Higher bacteria and fungi affect cats with clinical signs and disease similar to those found in dogs. In cats, ringworm is certainly the most common fungal infection seen. Interestingly, many ringworm – infected cats display only subtle signs of infections, making them ideal transmitters of the disease to other pets in the household and to …
Cats develop bacterial infections and abscesses secondary to traumatic wounds (usually bite wounds from other cats) and by eating something they shouldn’t be eating. However, in most instances, bacterial infections occur secondarily to other disease conditions, such as allergies, stress, viral infections, and parasites. As a result, as with dogs, all underlying problems must be …
The incidence of rabies in cats has increased in recent years, actually surpassing that of dogs. Many attribute this to the nocturnal hunting behavior of this species; however, the tremendous increase in the number of homeless cats in recent years puts them at greater risk of exposure to this deadly disease. The disease in cats …
Until the late 1980s, the feline leukemia virus was the only agent linked to acquired immunodeficiency syndrome in cats—that is, it was until the feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV) (also known as “feline AIDS”) was identified. This organism is unlike the feline leukemia virus in that it belongs to the same subfamily of retroviruses as the …
Certainly one of the most devastating diseases affecting cat populations around the world is feline leukemia. The feline leukemia virus belongs to a group of infectious agents known as retroviruses, and it shares some characteristics with the human AIDS virus. It can occur by itself, or in combination with the feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV), a …
Because viruses cannot be readily identified microscopically or cultured, diagnosis of URD in cats relies on history of occurrence and clinical signs seen. Laboratory findings from blood samples are usually nonspecific as well. If Chlamydophila is suspected, microscopic examination of some of the cells lining the conjunctiva and/or nasal passages might reveal characteristic inclusions created …
Feline Diagnosis and Treatment of Upper Respiratory Disease Read More »
Chlamydophila felis does not limit itself to the airways of cats; humans and birds are also susceptible to infection by this organism. Although this organism is not a virus, Chlamydophila behaves very similarly to the herpes virus and the calicivirus in causing disease and clinical signs. The incubation period for this organism is approximately the …
As with rhinotracheitis, the feline calicivirus is a very contagious organism that can create both acute upper respiratory disease and chronic carriers in all ages. The incubation period of the calicivirus is anywhere from 2 to 10 days. Sneezing, fever, nasal discharge, oral ulcers, and conjunctivitis are all characteristic signs of the acute dis- ease. …
At least six infectious agents are responsible for upper respiratory disease in cats, including Bordetella, the same bacterium that causes kennel cough in dogs. The primary agents in the majority of cases include the feline herpes virus (rhinotracheitis) and the feline calicivirus. Vaccinations against these two organisms are routinely administered to cats at the time …
Feline infectious peritonitis (FIP) is a unique viral disease of cats, unique in that the actual organ damage resulting from infection is not directly caused by the virus itself, but from the immune response to the invader. The FIP organism is classified as a coronavirus, belonging to same group of viruses that cause gastrointestinal disease …