How to Recognize Panleukopenia, One of the Most Serious Diseases of Cats

You, as cat keepers, will probably be frightened when hearing “cat plague”. But precisely this phrase is sometimes used for panleukopenia which is a very dangerous cat disease. You may not only prevent it thanks to information obtained but to identify its symptoms as well.

Panleukopenia or parvovirosis is aggressive and highly contagious disease, affecting only cats (or feline). It is tricky because of its rapid progress the fact that it is manifested with strong and sometimes even bloody, diarrhea and vomiting. Exhausted animal then quickly gets into mortal danger. The cat is usually apathetic, loses its appetite and stops to drink even before the digestive disturbances occur.

“Panleukopenia in cats is a serious fatal disease which can be prevented by timely and proper vaccinations, preferably in a juvenile cat. When the disease outbreaks, it is necessary to start with an intensive therapy which requires patient’s hospitalisation. The diagnosis of the disease is made after the evaluation of the clinical state and the blood count. It is also possible to complement the diagnosis with a commercial test on virus identification in the faeces. But even an early therapy does not have to be successful" says MVDr. Aneta Kasanová, a vet.

The incubation period of cat plague is 2 to 10 days. The cat can be for example infected through  a bowl with water contaminated with saliva etc. The insidious and very resistant parvovirus that causes the disease is transmitted by all body fluids. The infected places remain infectious for several months. Even the cat that was successfully treated is infectious for the next couple of weeks.

The parvovirus quickly replicates following the outbreak and it gradually gets into blood which is spread in the body and it attacks various organs, including the gastrointestinal tract. It also attacks white blood cells and reduces its number and it significantly decreases the immunity of the infected cat.

If you are scared panleukopenia, ask the vet for vaccination. Prevention is in this case more than desirable, there is unfortunately very often no help to the animal after the outbreak of the disease and the treatment is at least complicated.