2024 Author: Priscilla Miln | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 00:21
Many people forget to take precautions when looking to have a pet. Unfortunately, cats and dogs can carry diseases that are dangerous to other pets and humans. Especially often epidemics occur in places where animals gather, for example, among unscrupulous breeders. Many people, when purchasing a cute kitten, do not even assume that they will have to find out how this or that disease and treatment goes. Calcivirosis is one of them. This is a contagious disease with a hurricane form of spread, leading in most cases to death.
Causes and signs of calcivirosis
The most common route of infection is by airborne droplets from a sick animal. Therefore, all animals picked up from the street must be placed in quarantine, as there is a threat of an epidemic. The causative agent of the disease is a virus. It has no shell, only one strand of RNA. The main difficulty is that this virus has many subspecies that can cause varying degrees of disease. Resistant to most disinfectants. In the external environment, it remains viable for up to seven days.
To the main signs of the diseaseinclude lesions of the upper pulmonary tract. There is discharge from the nose and eyes. Small sores can be observed in the mouth. The temperature rises sharply. A detailed symptom complex will be discussed below.
Risk factors
There must be certain conditions for the spread of any disease. So, calcivirosis in cats (symptoms and treatment will be discussed below) appears in places of large concentrations of animals, in rooms with poor ventilation. Also, do not forget about the regular vaccination of pets. Another risk factor is the cat's low immunity. Often the carrier of calcivirosis suffers from a latent form of the disease, while being a source of infection for other animals.
Routes of infection
The easiest way to spread the virus is through sneezing. A sick animal releases sputum into the external environment. Therefore, with a large accumulation of animals, and in rooms with poor ventilation, the discharge spreads easily and quickly. Thus, an epidemic of the disease calcivirosis begins. The incubation period can take up to a week. The animal, not yet showing obvious symptoms, becomes the source of the spread of the virus. The disease itself lasts three weeks. The outcome of the case depends on many factors.
The virus enters the cat's body through the nose, eyes, mouth. In addition to direct contact with a sick individual, an animal can become ill as a result of contact with an infected environment. Excrement, water, dishes, food, human hands are contagious. Scientifically proventhat the virus can persist in the external environment for up to a week. The main difficulty is resistance to most disinfectants.
The effect of the virus on all body systems
Before starting treatment, calcivirosis should be taken as a serious violation of the functioning of the whole organism. And the weaker the immune system, the stronger the manifestations of the disease. First of all, the respiratory system is affected. There is both mild rhinitis and pneumonia. A particularly dangerous symptom is sores on the nose. The next step is the eyes. This is manifested by conjunctivitis, lacrimation, ulcers on the cornea. Then the joints are affected, arthritis appears. Lastly, the gastrointestinal tract is affected. Mouth ulcers appear. Probably bowel involvement, but no symptoms. It can only be discovered at autopsy.
How does the disease manifest itself?
The course of the disease and the prognosis of treatment depend on a number of factors. For example, the age of the animal, the state of its immunity, etc. Kittens are at risk, as calcivirus is dangerous for them. For humans, it does not pose a threat. Although today you can find a large number of references to the alleged infection from a cat. But this is not clinically confirmed.
Symptoms of the disease are best expressed in kittens. Adult cats have a strong immune system, and therefore the disease is often accompanied by a latent form. An important sign is a sharp increase in temperature, which does not subside for several days. There is a fever. Already at this stage it is better to deposit inquarantine sick animal. Do I need to start treatment right away? Calcivirosis at the initial stage is often confused with bronchitis. In general, there is a loss of appetite, lethargy and weakness. Dangerous symptom: the appearance of sores. From the eyes and nose, discharge with an extremely unpleasant odor is noted. One-time vomiting and diarrhea may occur.
Complications are rare after calcivirosis. Against the background of the first disease, severe pneumonia can occur, leading to death. Secondary infections may occur, so it is important to take antibiotics according to the scheme. As a rule, arthritis and ulcers pass without consequences.
Before starting treatment: calcivirosis and diagnosis
When diagnosing any disease, it is important to be able to distinguish it from similar conditions. So, calcivirosis has a similar picture with chlamydia, viral rhinotracheitis and bordetellosis. To do this, the veterinarian conducts a thorough history taking. So, for example, ulcers on the tongue appear only with calcivirosis. A complete blood count is used as a diagnostic tool. The problem is that it is useless and only reflects the consequences of the underlying disease. Before starting treatment, calcivirosis is confirmed by a serological test on paired sera. Thanks to him, you can determine the increase in the titer of neutralizing antibodies against the virus. An x-ray of the lungs is shown to diagnose pneumonia.
