Viral gastroenteritis in cats carrier food. Coronavirus infectious diseases of cats. Wet form of peritonitis - coronavirus gastroenteritis in cats

Diseases of the digestive system are among the most serious illnesses cats, as they can have the most negative impact on the health and general condition of the pet. Of particular danger are inflammatory diseases, including gastroenteritis. Moreover, it occurs quite often in cats, and therefore any owner should know how to help their pet in case of illness.

Description of the disease gastroenteritis in cats

Gastroenteritis is nothing more than inflammation of the stomach and small intestine, accompanied by digestive disorders, and both of these pathological processes occur in the body of the purr simultaneously and are closely related to each other. Gastroenteritis is caused by many unrelated reasons, including shortcomings in keeping the cat, including such dangerous ones as meningitis or coronavirus.

Attention!

According to the nature of the inflammatory process, gastroenteritis is divided into serous, catarrhal, hemorrhagic, fibrinous and purulent.

And by origin - infectious and non-infectious. At the same time, the reasons infectious gastroenteritis Often there are diseases that pose a serious threat to the health and life of the cat.

Clinical manifestations: symptoms and causes

Symptoms

In the vast majority of cases, the cat experiences a decrease or complete absence appetite. The animal is weakened and looks depressed.

In addition, the following signs of digestive disorders are also observed:

Vomiting - sometimes with traces of blood or bile.
Diarrhea - often also with blood, mucus and waste of undigested food, and can also be with signs of the presence of fat (steatorrhea, or, in other words, fatty feces).
Abdominal pain - the cat is hunched over and behaves restlessly.
When palpated, her abdomen is painful and tense.
With the purulent and hemorrhagic form of gastroenteritis, the temperature may be elevated, and pus and blood are visible in the feces, and they themselves have characteristic appearance so-called raspberry jelly. The animal is lethargic, apathetic and inactive.
Because of frequent vomiting and diarrhea, dehydration can develop, during which the cat loses a lot of weight, it becomes sunken, and the skin loses its elasticity and, if it is folded, it will not straighten out immediately.
The mucous membranes are pale; if the process is involved, they may also be jaundiced.
With coronavirus gastroenteritis, damage to the central nervous system: The cat may have paralysis, paresis, ataxia and seizures.

Causes

Non-infectious gastroenteritis:

Incorrect, unbalanced nutrition: feeding low-quality, rough, spicy or too salty food, skipping feedings for no significant reason.
Binge eating.
Poisoning with heavy metal salts that may be present in the food.
Food allergies.
Side effects of medications that negatively affect the digestive system.

Infectious gastroenteritis:

Non-infectious diseases and pathological processes in the body:

Diseases gastrointestinal tract: liver disease, pancreatitis, intestinal obstruction.
Accumulation of hairballs in the stomach or intestines - trichobezoars, which are caused by ingestion of hair during licking.
Congenital or acquired defects in the structure of the digestive organs.
Stress.

Important!

One of the heaviest and dangerous forms gastroenteritis - hemorrhagic, often begins without any visible reasons. Scientists suggest that this disease is of an autoimmune nature, or that it can occur due to infectious diseases.

Kinds

Coronavirus

Crown viral gastroenteritis often occurs in cats. This is not surprising, given that many of them have been carriers of coronavirus almost from birth. The fact is that the causative agent of this disease is highly virulent, or, to put it simply, the coronavirus is very contagious.

It is easily transmitted from one cat to another, and animals kept in nurseries or shelters are at particular risk, since it is their large concentration that simplifies the route of transmission of the virus.

If a cat gets sick with coronavirus, it will be monitored following symptoms diseases:

Vomiting.
Weak or no appetite.
Vomiting and/or diarrhea.
The stool is liquid, and the vomit is often yellowish and foamy.
The animal is apathetic, its gaze becomes dull.
The temperature usually rises.
If you try to feed a cat, it may have so-called “dry vomiting”: the animal vomits, but no vomit is released.

Attention!

If your cat has any of these symptoms, let alone more than one, you should immediately take him to a veterinarian for diagnosis and treatment.

Non-infectious

Gastroenteritis caused by incorrect or, for example, less dangerous for a cat than an infectious disease.

It is faster and easier to treat and, as a rule, it causes full recovery.

But at the same time, it is necessary to remember that if the cause of the pet’s illness is not immediately eliminated and you do not select for it proper diet, then the disease may recur.

