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- Feline Leukemia Virus (FeLV): Transmitted
by close cat-to-cat contact, this disease can prevent a cat's immune system
from working properly, making the cat susceptible to other diseases. A
leading cause of serious illness, it often proves fatal 3 to 5 years after
initial infection.
- Feline
Rhinotracheitis: This severe upper-respiratory virus poses a serious
threat to cats of all ages, and is especially devastating in kittens. Once
exposed, the virus can cause symptoms on and off for the cats
lifetime. Symptoms include loss of appetite, moderate fever, tearing,
eye and nose discharge, open mouth breathing, coughing and salivation
- Calicivirus:
This highly contagious virus is another of the major upper-respiratory
threats. While severity of infection varies, symptoms include moderate
fever, pneumonia, ulcers and blisters on the tongue, mouth and/or
lips. Recovered cats can become carriers.
- Panleukopenia:
Also known as feline distemper, this disease produces symptoms which can
include fever, loss of appetite, vomiting, depression, diarrhea,
dehydration, and other complications which almost always result in
death. It primarily affects kittens.
- Chlamydia:
This infection of the mucus membranes of the eyes and the nose is highly
contagious, especially in young kittens, Symptoms include conjunctivitis,
excess tearing, sneezing, heavy salivation and coughing. In addition,
it is potentially transmittable to humans.
- Polycystic Kidney Disease (PKD):
Polycystic Kidney Disease is an inherited kidney disease
that is present from birth, but usually does not affect the cat until later
in life. The disease causes cysts to form on the kidneys. . Problems occur when these cysts start to grow and progressively enlarge the kidney, reducing the kidneys' ability to function properly. The ultimate end is kidney
failure and death. The one good thing about this disease is that it
can be detected & eliminated from a breeding program and ALL
future generations by a simple ultrasound. The ultrasound detects the possible presence of
kidney cysts. Neutering or spaying the affected individuals and only breeding from PKD-negative
cats eliminates the disease in all future generations. A PKD-negative cat is also genetically PKD-free!
- Feline Infectious Peritonitis (FIP): As
with so many aspects of FIP, testing remains problematic. To date, there is
no way to screen healthy cats for the risk of developing FIP. FIP
is the term for the clinical disease associated with feline coronavirus
infection (FECV). we now know that the vast majority of cats do not
"catch" FIP, but they develop it themselves from their own mutant
FECV. Transmission of FIP from cat to cat is considered to be rare. This
fact has caused leading FIP researchers to state that cats who are ill with
FIP are unlikely to be a risk to other cats and thus do not need to be
isolated. FECV is spread primarily by the fecal-oral route and, to a lesser
degree, through saliva or respiratory droplets. The virus can persist in the
environment in dried feces on cat litter for 3 to 7 weeks, so scrupulous
cleaning of cages and litter pans is important.
- Feline Lower Urinary Tract Disease:
this is the urinary disease that is most common in male kitties in that they
develop crystals in their urinary tract. For more information check out this
page.
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