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Feline Panleukopenia ? - a little long
I heard yesterday that another foster home has 2 kittens with Penleukopenia.
Well to be accurate, one has tested positive and the other was too small to get sufficient blood to test but has the same symptoms as the cat who was tested. The older kitten is about 12 weeks the younger probably around 8. The scenario developed a while back. All the cats mentioned were fostered at the same location for a period of time at least. First a cat was adopted out and started barfing just as his people got there to take him home. He had shown no symptoms of anything previously nor did any of his littermates who had already been adopted. The people decided to take him anyway, got him to their vet where he ended up spending the night. The word we initially got was they thought it could be panleukopenia but then later were told they didn't think so. He recovered in a day or so and we thought that was the end of it. The adoption of that cat opened foster space at that location and a cat was taken in who had wandered into a feral colony but wasn't feral. A week or two later, the 12 week old cat got sick. I heard he was very sick, not eating, lethargic etc. This kitten also has a humongous umbilical hernia and a heart murmur. He had been back and forth to the vet to have the hernia checked out a couple of times previous and subsequent to being sick. At any rate this cat seemed to recover but has been left with an awkward, unsteady gait. About 2 weeks later the little kitten came down with similar symptoms. She is eating better now but has very, very unsteady hind quarters. She walks for a bit and then the back end wipes out and she falls down. She is energetic at this point but really can't maneuver well at all. So now we're trying to figure out how the hell this got into the foster home to begin with. If the cat who was adopted did have it how could he have been exposed? He had been fostered since he was only a couple weeks old (had to be bottle fed) and there is no word that any of his littermates were sick. I'm wondering if maybe he didn't have it and his being sick was a coincidental. Wouldn't a likelier scenario be that it came in with the cat who wandered in the feral colony? There are 3 more cats at that foster home. Two are older cats (have shots and are spayed/neutered) and the 3rd is a littermate to the cat with the hernia. None have shown any sign of getting sick. Can they infect other cats? I read this is transmitted through blood, urine, feces, nasal secretions, fleas from infected cats and any substance coming in contact with any of those things. AFAIK these cats haven't been allowed to play together and shouldn't have been able to actually touch one another but of course have been touched by the caretaker. Can the virus be on the asymptomatic cat's fur etc? What needs to be done to clean up this mess? W |
#2
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Feline Panleukopenia ? - a little long
Hi Wendy,
I'm sorry the cats are having such a tough time. We had a stray who was pregnant, and we found out later that she had had panleukopenia at some point during her pregnancy. Some of the kittens were born with neurological problems. We were very lucky that she didn't have it actively when we took her in. I looked up a couple of websites, maybe the same ones you did -- and put some excerpts below. You asked about having it on their fur, I suppose they could if they licked themselves or had a stray poop stuck to their rear. Does the foster mom volunteer at the shelter? Could she have petted or held a cat with the virus and brought it home? Maybe even on her shoes? I wonder sometimes when I pet the cats in the neighborhood on a walk, or even step in something outside, if I'm potentially bringing home anything. I know the distemper virus is all around. Hopefully the vaccinations will fight it off. I suppose the first kitten could have had it (the adopted kitten) but that is an awfully quick recovery if he hadn't been vaccinated yet. If he had been vaccinated against it, how long was it between then and when he got sick? You might call the vet the did the vaccines, and see what are the chances that the vaccine itself could have given him a small case of it, but maybe enough that he passed it to the others. There are different types of distemper vaccines, some are killed virus and some are not. I've read it's very hard to kill the virus in the home, but everything they use, food bowls, etc., needs to be bleached. Hope someone else has more answers for you. Good luck! Rhonda Website excerpts below: ------------------------------------------- Transmission The virus is spread by direct oral contact between infected cats or with their excretions, including feces, urine, saliva and vomit. Fleas may also transmit it during the acute or early stage of the disease. Fomites (contaminated objects) are another means of disease transmission. Common fomites include hands, clothing, food and water dishes, litter pans, bedding, etc. The incubation period, or period between contact with the virus and the appearance of