Diagnostics

As a rule, when there is gastroenteritis, the veterinarian will first examine the cat's mouth. With this disease there will be noticeable white coating In addition, the animal may drool profusely.

Besides this they do general analysis blood and biochemistry and stool analysis for worm eggs. They may also recommend doing scatology to identify blood, pus, fats and undigested food particles present in the stool.

Virological and bacteriological diagnostics are also indicated.

In addition to this, it is done X-ray examination intestines and ultrasound abdominal cavity.

If coronavirus is suspected, a separate special test is performed.

Attention!

With the hemorrhagic form of gastroenteritis, a violation is often observed heart rate, and therefore an additional ECG should be performed.

What can trigger the disease?

Gastroenteritis often occurs against the background of an existing disease, and sometimes it is caused by negative external factors.

Diseases that provoke gastroenteritis:

Meningitis.
Pneumonia.
Oncology and benign tumors.
Coronavirus infection.
Poisoning.
Diseases of the pancreas.
Addison's disease.
Hyperthyroidism.
Viral diseases.
Escherichia coli.
Salmonellosis.
Intestinal volvulus.
Pathological processes of the gastrointestinal tract, such as gastritis and pancreatitis.
Intestinal obstruction.
Liver diseases.
Atherosclerosis.
Heart diseases.
Metabolic disorders.
Worms.

External factors leading to gastroenteritis:

Unbalanced diet.
Lack of a stable pet feeding regimen.
Binge eating.
Poor quality ready-made food which contains an excess of dyes and preservatives.
Food allergies.
Ingestion of a foreign body.
Stressful situations.
Excessive licking, leading to the formation of trichobezoars in the cat's stomach - hair balls made from ingested hair.

Infection process

Coronavirus is one of the most mysterious viruses, known to science. There are two strains of this found in cats. pathogenic microorganism: FIPV and FECV.

The first one calls infectious peritonitis, but the second one is precisely the cause of infectious gastroenteritis.

As a rule, cats become infected by eating or sniffing feces, and microscopic doses of the litter that contains the pathogen are sufficient for infection.

The virus persists in the external environment for quite a long time - up to a week, which makes it even more dangerous in terms of virulence.

There is no intrauterine transmission of the virus through the placenta. Moreover, as long as kittens receive antibodies from their mother cat’s milk, they do not get sick with coronavirus.

The “dangerous” age comes later - at 5-7 weeks, when passive immunity is already fading, and active immunity has not yet had time to develop. At this time, children are especially vulnerable and susceptible to infection with coronavirus.

But a particular danger to the health and life of cats is that the relatively harmless FECV, under the influence of certain, not fully studied factors, can mutate and turn into a deadly FIPV, causing infectious peritonitis, from which a lot of cats and, especially, kittens die. .

Important!

Even if the coronavirus has entered the cat’s body, this does not mean that it will certainly get sick. If the animal is healthy and has good immunity, then the coronavirus pathogen will be completely eliminated from his body. This process can take two weeks or several months.

For the cat itself, excretion of the pathogen along with feces is completely harmless, but at the same time it can infect other animals that have weaker immunity.

Is it transmitted to humans?

Both strains of feline coronavirus do not pose a danger to humans, and this applies to those with weakened immune systems, the elderly, and even newborn babies.

Therefore, if a cat in the family has contracted coronavirus gastroenteritis, one should not be afraid of infection and, especially, there is no need to euthanize or throw the animal outside for this reason.

How to treat?

Concerning medical supplies, used in the treatment of gastroenteritis, especially if it occurs in purulent or hemorrhagic forms, or is infectious in nature, then all prescriptions should be made only by a veterinarian.

Attention!

You should absolutely not treat gastroenteritis on your own, since with this disease extreme symptoms can develop. serious complications and in case improper treatment the matter may end fatal.

What are the prognosis for coronavirus gastroenteritis in cats?

The prognosis for coronavirus gastroenteritis can be completely different: from complete recovery to the death of the animal.

In approximately 50% of cases, the cat will get this disease with strong signs diarrhea, after which clinical recovery will occur, when all symptoms of the disease disappear and the cat looks completely healthy. But for a long time (from 1 to 9 months), the virus will be excreted along with her feces.
In approximately 10% of cases, cats die because the virus has mutated into a form that causes incurable corona. viral enteritis, in which irreversible pathological processes occur in the body.
It also happens that the disease takes chronic form. This happens when the cat has good immunity, but cannot completely cope with the causative agent of the disease. Then the purr will experience diarrhea from time to time, which can, to one degree or another, be treated with improvised means. But in this case, the cat will remain a lifelong carrier and distributor of coronavirus.

