinical signs appear after the virus enters the cat's feces. Infection with parvoviruses of the upper respiratory tract during vomiting and further spread of the virus by airborne droplets is possible. The transmission mechanism of the virus is carried out with the help of blood-sucking insects - fleas. Infection often occurs intrauterinely.
Clinical manifestations of panleukopenia
The incubation period begins from the moment the cat becomes infected, lasts until the first symptoms of the disease appear and is approximately 10 days. The severity of clinical signs and the course of panleukopenia depends on the age of the cats, the pathogenicity of the virus and the state of the animal's immune system.
The disease begins acutely with a sharp deterioration in the cat's condition, refusal to feed, vomiting, and an increase in body temperature up to 41 ° C. In this case, the vomit is greenish in color with an admixture of blood or mucus. The urine becomes a dark yellow or light orange color, the feces contain blood, become thin and fetid.
The disease is accompanied by dry mucous membranes, conjunctivitis and rhinitis. A sick animal is looking for a secluded, cool place, lies on its stomach, throws back its head and stretches out its limbs. Older cats do not tolerate the disease well. They have wet wheezing, pulmonary edema develops, and convulsions are noted. Panleukopenia often ends in sudden death of animals.
Panleukopenia treatment
Treatment of panleukopenia is symptomatic: veterinarians use corticosteroids, broad-spectrum antibiotics, injections of an isotonic solution to restore the amount of water and vitamins in the body.
A sick cat needs a diet that is low in carbohydrates and sufficient in protein. At the beginning of the disease, the animal is given low-fat meat broth with slices of bread and dairy products. Starting from the third day, fish, lean beef in boiled and chopped form are included in the diet.