symptoms ranges from 3-10 days. http://www.petfinder.org/journalinde...ne/2.21.10.txt ------------------------------------------- The virus is transmitted primarily by the fecal-oral route (including through exposure to objects/clothing/hands contaminated with virus from feces). Panleukopenia is very durable unless inactivated by an effective disinfectant, and can persist in the environment for months or even years. The incubation period is generally less than 14 days, and cats may shed infectious virus for 2-3 days before signs are observed. Kittens are at highest risk for this disease, and adult cats with current vaccinations are at very low risk. http://www.vetmed.ucdavis.edu/msmp/p...openia/fpv.htm ------------------------------------------- Wendy wrote: I heard yesterday that another foster home has 2 kittens with Penleukopenia. Well to be accurate, one has tested positive and the other was too small to get sufficient blood to test but has the same symptoms as the cat who was tested. The older kitten is about 12 weeks the younger probably around 8. The scenario developed a while back. All the cats mentioned were fostered at the same location for a period of time at least. First a cat was adopted out and started barfing just as his people got there to take him home. He had shown no symptoms of anything previously nor did any of his littermates who had already been adopted. The people decided to take him anyway, got him to their vet where he ended up spending the night. The word we initially got was they thought it could be panleukopenia but then later were told they didn't think so. He recovered in a day or so and we thought that was the end of it. The adoption of that cat opened foster space at that location and a cat was taken in who had wandered into a feral colony but wasn't feral. A week or two later, the 12 week old cat got sick. I heard he was very sick, not eating, lethargic etc. This kitten also has a humongous umbilical hernia and a heart murmur. He had been back and forth to the vet to have the hernia checked out a couple of times previous and subsequent to being sick. At any rate this cat seemed to recover but has been left with an awkward, unsteady gait. About 2 weeks later the little kitten came down with similar symptoms. She is eating better now but has very, very unsteady hind quarters. She walks for a bit and then the back end wipes out and she falls down. She is energetic at this point but really can't maneuver well at all. So now we're trying to figure out how the hell this got into the foster home to begin with. If the cat who was adopted did have it how could he have been exposed? He had been fostered since he was only a couple weeks old (had to be bottle fed) and there is no word that any of his littermates were sick. I'm wondering if maybe he didn't have it and his being sick was a coincidental. Wouldn't a likelier scenario be that it came in with the cat who wandered in the feral colony? There are 3 more cats at that foster home. Two are older cats (have shots and are spayed/neutered) and the 3rd is a littermate to the cat with the hernia. None have shown any sign of getting sick. Can they infect other cats? I read this is transmitted through blood, urine, feces, nasal secretions, fleas from infected cats and any substance coming in contact with any of those things. AFAIK these cats haven't been allowed to play together and shouldn't have been able to actually touch one another but of course have been touched by the caretaker. Can the virus be on the asymptomatic cat's fur etc? What needs to be done to clean up this mess? W |
#3
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Feline Panleukopenia ? - a little long
"Wendy" wrote in message ... I heard yesterday that another foster home has 2 kittens with Penleukopenia. Well to be accurate, one has tested positive and the other was too small to get sufficient blood to test Use the Idexx CITE Canine Parvovirus Snap Test- it detects feline parvovirus in cat feces in 10 minutes. Its even easier and simpler than the FeLV Snap and only costs $10. Can be used in cats of any age. but has the same symptoms as the cat who was tested. The older kitten is about 12 weeks the younger probably around 8. The scenario developed a while back. All the cats mentioned were fostered at the same location for a period of time at least. The kittens could have been infected via fomite transmission. The feline parvovirus can remain infectious in the environment for months to 1 year. I strongly suggest you advise the fosterer to sanitize her home- especially litterboxes, feeding and water bowls and bedding. Use Trifectant (Virkon S Professional)- kills feline and canine parvo, herpes, calici, coronavirus, etc, plus ringworm and many bacteria. You can buy individual 1.3 oz packets that make 1 gal for about $3 or 10 lb. tubs that make 123 gals for about $50. You can even use Trifectant in the washer or presoak. Its not a phenol or quat and its safe to use around cats. It doesn't require rinsing- but I rinse anyway. Read the label carefully- even though Trifectant is *exactly* the same product as Virkon-S Professional its labeled