Recovery

The first thing to do if a cat develops gastroenteritis is, if possible, to eliminate the cause that caused the disease and establish proper nutrition:

For the first two days, do not feed your pet anything at all.
Later, give him low-fat beef broth and a decoction of herbs: sage, chamomile, St. John's wort, flaxseed, and a weak decoction of oak bark.
On the fourth day you can feed one boiled or raw egg three times a day, liquid oatmeal or rice porridge, and you can add a little boiled chicken or minced beef to them.
Next you can give dairy products, porridge with milk and vegetable soups.
From the tenth day, if everything is normal, you can return to your pet’s normal diet.
In case of coronavirus gastroenteritis, your pet should be fed light, well-digestible food. For example, you can give him boiled chicken or boiled lean fish. If the animal is too weakened by illness, then it is best to feed it only low-fat broths.

Important!

Diet for any gastroenteritis is of primary importance for recovery. Therefore, it is necessary to feed a cat with this disease only those foods that are allowed and in no case give it prohibited treats.

Prevention

It is necessary from the very beginning to establish a proper diet for the kitten, excluding the pet from consuming foods that are harmful to it, spices, or excess salt. You can’t overfeed your cat, and you can’t skip feedings unless necessary.

You should feed either high-quality purchased food premium class and higher, or natural products, but under no circumstances mix dry food and natural food.

If there is a need to change food, then the new product must be introduced gradually, increasing its share in the daily diet over several days.

It is necessary to periodically remove worms in accordance with the recommendations of veterinarians.

In order to avoid the possibility of contracting coronavirus gastroenteritis, you need to:

Avoid contact of your cat with sick and street animals that can spread coronavirus.
If the cat did come into contact with them, then it is necessary to minimize the likelihood of any stress, since most often it is they that cause the disease.
If another cat is taken into the house, it must be kept in quarantine before introducing it to the purring cat already living in the house.
If there are several cats in the house, their litter boxes should be located as far from each other as possible.
If a nursing cat is found to be a carrier of the coronavirus, the kittens should be separated from their mother in the first five weeks of their life.
As a filler for trays, you should use a mixture based on clay and minerals, which clumps together after use.
Carriers of coronavirus and cats that have not previously been in contact with the causative agent of the disease should not be kept in the same room: they must be separated.

Important!

Under no circumstances should you take another cat into a house where the carrier lives if the cat has not been in contact with the coronavirus. And you also cannot take an animal that already has the virus in its body into a house where there lives a cat that is free from carrying this pathogen.

Useful video

In the video below, a veterinarian talks about coronavirus in cats, methods of transmission, symptoms and treatment.

Conclusion

Gastroenteritis is a very serious and unpleasant disease for cats. Fortunately, in most cases, unless it is particularly severe forms This disease, with gastroenteritis, complete recovery is possible. But to do this, you must follow all the veterinarian’s recommendations, and, of course, do not self-medicate your pet.

The health of a pet is one of the most important things that the owner must carefully monitor. It is easier to prevent the disease or detect it on initial stages rather than wait for a protracted form and take a long time to treat. Coronavirus gastroenteritis in cats is a common disease. Under this name lies acute inflammatory process affecting the stomach and small intestine animal.

If you do not contact a veterinarian in a timely manner, viral enteritis can lead to dehydration, disruption of rhythmic contractions of the gastrointestinal tract, and in some cases, to peritonitis and death.

Transmission of disease between individuals

Coronavirus gastroenteritis in cats is a highly virulent disease(infectivity). Special risk animals are exposed to this when they are kept in large groups - in nurseries, shelters, animal hotels. Under these conditions, the pathogen is most easily transmitted between individuals.

The coronavirus enters the body through the oral-fecal or nasal-fecal route - by eating feces or inhaling particles from the litter tray of an infected animal. Enough to transmit the virus the smallest particle filler. The situation is complicated by the fact that feline coronavirus is stable in the external environment for quite some time. long period– up to 7 days.

Coronavirus infection in kittens

There is no transmission of the virus through the placenta during pregnancy. Moreover, while antibodies are in mother's milk affect the kitten’s immunity - it is safe.