Calcivirosis in cats: symptoms and treatment according to several schemes
After an accurate diagnosis, the veterinariandevelops a treatment plan. To date, about forty subspecies of this problem are known, so it is impossible to immediately say which drugs will be most effective. There are various diseases of cats, calcivirosis is insidious in this regard.
Except in severe cases, treatment is carried out on an outpatient basis. Remember that for a successful outcome, a set of measures is required. With pneumonia and for sick kittens, efforts should be tripled. The problem is that there is no cure for the virus. Therefore, the treatment regimen for calcivirosis is aimed at eliminating symptoms and supporting the body.
He alth Highlights
It is important to prevent the occurrence of a secondary infection caused by bacteria, for this a broad-spectrum antibiotic is prescribed. For example, "Flemoksin". Apply it for ten days, at a dosage of 12.5-22 mg / kg. Put a dropper twice a day. It is important to artificially stimulate the immune system. To do this, use special preparations for animals. For example, Phosprenil. Clinical practice notes the high efficiency of a drug such as Cycloferon.
Not only in the elimination of symptoms is the treatment, calcivirosis is dangerous by dehydration. To prevent this condition, Ringer's solution or sodium chloride is prescribed. With a complete refusal of food put droppers with glucose. Vitamin complexes, such as "Gamavit", also do not interfere.
Important: in no case do not give the cat "Paracetomol" to reduce the temperature! Hevery dangerous! It is better to use "Ketofen" for this.
Scheme 1
When calcivirosis is detected in cats, symptoms and treatment may vary. Therefore, several treatment regimens are used in veterinary medicine. Let's take a look at each one below.
In scheme No. 1, the main drug is Roncoleukin. It is administered subcutaneously in 5 cubes. The medicine must be diluted in equal proportions with saline. "Cycloferon" is administered every other day for half a tablet. "Ceftriaxone" is used in 1 ml. Before injection, it is diluted in equal proportions with lidocaine and saline. It is administered intramuscularly for ten days. Sores in the mouth are treated with Metrogil-dent gel. As a vitamin supplement, Dufalight is administered subcutaneously twice a day.
Unfortunately, feline diseases (calcivirosis in particular) are difficult to predict outcome. Do not forget to treat the eyes and nose with antiseptic solutions. Regular tetracycline ointment will do. The oral cavity also needs regular care. Miramistin is ideal as a sanitation tool.
Scheme №2
Since there is no antiviral cure for calcivirosis, all treatment is aimed at preventing the appearance of secondary problems. Therefore, the antibiotic "Baytril" is administered intramuscularly once a day. The dosage is calculated according to the instructions. The course lasts ten days. "Cycloferon" will help the immune system, prescribe it in 0.5 ml for five days. The mouth is treated with Lugol. "Aminovit"used to strengthen the body and nutrition with vitamins.
Scheme №3
In general, the third scheme is made according to the same principle as the previous two. As a vitamin top dressing put "Gamavit" in the dosage according to the instructions. To prevent the occurrence of bacterial diseases, Tylosin is prescribed one tablet twice a day. If there are sores on the skin, then they can be lubricated with Acyclovir. Miramistin is used to sanitize the oral cavity, unlike its counterpart Chlorohexedine, it does not have a bitter taste. "Roncoleukin" is diluted with saline and injected subcutaneously. The modern drug "Maxidin" is designed only for cats and is aimed at the destruction of hostile bacteria. It is administered subcutaneously, diluted with "Novocaine" in equal proportions. Another immunomodulator, developed specifically for animals, "Fosprenil" is used for a course of at least four days. When the peephole is festering, "Iris" is used.
Prevention
In order not to start treatment, it is better to prevent calcivirosis. The most important point: avoid large crowds of animals! Never buy kittens from unscrupulous breeders who keep twenty cats in one room. When forced group maintenance of cats, be sure to observe hygiene measures. Wash all household items: bowls, beds, trays, etc. Use special disinfectants: sodium hypochlorite 250 ml per 8 liters of water. A female with chronic airway disease often develops spontaneousabortions. Therefore, she is excluded from breeding. It will not be superfluous to put the females in quarantine before giving birth. Be sure to vaccinate animals before mating.
For the same reason, kittens are not kept in the same room with other cats. Since they do not yet have their own immunity, they are at risk. They are released to the main company only after vaccination.
Be sure to quarantine the new animal. In isolation, the cat is up to two weeks. If alarming symptoms do not appear during this time, she is combined with other pets.
Try not to weaken the immune system. To do this, you need to feed the animals well, trying to make the diet rich in vitamins and minerals. Good feeds are perfectly balanced in this regard. If the owner is an adherent of a natural diet, then choose raw meat, a small amount of raw vegetables and quail eggs. Remember to take your pets to the vet regularly, especially if vague symptoms appear. Do not neglect vaccination, as this is the only way to prevent an outbreak of calcivirosis.
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