differently. The warning label applies *only* to the powered form and not to the diluted solution. First a cat was adopted out and started barfing just as his people got there to take him home. He had shown no symptoms of anything previously nor did any of his littermates who had already been adopted. The people decided to take him anyway, got him to their vet where he ended up spending the night. The word we initially got was they thought it could be panleukopenia but then later were told they didn't think so. He recovered in a day or so and we thought that was the end of it. Could have been parvo- its not always fatal. Many kittens develop VN antibodies in time to neutralize the virus. Many parvo infections are subclinical- some infected kittens never develop any symptoms at all but they can still shed virus. The adoption of that cat opened foster space at that location and a cat was taken in who had wandered into a feral colony but wasn't feral. A week or two later, the 12 week old cat got sick. I heard he was very sick, not eating, lethargic etc. This kitten also has a humongous umbilical hernia and a heart murmur. He had been back and forth to the vet to have the hernia checked out a couple of times previous and subsequent to being sick. At any rate this cat seemed to recover but has been left with an awkward, unsteady gait. Could be a result of cerebral hypoplasia- caused by parvovirus infection either prenatally or neonatally or vaccination with a MLV when the kitten was less than 4 weeks. The old names for panleukopenia was feline ataxia or incoordination and feline distemper. About 2 weeks later the little kitten came down with similar symptoms. She is eating better now but has very, very unsteady hind quarters. She walks for a bit and then the back end wipes out and she falls down. She is energetic at this point but really can't maneuver well at all. Sounds like cerebral hypoplasia. So now we're trying to figure out how the hell this got into the foster home to begin with. If the cat who was adopted did have it how could he have been exposed? Humans can track parvovirus in their homes on their shoes, clothes or even hands from handling an infected cat. He had been fostered since he was only a couple weeks old (had to be bottle fed) and there is no word that any of his littermates were sick. I'm wondering if maybe he didn't have it and his being sick was a coincidental. Could be. If you work with kittens, you should have a few pavro fecal Snaps on hand to test new kittens. As I said, some infections are subclinical and the kittens don't develop any symptoms at all or they're just mild and transient symptoms-- but they still shed infectious virus. This is why its absolutely imperative to sanitize the kitten room before introducing a new cat whether the previous kitten was sick or not. Wouldn't a likelier scenario be that it came in with the cat who wandered in the feral colony? Could be. The origin of a parvo infection is difficult to track because the virus is very stable in the environment for long periods and it can be carried on humans and other objects. IOW, a kitten can become infected without ever coming near an infected cat. The kittens also could have became infected from virus left by a cat from last year! There are 3 more cats at that foster home. Two are older cats (have shots and are spayed/neutered) and the 3rd is a littermate to the cat with the hernia. None have shown any sign of getting sick. Can they infect other cats? Only if they're shedding virus and the other kittens are susceptible. Parvo is only a problem for kittens- adults practically never become infected- and if they do, its virtually always subclinical I read this is transmitted through blood, urine, feces, nasal secretions, fleas from infected cats and any substance coming in contact with any of those things. AFAIK these cats haven't been allowed to play together and shouldn't have been able to actually touch one another but of course have been touched by the caretaker. Can the virus be on the asymptomatic cat's fur etc? Parvovirus can be *anywhere*- that's why it was the scourge of cats for decades until an effective vaccine was introduced and sanitation regimes developed. What needs to be done to clean up this mess? Sanitation and disinfection (with Trifectant) of the premises and vaccinate *all* new kittens *before* they're introduced into the home. Colostrum-deprived kittens younger than 4 weeks can be inoculated with antisera from cats with a high titer to feline parvovirus-- just remember that these are *passive* immunoglobulins (same as maternal antibodies) which can persist for up to 2 to 4 weeks and will interfere with vaccines, so, the neonatal vaccination series must be delayed. You can vaccinate kittens older than 4 weeks with the Purevax Feline-3 (FVRCP). |
#4
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Feline Panleukopenia ? - a little long