But later, when the influence of antibodies fades away and the young animals develop their own the immune system, the pathogen enters the body. At the age of 5-7 weeks, the kitten is in danger; to avoid illness, it is worth isolating it earlier. 15-25 days is a sufficient period for the development of reflexes, but at this time the kitten’s immunity is still developing and is under the influence of the mother’s antibodies.

Transmission by other means

The owner's risk of infecting the animal after contact with other cats is low. This is only possible if clothing or hands are directly contaminated with feces from coronavirus-infected individuals. The same applies to infection through contact with owners of other animals.

Stories from our readers

Vladimir
61 years old

Despite high level infectivity between representatives of the cat family and the possibility of getting infection from dogs and pigs (which is unlikely in the city), coronavirus is not scary for humans.

Natural cure

If the animal has good immunity, is completely healthy and is in excellent physical fitness– natural removal of the virus from the body (elimination) is possible.

The process takes from 2-3 weeks to several months. But coronavirus can remain in the body without external manifestations, and the pathogen will be regularly excreted in the feces. This does not harm the pet, but serves as an opportunity for infection of other animals.

Dangerous strain of coronavirus – FIPV

Neglecting treatment for coronavirus infection can lead to complications. There are two types of the virus and the relatively harmless (with proper treatment) FCoV virus can mutate to dangerous strain- the causative agent of viral peritonitis.

Most often this occurs under the influence of stress, which occurs in a state of depression when symptoms of viral gastroenteritis appear.

Do not risk your pet’s health and at the first signs of coronavirus gastroenteritis, contact a specialist! The mutated virus is extremely dangerous - the probability of death with viral peritonitis is up to 100%.

Unfortunately, effective way the fight against peritonitis has not been identified to date, so it is best to monitor the health of your pet. Some veterinarians try to save the situation with antibiotics and the introduction of antibacterial solutions into the abdominal cavity, but this treatment rarely bears fruit.

Symptoms of gastroenteritis of coronavirus origin

In order to contact a veterinarian in a timely manner, you need to monitor the condition of your pet. Signs of gastroenteritis viral origin Most often they are clearly expressed and difficult to miss:

little or no appetite;
vomiting and/or diarrhea occurs;
feces have a liquid consistency, vomit often consists of yellowish foamy bile;
the animal is in a state of apathy, the look is dull, the temperature is elevated;
after trying to take food or water, “dry spasms” occur - the urge without vomiting.

If one or more signs are present, you should contact a veterinary clinic. Signs may also indicate the onset of other serious illnesses. After examination and tests, a specialist will be able to diagnose coronavirus gastroenteritis in a cat and prescribe treatment.

Diagnosis and treatment of coronavirus gastroenteritis in cats

Although the disease is widespread, specific treatment for it is under development. Immunomodulators and stimulants rarely give significant results, attempts antibacterial therapy lead to temporary improvement.

If by laboratory research coronavirus prolonged gastroenteritis was diagnosed in one or more cats in the population, Treatment is prescribed mainly to relieve symptoms.

Antiemetic, antidiarrhea and IV drips saline solution will help alleviate the condition as the body fights the virus. After improvement, the animal is prescribed a light diet - specially selected food for sensitive intestines in small portions 5-7 times a day.

Prevention of infection

Domestic apartment cats that do not have contact with the outside world are almost not susceptible to the disease - infection occurs in only 5-7% of cases. In order to reduce this already small percentage, it is enough to prevent your pet from coming into contact with outdoor shoes and wash your hands if you have had contact with strangers or stray animals. If there are several individuals in the house, place the trays as far as possible from the feeding area.

To prevent diseases in places where cats are kept in large numbers, you must follow the rules listed below.

Each incoming animal should first be quarantined; contacts should only be made after testing and the spread of the virus has been ruled out.
If a nursing cat is a carrier of the disease, the kittens are weaned in the first weeks of life, before infection occurs.
Food and water should be kept as far away from trays as possible.
As a filler, it is worth using clumping mixtures (based on clays and minerals).
The group of carriers of the infection and those who have not had contact with the coronavirus should be separated.

Diseases digestive system do not have the best effect on the health of pets. This especially applies to inflammatory processes. Gastroenteritis also falls into this category. In cats, this word implies a disease in which the stomach becomes inflamed and small intestines. The pathology is caused by various negative factors environment. It is not transmitted to humans, so you do not have to worry about your health.

In addition, pathology can be a response to medications or even new products. A cat with this disease suffers from abdominal pain, severe and debilitating diarrhea, and other symptoms of indigestion.

