Feline Infectious Diseases Flashcards
what diseases are part of the feline respiratory disease complex?
rhinotracheitis, calicivirus, chlamydia, mycoplasma
what are common clinical signs of diseases in the feline respiratory disease complex?
rhinitis, lacrimation, conjunctivitis, salivation, and oral ulceration
rhinotracheitis
nose and trachea inflammation
what family does rhinotracheitis belong to?
herpes virus
which cats are more at risk for rhinotracheitis?
cats that co-mingle, kittens, elder cats, multiple cat households, unvaccinated cats, outdoor cats
what is the incubation period for feline diseases?
2-5 days
what are the clinical signs of rhinotracheitis?
fevers (up to 106) that come and go, sneezing, ocular discharge, blepharospasm, anorexia, conjunctivitis, nose and corneal ulcerations, reproductive tract may be affected too
how is rhinotracheitis transmitted?
direct contact, aerosolized droplets, fomites
how is rhinotracheitis diagnosed?
PCR test: conjunctival scraping and nose, ocular, or oropharyngeal cultures
how is rhinotracheitis treated?
antiviral drugs (but expensive so usually not used), supplements like L-lysine (amino acid that prevents viral replication), antibiotics, topical eye meds for ulcers and keratoconjunctivis sicca, fluids therapy if needed
what nursing care is done for patients with rhinotracheitis?
keep nose clean (cats don’t eat if they can’t smell), steamy bathroom for 10-15 minutes/day, can feed warm food to bring out odor
can cats with rhinotracheitis become latent carriers?
yes even after clinical signs resolve, the cat can still be a latent carrier and transmit the disease to other cats, the virus can also reactivate and cause flare ups at any time especially when cat is stressed
what cats are most susceptible to calicivirus?
kittens and shelter cats
what are the clinical signs of calicivirus?
oral and nasal ulcers!!, high fever, edema of legs/face, depression, jaundice, stomatitis, diarrhea
how is calicivirus transmitted?
direct contact, aerosolized, shed in urine/feces, fomites (can survive up to 1 week in environment)
how is calicivirus diagnosed?
mostly by clinical signs especially with presentation of ulcers, PCR test available but expensive
what is the treatment for calicivirus?
antibiotics, supportive care, most cases can be managed at home, anti-inflammatory meds for lameness
which feline diseases are bacterial?
chlamydia and mycoplasma
what are the clinical signs of chlamydia?
conjunctivitis, severe chemosis, ocular discharge, rhinitis, URI symptoms, bronchitis
how is chlamydia transmitted?
contact with secretions
how is chlamydia diagnosed?
conjunctival scraping
how is chlamydia treated?
tetracyclines
how can chlamydia be prevented?
vaccination and clean the environment (doesn’t live long outside host), isolate cat
what is another name for mycoplasma?
feline infectious anemia
what are the clinical signs of mycoplasma?
conjunctivitis, pneumonia, URI symptoms, oral/nasal ulcers, dyspnea, possible abortion, polyarthritis
how can mycoplasma be diagnosed?
conjunctival scraping, draw blood and look for inclusions around the outer edge of the RBCs
how is mycoplasma transmitted?
contact with secretions
how is mycoplasma treated?
tetracyclines
how can mycoplasma be prevented?
clean the environment, isolate cats
what family does panleukopenia belong to?
parvovirus
how does panleukopenia spread?
it attacks rapidly dividing cells (bone marrow, intestines, developing fetus)
what is the victim signalment of panleukopenia?
kittens, sick cats, unvaccinated cats
what are the clinical signs of panleukopenia?
mild-moderate elevation in temperature, hemorrhagic diarrhea, anorexia, leukopenia, dehydration, depression, spontaneous abortions, sudden kitten death, enlarged abdomen
can also cause cerebellar hypoplasia in kittens that contract panleukopenia in utero (cerebellum is attacked in utero and kitten has severe ataxia when born)
how is panleukopenia transmitted?
fecal-oral
how is panleukopenia diagnosed?
CBC (low WBC), fecal ELISA test (can be false positive if cat is vaccinated)
how is panleukopenia treated?
supportive care, anti-emetics, antibiotics, plasma/blood transfusion, isolation, IVF, nutritional support
what family does FIP belong to?
coronavirus
what is the victim signalment for FIP?
1-3 year old cats, multi-cat households, cats positive for FeLV or FIV
what body systems does FIP affect?
abdominal organs, abdominal lymph nodes, respiratory system, nervous system
how is FIP transmitted?
fecal-oral, in utero
what clinical signs are seen in FIP cats?
wet form: peritonitis, vicious yellow exudate from abdomen, pleuritis
dry form: lesions on organs (kidneys, liver, brain, blood vessels), nonspecific signs (some show little to no signs at all), wasting syndrome, neurologic signs (ataxia, seizures)
how is FIP diagnosed?
based on CS, abdominal centesis (for wet form), necropsy
how is FIP treated?
palliative care and euthanasia
what is the fatality rate for feline leukemia virus?
85% of persistently infected cats die within 3 years of diagnosis
what is the main body system FeLV affects?
immune system
malignant WBC disease
what family does FeLV belong to?
retro virus
what are the clinical signs of FeLV?
pale gums, enlarged lymph nodes, weakness/lethargy, URI signs, fever, diarrhea, poor hair coat, stomatitis
some cats are asymptomatic until disease progresses. and becomes severe
what are common FeLV-associated disorders?
lymphoma, anemia
how is FeLV transmitted?
friendly disease
through prolonged close contact with infected cat (grooming, fighting, intimate contact)
kittens can contract in utero
how is FeLV diagnosed?
ELISA test (antigen)
if kitten is positive retest 3 months later to see if kitten has overcome on its own
can test as early as 30 days post exposure
what is the acronym for deciding if you should do a FeLV/FIV test for your cat?
A- at risk cats (outdoor cats, multi-household cats)
S- sick cats
K- kittens and adults of unknown vac hx
what is the treatment for FeLV?
supportive care and symptomatic treatment
how can you prevent FeLV?
isolate cats and keep indoors, good husbandry to prevent secondary infection, spay/neuter, vaccinate (12 and 16 weeks then annually)
what is the main concern when giving a FeLV vaccine?
vaccine associated sarcomas because of aluminum being used as an adjuvant
how is an FeLV vaccine given so the affects of a vaccine associated sarcoma aren’t as bad?
administer distally in the hindlimb because amputation of a back leg is easier
what is the 3-2-1 rule for vaccine associated sarcomas?
a mass should be aspirated or biopsied if it is persistent for longer than 3 months, it’s bigger than 2cm, or the size of it increases/it rapidly grows a month after being vaccinated
what family does feline immunodeficiency virus belong to?
retro virus
what genus does FIV belong to?
lentivirus
how is FIV transmitted?
unfriendly cat disease
deep penetrated bite wounds
what are the clinical signs of FIV?
fever, malaise (lethargy), diarrhea
how is FIV diagnosed?
ELISA antibody test
cats can be tested anytime after 10 weeks, usually vets prefer to test at 6 months to avoid false positive
vaccinated cats will test positive
can confirm positive tests with Western Blot test
what is the treatment for FIV?
symptomatic/supportive care
how can FIV be prevented?
vaccine available for cats that live with other cats especially if they fight, cats that hunt/fight outside
avoid stress