"Phil P." wrote in message nk.net... "Wendy" wrote in message ... I heard yesterday that another foster home has 2 kittens with Penleukopenia. Well to be accurate, one has tested positive and the other was too small to get sufficient blood to test Use the Idexx CITE Canine Parvovirus Snap Test- it detects feline parvovirus in cat feces in 10 minutes. Its even easier and simpler than the FeLV Snap and only costs $10. Can be used in cats of any age. but has the same symptoms as the cat who was tested. The older kitten is about 12 weeks the younger probably around 8. The scenario developed a while back. All the cats mentioned were fostered at the same location for a period of time at least. The kittens could have been infected via fomite transmission. The feline parvovirus can remain infectious in the environment for months to 1 year. I strongly suggest you advise the fosterer to sanitize her home- especially litterboxes, feeding and water bowls and bedding. Use Trifectant (Virkon S Professional)- kills feline and canine parvo, herpes, calici, coronavirus, etc, plus ringworm and many bacteria. You can buy individual 1.3 oz packets that make 1 gal for about $3 or 10 lb. tubs that make 123 gals for about $50. You can even use Trifectant in the washer or presoak. Its not a phenol or quat and its safe to use around cats. It doesn't require rinsing- but I rinse anyway. Read the label carefully- even though Trifectant is *exactly* the same product as Virkon-S Professional its labeled differently. The warning label applies *only* to the powered form and not to the diluted solution. First a cat was adopted out and started barfing just as his people got there to take him home. He had shown no symptoms of anything previously nor did any of his littermates who had already been adopted. The people decided to take him anyway, got him to their vet where he ended up spending the night. The word we initially got was they thought it could be panleukopenia but then later were told they didn't think so. He recovered in a day or so and we thought that was the end of it. Could have been parvo- its not always fatal. Many kittens develop VN antibodies in time to neutralize the virus. Many parvo infections are subclinical- some infected kittens never develop any symptoms at all but they can still shed virus. The adoption of that cat opened foster space at that location and a cat was taken in who had wandered into a feral colony but wasn't feral. A week or two later, the 12 week old cat got sick. I heard he was very sick, not eating, lethargic etc. This kitten also has a humongous umbilical hernia and a heart murmur. He had been back and forth to the vet to have the hernia checked out a couple of times previous and subsequent to being sick. At any rate this cat seemed to recover but has been left with an awkward, unsteady gait. Could be a result of cerebral hypoplasia- caused by parvovirus infection either prenatally or neonatally or vaccination with a MLV when the kitten was less than 4 weeks. The old names for panleukopenia was feline ataxia or incoordination and feline distemper. About 2 weeks later the little kitten came down with similar symptoms. She is eating better now but has very, very unsteady hind quarters. She walks for a bit and then the back end wipes out and she falls down. She is energetic at this point but really can't maneuver well at all. Sounds like cerebral hypoplasia. So now we're trying to figure out how the hell this got into the foster home to begin with. If the cat who was adopted did have it how could he have been exposed? Humans can track parvovirus in their homes on their shoes, clothes or even hands from handling an infected cat. He had been fostered since he was only a couple weeks old (had to be bottle fed) and there is no word that any of his littermates were sick. I'm wondering if maybe he didn't have it and his being sick was a coincidental. Could be. If you work with kittens, you should have a few pavro fecal Snaps on hand to test new kittens. As I said, some infections are subclinical and the kittens don't develop any symptoms at all or they're just mild and transient symptoms-- but they still shed infectious virus. This is why its absolutely imperative to sanitize the kitten room before introducing a new cat whether the previous kitten was sick or not. Wouldn't a likelier scenario be that it came in with the cat who wandered in the feral colony? Could be. The origin of a parvo infection is difficult to track because the virus is very stable in the environment for long periods and it can be carried on humans and other objects. IOW, a kitten can become infected without ever coming near an infected cat. The kittens also could have became infected from virus left by a cat from last year! There are 3 more cats at that foster home. Two are older cats (have shots and are spayed/neutered) and the 3rd is a littermate to the cat with the hernia. None have shown any sign of getting sick. Can they infect other cats? Only if they're shedding virus and the other kittens are susceptible. Parvo is only a problem for kittens- adults practically never become infected- and if they do, its virtually always subclinical I read this is transmitted through blood, urine, feces, nasal secretions, fleas from infected cats and any substance coming in contact with any of those things. AFAIK these cats haven't been allowed to play together