Important! Most often, this disease is characterized by the appearance of profuse diarrhea and vomiting.

What are the symptoms? Most cats with gastroenteritis will have occasional cases of and. Vomit may contain foamy, yellowish bile. This is especially true when the animal for a long time he hasn't eaten anything and his stomach is empty. Many owners note that even after eating or drinking, the pet can sit for a long time, while its body is shaken by “dry” spasms. IN severe cases A cat may vomit several times a day.

As for stool, most often it is darkish and liquid (but there is also black, bloody stool). In many cases, the cat will hiss or squirm in pain when any attempt is made to press on the belly. Gastroenteritis in a cat is characterized by reduced activity of the animal, appetite is completely absent or very poor. Sometimes intermittent fever may occur. Gastroenteritis is extremely dangerous due to the rapid development of dehydration, especially if vomiting and diarrhea persist for more than 24 hours.

Read also: Caries in a cat - taking care of your pet’s teeth

Diagnosis methods

It is very important to remember that the clinical signs of this disease are not very specific, and therefore during diagnosis it is extremely important to exclude similar pathologies. You will need to provide your veterinarian with the following information:

What kind of food do you use, how often do you feed your cat, the usual amount of food she eats.

It is advisable to remember what your cat has eaten over the past two days.

Think about whether you have included any new foods in your pet’s diet.

Could the animal have access to household chemicals or get poisoned by pesticides/herbicides while walking in a garden plot recently treated with them.

Eliminate all contacts with other cats and other animals, as well as with people who come to your house (viral gastroenteritis in cats can be transmitted with them).

Have you had any cases of unexplained vomiting in the past?

Have you added any nutritional supplements to your cat's food?

After receiving all the information he is interested in, the doctor will perform full inspection sick animal. As a rule, at this stage numerous diagnostic studies, the most informative of which are the following:

Determination of the number of erythrocytes and leukocytes. Blood tests are good at detecting signs infectious pathologies and incipient dehydration.

Held biochemical research blood, which allows you to identify kidney and liver diseases. Any disruption to the functioning of these organs can lead to serious consequences.

To detect diseases genitourinary system and kidneys. These same methods are used to detect diabetes, which may well be the cause of the above-mentioned clinical signs(especially in older cats).

It is advisable to conduct an ultrasound and x-ray examination of the abdominal organs, as this method can detect intestinal obstruction.

Read also: Dysplasia in cats - methods of diagnosis and treatment

In each case, different diagnostic techniques are used, since their choice depends on the duration of the disease and general condition cats.

What infections can contribute to the development of inflammation of the intestines and stomach?

There are many factors contributing to the development of gastroenteritis. The most common are the following:

Septic processes, etc.

Entering the intestines various kinds foreign objects, low-quality feed (alimentary gastroenteritis).

Intussusception of some intestine.

Tumors (malignant and benign).

(especially salts heavy metals). It is toxins that often provoke acute gastroenteritis in cats.

Pancreatic insufficiency. If it fails, the cat’s body simply does not produce all the necessary enzymes, which leads to severe disorders of the digestive system.

Addison's disease, accompanied by insufficient activity of the adrenal glands in the production of cortisol.

(overactive thyroid gland).

. Even if helminths do not lead to gastroenteritis, their presence in the intestines certainly does not bode well.

How is gastroenteritis treated?

This disease does not belong to the category of lungs, and therefore the plan therapeutic activities must be compiled only by a veterinarian. The basic treatment is quite simple: you need to restore water-electrolyte balance in the animal's blood. This is especially important if gastroenteritis is treated in kittens, which without adequate therapy will simply die in just a couple of days. The method of administration of drugs depends on the degree of dehydration: orally or intravenously. Until the animal’s condition improves, it is advisable to keep it on a starvation diet, maintaining its vital functions through intravenous infusions.

For every cat owner, the illness of his pets is not a pleasant event. The first thing to do in such cases is to immediately contact a veterinarian for timely and correct setting diagnosis and subsequent effective treatment. Coronavirus in cats is considered one of the most mysterious diseases, which can kill several dozen purring cats every year. And although unvaccinated cats suffer from this disease more often, vaccination cannot 100% guarantee that your furry friend won't get sick. And therefore caring owners It is advisable to know as much as possible about coronavirus in cats. This way they will be able not to miss the manifestation of the first symptoms, when the animal can still be helped.

