Why Is My Kitten Sneezing? | Cat Flu | Vet Explains
Summary
TLDRThis video script offers a comprehensive guide on cat flu, an upper respiratory infection in cats caused by feline herpes and glycovirus. It explains symptoms, diagnosis, and treatment, emphasizing the importance of antibiotics and anti-inflammatories for secondary infections. The script advises on supportive care, diet, and hygiene for recovery and stresses the need for core vaccines to prevent the highly contagious disease. It also covers the long-term implications of the virus and the importance of separating infected cats from healthy ones.
Takeaways
- đ· Cat flu is an upper respiratory infection in cats caused by feline herpes virus and feline calicivirus.
- 𧏠The feline herpes virus affects the eyes and nose, while the feline calicivirus affects the mouth, causing inflammation and pain.
- đ Secondary bacterial infections are common with cat flu, often caused by bacteria like Bordetella bronchiseptica and Chlamydophila felis.
- đŸ Cat flu is highly contagious and can affect kittens, older cats, and those with weakened immune systems like feline leukemia or AIDS.
- đ€§ Symptoms include a runny nose, teary eyes, lethargy, weakness, fever, and loss of appetite, with severe cases leading to pneumonia.
- đ„ Diagnosis involves physical examination, looking for secretions, mouth ulcers, and signs of compromised breathing, possibly with blood tests and x-rays.
- đ Treatment focuses on managing secondary bacterial infections and supporting the cat's immune system, using antibiotics, anti-inflammatories, and mucolytics.
- đïž For severe eye infections, vets may prescribe pet-specific eye washes and topical antibiotics.
- đŒ Kittens with severe symptoms may require intensive care, including fluid therapy, antibiotics, anti-inflammatories, and immune boosters.
- đœïž Diet should be soft, palatable, and high in calories, with nutritional supplements like lysine to help manage the feline herpes virus.
- đ« Prevention includes core vaccinations, separating sick from healthy cats, and maintaining hygiene by disinfecting shared items and washing hands.
Q & A
What is cat flu?
-Cat flu is a broad term used to describe an upper respiratory infection in cats, typically caused by the feline herpes virus and feline glycovirus.
How do the viruses causing cat flu affect a cat's body?
-Feline herpes virus attacks the cell lining in the eyes and nose, while feline glycovirus attacks the cell lining in the mouth, specifically the tongue, gums, lips, hard palate, and throat, causing inflammation and pain.
Which cats are more susceptible to cat flu?
-Young kittens, older cats, and those suffering from feline leukemia or feline AIDS are more prone to cat flu due to their weaker immune systems.
How is cat flu transmitted?
-Cat flu is highly contagious and can spread through direct contact with other cats, air droplets from sneezing or coughing, and contaminated objects like shared bowls and food dishes.
What are the common symptoms of cat flu?
-Symptoms include a runny nose, teary eyes, sneezing, coughing, drooling, lethargy, weakness, fever, and inappetence. In severe cases, secretions can turn yellowish-brown and become thickened, forming crusts that block the airways.
What is the role of bacteria in cat flu?
-Bacteria, such as Bordetella bronchiseptica and Chlamydophila felis, can cause secondary infections in cats with weakened immunity due to the viral infection, exacerbating the symptoms.
How is cat flu diagnosed?
-Diagnosis is usually based on the cat's appearance, history, physical examination, and may include blood tests, chest X-rays, and swab tests for bacterial culture or PCR to confirm the presence of viral RNA.
What is the treatment for mild cases of cat flu?
-Mild cases are typically treated with injectable broad-spectrum antibiotics like amoxicillin clavulanate, anti-inflammatory drugs like meloxicam, and mucolytics to clear the airways. Kittens may also be prescribed a pet-specific eye wash and topical antibiotics.
What care is needed for kittens with severe cat flu?
-Severe cases may require hospitalization, intravenous fluids, injectable antibiotics, anti-inflammatory drugs, and immune boosters. Nasogastric tubes may be used to feed kittens that refuse to eat.
How can you support a kitten's recovery from cat flu?
-Providing tender loving care, maintaining hygiene, ensuring a clean environment, and offering soft, palatable, and high-calorie food can support recovery. Steam inhalation can help loosen secretions, and nutritional supplements like lysine can limit the multiplication of the feline herpes virus.
