Many people, trying to get a pet, forget about precautions. Unfortunately, cats and dogs can be carriers of diseases that are dangerous to other pets and to humans. Especially often epidemics occur in places where animals gather, for example, unscrupulous breeders. Many people, acquiring a cute kitten, do not even assume that they will have to find out how this or that disease and treatment go. 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 quarantined, as there is a threat of an epidemic. The causative agent of the disease is a virus. It has no membrane, only one RNA strand. The main difficulty is that this virus has many subspecies that can cause varying degrees of disease. Resistant to most disinfectors. In the external environment, it remains viable for up to seven days.
The main signs of the disease include lesions of the upper pulmonary tract. There are discharge from the nose and eyes. In the mouth, you can observe small sores. The temperature rises sharply. A detailed symptom complex will be discussed below.
Risk factors
For the spread of any disease, certain conditions must exist. So, calcivirosis in cats (see symptoms and treatment 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 low immunity of a cat. Often, the carrier of calcivirosis suffers from a latent form of the disease, while being a source of infection for other animals.
Infection pathways
The easiest way to spread the virus is through sneezing. A sick animal secretes sputum into the environment. Therefore, with a large concentration of animals, and in rooms with poor ventilation, secretions easily and quickly spread. Thus, the epidemic of calcivirus disease begins. The incubation period can take up to a week. The animal, not yet showing obvious symptoms, becomes a 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, and mouth. In addition to contact directly with a sick individual, the animal may become ill as a result of contact with an infected environment. Contaminated excrement, water, dishes, food, human hands. It is scientifically proven that in the external environment the virus can persist for up to a week. The main difficulty is the resistance to most disinfectors.
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. The respiratory system is primarily affected. Both mild rhinitis and pneumonia appear. A particularly dangerous symptom is sores on the nose. The next stage affects the eyes. This is manifested by conjunctivitis, lacrimation, ulcers on the cornea. The joints are affected further, arthritis appears. The last affected gastrointestinal tract. Mouth ulcers appear. Probably a bowel injury, but no symptoms. This can only be detected at autopsy.
How is the disease manifested?
The course of the disease and the prognosis of treatment depend on a number of factors. For example, on the age of the animal, the state of its immunity, etc. Kittens are at risk, as calcivirosis is dangerous for them. For people, he poses no threat. Although today you can find a large number of references to alleged infection from a cat. But clinically, all this is not confirmed.
The symptomatology of the disease is best expressed in kittens. Adult cats have strong immunity, 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 quarantine a sick animal. Do I need to start treatment right away? Initially, calcivirosis is often confused with bronchitis. In general, there is a loss of appetite, lethargy and weakness. Dangerous symptom: the appearance of ulcers. Discharges with an extremely unpleasant odor are noted from the eyes and nose. Single vomiting and diarrhea may occur.
Complications rarely occur after calcivirosis. Against the background of the first disease, severe pneumonia can occur, leading to death. Secondary infections may appear, therefore the use of antibiotics according to the scheme is important. As a rule, arthritis and ulcers go away 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. For this, the veterinarian conducts a thorough medical history. So, for example, ulcers on the tongue appear only with calcivirosis. As a diagnostic tool, a general blood test is used. 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 indicated for the diagnosis of pneumonia.
Calcivirosis in cats: symptoms and treatment in several ways
After making an accurate diagnosis, the veterinarian develops a treatment regimen. Today, about forty subspecies of this problem are known, therefore, 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 need to be tripled. The problem is that there is no cure for the virus. Therefore, the treatment regimen of calcivirosis is aimed at eliminating symptoms and supporting the body.
Treatment Highlights
It is important to prevent the appearance of a secondary infection caused by bacteria, for this a broad-spectrum antibiotic is prescribed. For example, Flemoxin. Apply it for ten days, at a dosage of 12.5-22 mg / kg. Put a dropper twice a day. It is also important to artificially stimulate the immune system. For this, special preparations for animals are used. For example, Fosprenil. Clinical practice notes the high effectiveness of such a drug as Cycloferon.
Not only is the treatment of symptoms, calcivirosis is dangerous dehydration. To prevent this condition, Ringer's solution or sodium chloride is prescribed. With a complete refusal of food, they put droppers with glucose. Vitamin complexes, such as Gamavit, also do not interfere.
Important: in no case give the cat to lower the temperature "Paracetamol"! He is very dangerous! Better to use Ketofen for this.
Scheme number 1
When calcivirosis is detected in cats, the symptoms and treatment may be different. Therefore, in veterinary medicine, several treatment regimens are used. Let's consider each of them below.
In Scheme 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 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 top dressing, Duphalight is administered subcutaneously twice a day.
Unfortunately, cat diseases (calcivirosis in particular) are difficult to predict. Do not forget to treat the eyes and nose with antiseptic solutions. An ordinary tetracycline ointment is suitable. The oral cavity also needs regular care. Miramistin is ideally suited as a remedy.
Scheme No. 2
Since there is no antiviral medication for calcivirosis, all treatment is aimed at preventing the occurrence of secondary problems. Therefore, once a day, the Baytril antibiotic is given intramuscularly. Dosage is calculated according to the instructions. The course lasts ten days. "Cycloferon" will help the immune system, appoint it in 0.5 ml for five days. The mouth is treated with Lugol. "Aminovit" is used to strengthen the body and nutrition of vitamins.
Scheme No. 3
In general, the third scheme is composed on the same principle as the two previous ones. As a vitamin top dressing put "Gamavit" in a 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. For the rehabilitation of the oral cavity, Miramistin is used, unlike its fellow Chlorohexedine, it does not have a bitter taste. Roncoleukin is diluted with saline and administered subcutaneously. The modern drug "Maksidin" 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, designed specifically for animals, "Fosprenil" is used for at least four days. When rotting the eye, "Iris" is used.
Prevention
In order not to start treatment, calcivirosis is better to prevent. The most important point: avoid large crowds! Never buy kittens from unscrupulous breeders who keep twenty cats in one room. In case of forced group keeping of cats, be sure to observe hygiene measures. Wash all household items: bowls, deck chairs, trays, etc. Use special disinfectants: sodium hypochlorite 250 ml per 8 liters of water. Females with chronic respiratory tract lesions often experience spontaneous abortions. Therefore, it is excluded from breeding. It will not be superfluous to place females in quarantine before giving birth. Before mating, be sure to vaccinate animals.
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 a new animal. In isolation, the cat is up to two weeks. If during this time no alarming symptoms appear, it 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 a fan of natural nutrition, then choose raw meat, a small amount of raw vegetables and quail eggs. Do not forget to regularly show animals to the doctor, especially if unclear symptoms appear. Do not neglect vaccination, as this is the only way to prevent an outbreak of calcivirosis.