Coronaviruses - viruses from the order Nidovirales are quite large (from 80 to 130 millimeters in diameter) pleiomorphic microorganisms with a lipoprotein shell and club-shaped glycoprotein processes.

Feline coronavirus was first described in 1963. To Russia this infection came only in the 90s, nevertheless becoming a real punishment for cat nurseries and their owners. For this reason everyone loving owner You just have to “make friends” with vaccination, especially if your purr has free access to the street and contact with other relatives.

Who is most often affected by the coronavirus?

Researchers of this infection have noticed that often a very tiny kitten can suffer from coronavirus. Moreover, in 90% of cases, the disease ends, unfortunately, in death. In addition, this disease is found either in a cat under two years old, or already in eleven to twelve year old individuals.

There are three reasons that determine whether a cat gets coronavirus or not.

Age and health status of the cat.
Form of infection.
The degree of damage to the animal's body by infection.

The state of health plays a primary role here, because a sufficiently good immune system will help the body immediately fight the penetration and reproduction of viruses. In this case the probability fatal outcome can be excluded, and the disease will manifest itself only in mild form. And vice versa, the cat’s body weak immunity it will be much more difficult to resist the mutation of the virus.

This feline disease cannot be transmitted to pet owners, so there is concern about own health are groundless here.

There are several cases where the coronavirus is not able to infect an animal’s body for a reason that has not yet been clarified. There is a version about the influence of genetics capable of developing protective barriers against the pathogens of this virus.

Symptoms of coronavirus

Coronavirus infection in cats has a variety of symptoms, which should be recognized as early as possible.

The purr develops a runny nose, mild diarrhea with blood, and apathy. The animal eats less.
Short-term vomiting and diarrhea, which subsequently disappear on their own.
Soon the cat may experience constant lacrimation. Increased episodes of vomiting and diarrhea.
Purr gets tired quickly. He drinks a lot, but has no appetite.
The animal has watery, rather unpleasant-smelling feces brown-green tone. At first there may not be blood in them, but as the disease develops, it appears.
Signs of dehydration clearly appear: the coat becomes dry and brittle, and the skin loses its elasticity. Neurological seizures may occur if death from peritonitis does not occur by then.

Subsequently inner fabrics will become widely available to intestinal microflora. This causes deep erosions and ulcerations. If the cat is not properly treated, then perforation will soon occur, threatening to develop into diffuse peritonitis. In most cases, at this stage the purr is euthanized, since there is practically no chance of recovery.

Several variants of the course of the disease

Depending on the condition of the body, age and vaccination, the coronavirus is transmitted by cats differently. In general, there are four variants of the course of the disease.

In half of the cases, the infected animal becomes ill, having severe diarrhea. Subsequently, clinical recovery occurs. Nevertheless, the virus can be excreted in feces for another two months, and in case of a severely weakened body – for nine months.
A tenth of infected purrs are doomed to be euthanized, since in this case a relatively harmless virus mutates into an incurable form of infectious coronovirus enteritis.
Chronic course of the disease. There are cases when the coronavirus infection of cats, although it enters the body, nevertheless, the immune system actively resists it, although it is not able to completely defeat the virus. The cat remains healthy. They will only annoy him chronic diarrhea, which the owners will eliminate with varying success exclusively using improvised means. But such purrs will spread infection throughout their lives.
Not all cats become infected with coronavirus infection. Some individuals are quite resistant to this disease. To date, scientists have not yet identified this resistance gene.

Transmission of coronavirus in cats

Most often, cats become infected with coronavirus through the fecal-oral route when kept in groups or in nurseries. Kittens become infected primarily from their mother at five to seven weeks of age.

Feline coronavirus is shed in the feces of infected individuals. Purrs become infected by ingesting or inhaling this virus.

Getting into external environment, the coronavirus remains viable for up to 7 weeks.

Coronavirus infection in cats practically cannot be transmitted through the hands of owners, other pets or clothing if they are not contaminated with the feces of an infected cat.

Diagnosis of feline coronavirus

Since most felines are asymptomatic carriers of the coronavirus, diagnosing it is quite difficult.

This virus can be excreted in feces and only from time to time, so a single negative test result cannot be a guarantee of a pet’s health. To establish the fact of elimination of the coronavirus, feces are analyzed PCR method five times at monthly intervals. Moreover, all five studies should give negative results, and the antibody titer level should be below ten.

