La feline rhinotracheitis It is a highly contagious viral disease, so its expansion is facilitated in cats that live in communities such as street colonies, shelters or hatcheries. It is a disease very common that surely we will find if at some point we are caregivers of a cat, especially if it has a few months of life.

In this article we will talk about feline rhinotracheitis, the symptoms it produces as well as the most appropriate treatment. Everything you need to know, below:

What is feline rhinotracheitis?

La rhinotracheitis is a viral disease that can be caused by herpesviruses, calicivirus or both and that affects the upper respiratory tract. It is a specific pathology of cats, very contagious among them through secretions, but that will not affect other animals or humans.

Therefore, we must implement measures to prevent its spread, changing clothes if we contact a suspicious cat or isolating the sick cat at home if we have more than one.

It occurs much more frequently in kittens of a few months of age or in adults who have some other condition that causes their immune system to be weakened. The best prevention is to follow the feline vaccination schedule since, although it is a curable disease, it can cause serious damage and even death.

The symptoms of feline rhinotracheitis

This disease causes coughing, sneezing and difficulty eating water and food. It is also accompanied by a nasal discharge, which affects breathing but also the cat’s sense of smell, which makes it even less attractive for food. The secretion can also be ocular and it is usual to complicate the picture with the appearance of secondary bacterial infections.

If calicivirus is involved in the process, it is normal for them to Wounds in the mouth. The pain they produce also affects the ability of the cat to eat, which, moreover, is frequently accompanied by fever and lethargy. This whole picture leads to a dehydration that, if left untreated, can end with the death of the cat.

On the other hand, feline conjunctivitis, without treatment, can reach pierce the cornea and finally cause the removal of the affected eye. It is important, therefore, that we go to our veterinarian if we observe any of these symptoms.

The treatment of feline rhinotracheitis

This disease is usually diagnosed by observing the clinical picture it causes. The therapeutic options will depend on the severity of the condition. They are usually based on hydrate the cat, encourage him to eat and administer antibiotics, usually broad-spectrum, to fight bacterial infections.

You can also add analgesia If the cat is very sore or some other drug for specific symptoms. Hydration in the most severe cases will have to be intravenous, which will mean the cat’s entry into the clinic. It is very important that you eat, so it is recommended to offer moist food or one that you especially like. If we heat the food a little we help it to get better its smell, encouraging it to eat.

It is very important that we comply with the treatment until the end, although we see that there is improvement before. Ocular treatment is also basic, which usually consists of a antibiotic eye drop applied several times a day.

Considerations on feline rhinotracheitis

To finish with this article, we will offer you some tips:

• Being a very contagious disease we must extreme hygiene measures.
• Even if our cat does not go outside we could introduce the virus into the home, so it is recommended to vaccinate it.
• It most affects the most vulnerable cats such as the young, the elderly, the immunocompromised or those who already have some other disease.
• The secretions can become very thick, crusting when drying around the nose and eyes. We must clean them frequently with wet gauze or cotton.
• The fact that the cat drinks and eats is very important, so we should facilitate the task, especially in those who have mouth ulcers.
• Although it is possible to cure it, if it is not treated or the animal is very weakened it can cause him to die.
• The virus remains in the cat’s organism, becoming lifelong carrier with the possibility of continuing to eliminate the virus, and the disease can reappear at any time.
• At the first symptom we must seek veterinary assistance to avoid complicating the picture.
• The eye damage They can be very serious, even causing serious injuries that require removal.
• Cats that recover can have sequelae.
• Keeping the cat in good condition, well fed and without stress favors its immune system and, therefore, resistance to this and other diseases.

This article is merely informative, in .com we do not have the faculty to prescribe veterinary treatments or make any kind of diagnosis. We invite you to take your pet to the veterinarian in case of any type of condition or discomfort.

If you want to read more articles similar to Felot rhinotracheitis – Symptoms and treatment, we recommend that you enter in our section of Infectious diseases.