and shouldn't have been able to actually touch one another but of course have been touched by the caretaker. Can the virus be on the asymptomatic cat's fur etc? Parvovirus can be *anywhere*- that's why it was the scourge of cats for decades until an effective vaccine was introduced and sanitation regimes developed. What needs to be done to clean up this mess? Sanitation and disinfection (with Trifectant) of the premises and vaccinate *all* new kittens *before* they're introduced into the home. Colostrum-deprived kittens younger than 4 weeks can be inoculated with antisera from cats with a high titer to feline parvovirus-- just remember that these are *passive* immunoglobulins (same as maternal antibodies) which can persist for up to 2 to 4 weeks and will interfere with vaccines, so, the neonatal vaccination series must be delayed. You can vaccinate kittens older than 4 weeks with the Purevax Feline-3 (FVRCP). Thanks Rhonda and Phil. Will pass on the information. When I talked to the foster mom today she had already gotten out the bleach and tossed the litter boxes etc. - anything that didn't look like it could be thoroughly cleaned. Sadly, both kittens were euthanized last night on the recommendation of the vet. Damn, I hate when that happens. The remaining 3 cats are going to be vaccinated or get boosters Monday. W |
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Feline Panleukopenia ? - a little long
"Wendy" wrote in message . .. Sadly, both kittens were euthanized last night on the recommendation of the vet. Damn, I hate when that happens. Euthanasia probably wasn't necessary- most kittens can be saved with fluid therapy and antibiotics to control secondary infections until the kittens start producing virus neutralizing antibodies. In severe cases when treatment was delayed for too long, whole blood transfusions from cats with high titers to parvo usually pulls the kittens through. The problem is many vets that work with shelters don't want to put the time and effort in to save the kittens because they feel shelters generally can't/won't afford the treatment- and they're probably right. Others feel there are too many cats already, so losing a few kittens is no big deal. You need a vet who has his heart in his work and worries about the animals more than his finances. There are many ways vets can recoup their losses from difficult shelter cases. |
#6
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Feline Panleukopenia ? - a little long
"Phil P." wrote in message nk.net... "Wendy" wrote in message . .. Sadly, both kittens were euthanized last night on the recommendation of the vet. Damn, I hate when that happens. Euthanasia probably wasn't necessary- most kittens can be saved with fluid therapy and antibiotics to control secondary infections until the kittens start producing virus neutralizing antibodies. In severe cases when treatment was delayed for too long, whole blood transfusions from cats with high titers to parvo usually pulls the kittens through. The problem is many vets that work with shelters don't want to put the time and effort in to save the kittens because they feel shelters generally can't/won't afford the treatment- and they're probably right. Others feel there are too many cats already, so losing a few kittens is no big deal. You need a vet who has his heart in his work and worries about the animals more than his finances. There are many ways vets can recoup their losses from difficult shelter cases. I normally would agree completely with you about the vet. In this case the vet wasn't the rescue group's vet but the foster mom's vet and seen as a private patient at the foster mom's expense. The cats couldn't take more than a few steps before falling down and that was the reason they were euthanized. The one guy had so many problems already and had the neurological symptoms added to the mix. He still would have had to have surgery to repair the enormous umbilical hernia and with the sever heart murmur that would have been a touchy bit of work. It was judged that both cats quality of life were compromised - at least that's what I was told. I didn't see either one of the kittens first hand so can't make any judgments. It was the same type of decision we had to make for a little 10 day old kitten who started having seizures every fifteen minutes. He was eating well and very active between the seizures but what kind of a life would that have been? This particular foster mom had kept a panleukopenia kitten a few years ago so she is in a better position than I to judge. I believe she said her cat had only lived 2 years and they weren't happy ones for the cat. I don't know, I've never seen it first hand and hope never to have that experience. I just want to garner as much knowledge as possible to be able to avoid this as best as possible so that we don't lose any more cats to this particularly nasty disease. W |
#7
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Feline Panleukopenia ? - a little long
Snip!
Does Trifectant damage wooden floors? I have urathaned hardwood floors where I keep my foster cats. |
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