Vaccination

Scientists have made many attempts to create an effective and safe vaccine, most of which were unsuccessful. Now in veterinary pharmacies You can buy the intranasal vaccine Primucell, Pfizer.

This vaccine is very effective against feline coronavirus. It is manufactured in accordance with all requirements for the safety of medical supplies. However, no compelling evidence has been obtained regarding the effectiveness of this vaccine against infectious peritonitis. In addition, it is recommended to vaccinate cats for the first time only at four months of age, when most purrs could already be in contact with coronavirus infection, which means there is no point in vaccinating them.

Prevention and treatment of coronavirus infection

If a cat is diagnosed with coronavirus gastroenteritis, treatment will consist of maintaining quality of life. It cannot bring a complete cure. The lifespan of a purr will depend on what kind of harmful microbe has infected the animal’s body. With coronavirus gastroenteritis, especially with its intestinal form, the animal will be able to live without assistance veterinary care. But with infectious peritonitis, a cat will rarely live even six months. Health care for sick cats will be aimed primarily at alleviating their general condition. The course of treatment prescribed by your veterinarian may include various immunomodulators and antibiotics, depending on which organs the coronavirus has affected more in the cat.

How to protect your furry pet from illness

Avoid contact of the cat with large groups of relatives, for example, in transport or at exhibitions. Let him outside less often. Do not leave it temporarily in the nursery.
Keep your pet clean.
Make sure your cat is less likely to overheat or become hypothermic.
Make sure the partner chosen for mating is healthy.
If you have several purrs, be sure to isolate all individuals under 4 months of age, because if a kitten becomes infected with coronavirus gastroenteritis, it is unlikely that it will be able to survive.

This is how nurseries fight the spread of coronavirus and other infections.

Newly arriving cats are quarantined for a certain time, during which the pets are tested for coronavirus.
Seropositive individuals are not allowed into the group.
Kittens are removed from the infected mother to rid the entire group of the virus.

It is important for cat owners to have information about the diseases that cats can suffer from. This allows you to quickly determine the signs of a particular disease and contact a veterinarian in time. One of the most common diseases is coronavirus infection in cats.. This type of virus is difficult to fight; it requires qualified approach to draw up a treatment plan. On given time specialists cannot create a single treatment regimen with an effective result.

To determine treatment and prevention measures, it is necessary to determine What is this, coronavirus infection?

The danger of the disease is that coronavirus in cats is represented by two different stamps. They are dangerous and lead to complex diseases.

Both infectious peritonitis and enteritis are difficult to cure and require patience from the animal owner.

Wikipedia will help you learn more about the virus; you should know that it is afraid high temperatures, but absolutely resistant to low temperatures.

The viral infection most often affects those cats that are predisposed to the disease. Also dangerous factor are and constant stress . The risk group includes small kittens who have not yet become stronger and do not have a strong immune system.

Owners of pets under twelve weeks of age need to be especially attentive.. If a coronavirus infection enters a kitten’s body, the disease is very severe and has consequences.

Older individuals struggle more strongly with the disease. But the danger lies in the fact that even a recovered cat remains dangerous to others, he becomes long time carrier of the virus.

Vaccination is one of the means of protecting pets., unvaccinated cats are more susceptible to the virus. Vaccinations must be given to cats that periodically walk outside and come into contact with other individuals. But you shouldn’t count on vaccination; even it doesn’t always protect against coronavirus.

Symptoms of the disease

Symptoms and treatment coronavirus infection depend largely on the type of stamp, since FIPV and FECV cause different diseases.

But coronavirus of any subtype concentrates on the abdominal cavity. If treatment is not started in a timely manner, coronavirus gastroenteritis and peritonitis can even lead to death.

Infectious peritonitis is considered an incurable disease, which is especially dangerous for a pet..

ATTENTION! If corona virus causes abdominal diseases in a kitten, its life can end even within a few hours due to dehydration. The intestinal mucosa is sharply affected, resulting in diarrhea, vomiting and animal vomiting.

These symptoms may last for several days. After such a manifestation of the disease, the cat either recovers or dies.

Even if the cat survives, it still remains a carrier of infection for a long time, it is dangerous for surrounding animals. But it is not dangerous for people, since coronavirus is not transmitted to humans.

Depending on age and the strength of the immune system, cats tolerate the disease differently, but still Veterinarians identify several types of symptoms.