How can you prevent cat flu?
-Ensuring cats receive their core vaccines, separating sick from healthy cats, disinfecting shared items, and starting treatment for all kittens in a litter can help prevent the spread of cat flu. Once infected, cats may carry the virus for life and can have relapses, especially during stressful events.
Outlines
đ· Understanding Cat Flu and Its Treatment
This paragraph introduces the concept of cat flu, which is an upper respiratory infection in cats caused by feline herpes virus and feline calicivirus. The video discusses the symptoms, such as a snotty nose, eye discharge, and difficulty in breathing and eating. It emphasizes the importance of a veterinarian's diagnosis, which includes a physical examination, checking for secretions, and possibly blood tests or chest X-rays. The treatment focuses on managing secondary bacterial infections with antibiotics and anti-inflammatory drugs, as well as supportive care like mucolytic to clear airways and eye wash for severe infections. The paragraph also mentions the contagious nature of cat flu and its prevalence in kittens with weaker immune systems.
đ„ Intensive Care for Severe Cat Flu Cases
The second paragraph delves into the care required for kittens with severe cat flu symptoms, such as lethargy, difficulty breathing, and dehydration. It describes the process of hospitalization, which may involve intravenous fluids, injectable antibiotics, anti-inflammatory medications, and immune boosters. The importance of eye cleaning and the use of a nasogastric tube for feeding are highlighted. The paragraph also provides tips for home care, such as maintaining hygiene, providing a warm and clean environment, and using steam to help with breathing. Dietary recommendations for recovery, including soft, palatable, and calorie-rich foods, are also discussed, along with the use of nutritional supplements to support the cat's immune system.
đ« Preventing and Managing Cat Flu Outbreaks
The final paragraph addresses the prevention and management of cat flu outbreaks. It stresses the importance of vaccination, separating sick kittens from healthy ones, and disinfecting shared items to prevent the spread of infection. The paragraph also advises on the early treatment of all kittens in a litter to prevent further spread. It explains that once infected, cats may carry the virus for life and can experience symptom relapses during times of stress or immune system compromise. The video concludes with a call for viewers to seek veterinary care promptly if their kitten shows signs of cat flu and invites questions in the comments section.
Mindmap
Keywords
đĄCat Flu
đĄFeline Herpes Virus
đĄFeline Calicivirus
đĄBordetella Bronchiseptica
đĄChlamydophila Pneumoniae
đĄImmune System
đĄMucoupurulent
đĄAntibiotics
đĄAnti-inflammatory
đĄMucolytic
đĄVaccination
Highlights
Cat flu is a term for upper respiratory infections in cats, typically caused by feline herpes virus and feline calicivirus.
Feline herpes virus affects the eyes and nose, while feline calicivirus targets the mouth's cell lining.
Both viruses cause inflammation and pain, and can lead to secondary bacterial infections.
Common bacteria associated with cat flu include Bordetella bronchiseptica and Chlamydophila felis.
Cat flu is more prevalent in young kittens, older cats, and those with weakened immune systems.
The disease is highly contagious and spreads through direct contact, air droplets, and contaminated objects.
Symptoms range from mild nasal discharge to severe mucopurulent discharge and breathing difficulties.
Diagnosis involves physical examination, looking for secretions, ulcers, and compromised breathing.
Blood smears and chest x-rays may be used to confirm infection and assess pneumonia severity.
Treatment focuses on preventing secondary bacterial infections and supporting the cat's immune system.
Mild cases are treated with antibiotics and anti-inflammatory drugs, along with mucolytic to clear airways.
Severe cases require intensive care, including IV fluids, injectable medications, and eye cleaning.
Nasogastric tubes may be used for kittens that refuse to eat, to provide food and water directly.
Tender loving care is crucial, including warmth, hygiene, and maintaining a clean environment.
Steam from baths or bowls of hot water can help loosen secretions and ease breathing.
Diet should be soft, palatable, and high in calories to stimulate appetite and aid recovery.
Lysine supplements can limit the feline herpes virus multiplication and reduce disease severity.
Prevention includes core vaccines, separating sick from healthy cats, and disinfecting shared items.
