Treating feline calicivirus or ‘cat flu’

Treating feline calicivirus or ‘cat flu’

trattamento del calicivirus felino

Feline calicivirus or cat flu is one of the most contagious pet diseases. It is important to know both how to prevent and treat feline calicivirus, the main cause of a disease that affects cats at different levels.

Discover with Sepicat what this disease that can cause serious damage to your pet consists of, the risks that are involved, how to detect it and the treatment to follow. No cat is safe from contracting this virus, so every precaution must be taken to prevent one of the worst contagious cat diseases.

What is feline calicivirus?

Feline calicivirus is a type of microorganism that spreads between cats, producing a wide range of symptoms that start in the feline respiratory system.The disease produced by this virus is commonly known as cat flu, as the symptoms are very similar to those of influenza in humans.

As with the human influenza virus, feline calicivirus is also highly mutable, there are constantly increasingly resistant new strains, which can lead to complicating the treatment of feline calicivirus in animals.

What are the risks for cats?

The main risk of this disease is that it is highly contagious. Cats can get the flu virus through direct contact with saliva, tears, or different secretions from another infected cat.

The disease causes symptoms such as a runny nose, mucus production and tearing. Over time, the animal also shows mouth and nose ulcers, fever and weakness. In the worst cases, cats may develop feline calicivirus symptoms such as skin wounds, pain, oedema, liver damage, and even death.

If a cat with feline calicivirus is not treated, it runs the risk of suffering sequelae or even dying. Cats with a weakened immune system, kittens and elderly cats, as well as those with other diseases, are more prone to this disease.

Treating feline calicivirus

Since it is a disease caused by a virus, cat flu is not treated with a specific medicine. Treating feline calcivirus consists of care to alleviate the symptoms associated with the development of the disease.

Depending on the degree of affectation of the animal, the aim is to improve its general state of health. The veterinarian will prescribe different treatments to relieve pain, excess mucus, inflammation, and even the use of antibiotics to treat or prevent secondary bacterial infections.

In the most severe cases, the cat may need to be admitted so its recovery may be monitored.

Preventing feline calicivirus

There is a vaccine to prevent the disease caused by feline calicivirus. This vaccine is included in the pet vaccination schedule, and it is recommended when a cat has contact with the outdoors, or if it is usually with other cats.

It is also important to detect the disease early and isolate the affected cat from other animals to prevent the virus from spreading. If you suspect that your pet may have contracted cat flu, see your vet quickly for a diagnosis as soon as possible.

Taking care of the health of our pets is essential to ensure they have a longer life expectancy, which is what we do at Sepicat. By knowing how to prevent and treat feline calicivirus, you are one step closer to ensuring your cat is completely protected.

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