Severe diarrhea exhausts the cat for several days. Signs of illness such as diarrhea should always alert the animal owner. After all, a complication of this is also dehydration. A cat can survive after this, but will serve as a source of coronavirus for a long time, sometimes the process lasts up to ten months.
Attentive owners can observe and frequent changes in body temperature pet.
From external signs manifests itself gum hyperemia, keratitis. An increase in the volume of the cat's tummy is also visible.
The virus can spread beyond the abdominal cavity, this brings the disease into its most dangerous phase. Pathological process leads to death. To prevent this from happening, you need to vaccinate your cat on time.
It's also possible chronic course disease caused by coronavirus infection. Sluggish serious illnesses also greatly exhaust the body. In addition, in this case, cats carry the virus for many years. The pet owner will treat the cat's diarrhea for a long time, the pet copes with the remaining symptoms on its own. This course of the disease is associated with insufficient immunity of the cat.

INTERESTING! Coronavirus is dangerous for most animals. But there are individuals who are not afraid of it. It is not yet possible to identify which cats are resistant to the disease or to isolate a strong gene.

It is necessary to observe not only the physical, but also the emotional state animal, a sign of infection may be a depressive, depressed state. The pet is losing weight and showing signs of anemia. Possible disturbances in coordination and functioning of the central nervous system.

The incubation period of a viral disease lasts about three weeks.. Symptoms can appear all at once. But it is also possible that signs appear gradually, one or two. But you must always be attentive to to a pet, this will allow you to quickly identify one or another ailment.

How the disease is transmitted

If contact with an infected cat is not dangerous for a person, then for other felines such contact is dangerous.

The virus is transmitted through the feces of a sick individual, and you can get infected not only on the tray.

This infection remains viable on brooms, toys, various subjects care. The carrier will be a bowl from which both the sick and healthy kitten will eat.

ATTENTION! People are not susceptible to the virus, but they can bring the infection into the house (on shoes, on clothes). Children also need to be taught not to pick up yard cats or other people’s pets.

A cat infected with a virus can give birth to healthy kittens, since the infection does not penetrate the placenta. But, after the babies are one and a half months old, the level of antibodies in their body decreases. It is necessary to get vaccinated to create the necessary protection.

Diagnosis of coronavirus infection

Owners of cats of any breed are interested in the question: Is there a cure for this? complex disease, its manifestation in the form of coronavirus gastroenteritis?

When the first symptoms of the disease appear (diarrhea, vomiting), you need to contact a veterinarian. The specialist will order tests for the presence of infection..

To do this, you need to bring the feces of a sick cat. Analyzes will establish accurate diagnosis and choose the right treatment regimen. The decision on how to treat your pet largely depends on the type of stamp.

Rhinovirus and corona virus infections are difficult to determine, enzyme immunoassay and immunochromatographic analysis of blood and serum are often needed. It helps detect antibodies. If there is large damage to the abdominal organs, a biopsy of the affected areas may be performed.

Treatment of the disease

The treatment regimen includes the use of immunostimulants, as well as drugs symptomatic therapy. The pet will also need antibiotics. There are no specific cures for this disease; treatment is carried out comprehensively. The most important thing is to make every effort to prevent further distribution coronavirus infection. It is necessary to give the cat sorbents, they effectively remove toxins and other harmful elements from his body.
If your pet is suffering from severe pain, we need to help him with good antispasmodics and analgesics.
Also important is compliance dietary nutrition, which is selected individually, taking into account the age of the cat, its breed, and condition.
Treatment is difficult in severe stages of the disease. The animal develops ascites, and the resulting fluid must be removed. This procedure is performed in a veterinary clinic. But this stage most often ends in death, and it is no longer possible to cure the disease.

There are a number folk recipes, which also help overcome viral diseases, their symptoms. They should not be basic, but only additional in the scheme. To such folk remedies include infusions of stinging nettle, hawthorn fruit, and rose hips. If your cat has diarrhea, she You can give a decoction of St. John's wort, yarrow.

Preventive measures

Despite the complexity of the disease, there are effective measures, which are able to protect against it in most cases.

First of all, this is a vaccine against coronavirus. But it is also necessary to provide the animal with complete and fortified nutrition, proper care so that his immunity is able to fight the most complex diseases.

If coronavirus appears in the house, the infected cat must be isolated from healthy pets. This should be done as quickly as possible. It is dangerous to allow contacts pet with yard cats, many of them can be carriers of a dangerous infection.

Useful video

More information about the disease can be found here