Cat flu can be life-threatening if left untreated, emphasizing the importance of early veterinary care.
Once infected, cats may carry the virus lifelong and experience symptom relapses during stress.
Transcripts
so you find your kitten with a snotty
nose and gunk in his eyes struggling to
breathe and eat your kitten may be
suffering from cat flu watch this video
to find out what you need to know about
this disease and what you need to do in
order to get it back to the lively ball
of fur that it used to be hey guys dr
peter i'm a veterinarian from south
africa
now cat flu is a broad term used to
describe an upper respiratory infection
that is usually caused by two types of
viruses feline herpes virus and feline
glycovirus feline herpes virus attacks
the cell lining in the eyes and the nose
while feline khaleesi virus attacks the
cell lining in the mouth specifically
the tongue gums lips heart palate and
the throat both causing inflammation and
pain both these viruses weakens the
cat's immunity which means that bacteria
can more easily infect the kitten
resulting in a secondary bacterial
infection which usually causes the
symptoms that we tend to see the most
common bacteria that is usually
associated with cat flu is called
boritella bronchisceptica and
chlamydophila phyllis now cat flu is
more prominent in young kittens and
older cats as well as those suffering
from feline leukemia or feline aids as
all of these groups tend to have weaker
immune systems it is a highly contagious
disease and can spread by means of
direct contact with other cats like when
they play or snuggle together through
air droplets when sneezing or coughing
and through contaminated objects such as
shared gauges and food bowls now you do
get different levels of severity with
cat flu most cats will just have a mild
transparent snotty nose and some teary
eyes but when the secondary bacterial
infection becomes more severe
the secretions from nose and eyes will
turn yellowish brownish and become
thickened what we call mucouperland and
these can then form hot crusts which can
block the airways therefore making it
more difficult to breathe which can
cause them to make this wheezing type of
breathing sounds the kids won't feel
great overall and will thus also show
signs of lethargy weakness fever and
some may also be inappetent especially
if the infection inside the mouth is so
severe that it causes ulcers on the
tongue and cheeks therefore making it
more painful and difficult to chew and
swallow other common symptoms include
eye squinting sneezing coughing and
drooling and some kittens may also
develop high ulcers when left untreated
for too long the infection can spread to
the lower parts of the cat's respiratory
system and can thus result in a
pneumonia which is very difficult to
treat and usually unfortunately results
in death now diagnosis is usually made
based on the appearance and the history
of the cat meaning the cat's age
vaccination status and the duration of
the clinical signs your vet will need to
do a thorough physical exam where you
will specifically look for secretions
from the nose and the eyes open the
cat's mouth to look for ulcers or sores
on the tongue and the cheeks and then
you will also have to listen to the
heart of a stethoscope to try and hear
if there is any compromised breathing
going on your vet will also need to feel
for any enlarged lymph nodes especially
around the face and the chest area and
you will need to take the kittens
temperature with either a small
thermometer or a type of scanner to see
if they have a fever you may also make a
blood smear to look for any signs of
infection and if it does suspect a lower
respiratory tract infection such as
pneumonia you may also recommend chest
x-rays to assess its severity if your
vet is fancy he may also take a swab
from the secretions from the nose
trachea or ice and send it to the lab
for bacterial culture or a pcr test in
order to confirm the presence of rna
from the feline kulesi and herpes
viruses
now just like most viruses there isn't
really a specific drug that can kill the
virus itself what we need to aim for is
treating and preventing secondary
bacterial infections for long enough and
offering nutritious food in order to
allow the kitchen's immune system to
recover and therefore to fight off the
virus itself mild cases of cat flu is
usually treated with an injectable form
of a broad-spectrum antibiotic such as
amoxicillin clavillonic acid to help
fight off the infection as well as an
anti-inflammatory drug such as maloxicum
to help lower the fever and to take away
the pain in the mouth if your kitten is
having any trouble breathing through the
nose your weight may also prescribe a
mucolitic to help clear the airways and
to remove the mucus if the kitchen is
still active and eating they will
usually be sent home with a five to
seven course of the oral form of all
three of these types of mets if your
kitten has a severe eye infection your
vet may prescribe a pet specific eye
wash that you will need to use to rinse
out the infection four to six times a
day as well as a topical antibiotic such
as offloccession which you need to apply
for about five to ten days depending on
your weight instructions now if the
kitten does not want to eat is lethargic
has any difficulty breathing and is
dehydrated it will need more intensive
care and will thus need to be admitted
for spiritualization your kitten will
ideally be put on a drip but it is often
difficult to find a vein to put an iv
catheter in so in these cases we will
first give intra-peritoneal fluids where
we basically inject ringo's lactate
solution into the kitten's abdomen the
kitten will then receive the injectable
form of both the antibiotic and
anti-inflammatory as well as an immune
booster every single day and its eyes
will be cleaned four to six times a day
as well if the kittens are really weak
and refuses to eat a nasogastric tube
can be placed where we basically insert
a small tube through their nostril and
nasal passages all the way into the
stomach where we can then inject food
and water directly into their tummies
usually once the kitten receives its
meds and starts to feel a little bit
better it will start eating like a
monster which is always a good sign i
had some kittens brought to the clinic
which was on the brink of death but soon
after giving them some fluids and
injections they flipped around and ate
more food than most of the dogs in the
hospital apart from this it is important
to give your kitten some tlc aka tender
loving care which means keeping them
warm and dry and always making sure they
have enough clean fresh water and food
as well as cleaning out the litter daily
kittens can be little tornadoes in the
cages and they may step in the poo and
then in the food and water so
maintaining good hygiene is vital for
their recovery make sure to gently wipe
away the discharge from the nose and ice
with the eye wash your vet prescribed
but even diluted salt water on cotton
will will also work just as fine what
will also really help is to let your cat
sit in the bathroom while you take a
bath or a shower as the steam will
basically act as a type of nebulizer
which will break up and loosen up the
secretions in the airways therefore
making it much more easier to breathe
you can also place the cat in a wire
basket next to a bowl of steaming water
and then cover the two with a towel for
about five minutes at a time two to four
times a day smell plays a major part in
a cat's appetite so if they have a
stuffy nose they will have a decreased
sense of smell which will eventually
lead to a decreased appetite so in terms
of diet they will need food that is soft
highly palatable and high in calories we
usually recommend the recovery cans from
roelkenin or the feline kitten moose
from heels but sardines are also very
effective to just stimulate the appetite
and to get it going a great nutritional
supplement called lycine can also be
given to your cat allysin contains amino
acid lysine which helps to limit the
multiplication process of the feline
herpes virus which will reduce the
severity of the disease guys if you
found this video helpful so far then
please hit that like button so that this
video can spread to more people who are
looking for answers to help the seek
kittens thank you by the way i will
leave links down in description to all
of my product recommendations for the
atom treatment of cat flu so make sure
to check that out as well since upper
respiratory infections can be caused by
a variety of different disease agents it
is not always possible to prevent them
entirely however the best way that you
can possibly protect your cat against
cat flu is to make sure that it receives
its core vaccines which needs to be
given three times at the age of eight
weeks 12 weeks and 16 weeks and after
that every one to three years depending
on your vet's recommendations cat flu is
extremely contagious to other kittens so
if you have a lot of kittens it is best
to separate the sick from the healthy
ones make sure that shared items like
bowls and litter boxes are properly
disinfected with bleach after using them
to help kill off any remaining bacteria
the eel kittens should always be handled
last and you should wash and disinfect
your hands face and boots before
touching any other healthy cats i
personally always recommend to start
treatment for all the other kitchens in
the litter as the chances are good that
if one is infected that it will
eventually spread to the rest and as
mentioned earlier cat flu is not
something you want to live for too long
as it can quickly become very dangerous
and even life-threatening it is also
important to know that once the cat has
been infected with these viruses it is
possible that they will carry the virus
for the rest of their lives and that
they can have a relapse of symptoms when
they get older especially after a
stressful event that causes a decreased
immune system such as re-homing boarding
surgery trauma or even severe cold they
will also shed the virus particles
during these times so it is important to
keep your young kittens away from them
until they are fully vaccinated as well
so if you have a young kitten showing
these signs make sure to get them to the
vet for checkup sooner rather than later
let me know down in the comments if you
guys have any questions thanks for
watching and have a lucky day cheers
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