FELINE DISTEMPER WARNING

Warning for ALL cat owners and those feeding cats in the community. 

We are receiving, on a daily basis, reports of cats being diagnosed with Feline Panleukopenia virus, also referred to as Feline Distemper.

Many cats do not survive the illness and die a very painful death. It is a highly contagious and life-threatening viral disease, which affects the rapidly dividing blood cells in the body, primarily the cells in the intestinal tract, bone marrow and skin.

The name means pan- (all) leuko- (white blood cells) -penia (lack of), referring to the fact that all of the body’s defense cells are killed by the virus.

Because the blood cells are under attack, the virus can lead to an anemic condition, and can leave the body open to infections from other illnesses—viral or bacterial.

There is a vaccination against this awful disease – so please make sure your cats are protected. In the unvaccinated population, panleukopenia is one of the deadliest cat diseases. 

Symptoms include (but are not exclusive):
Vomiting
Diarrhea/bloody diarrhea
Dehydration
Weight loss
High fever
Anemia (due to lowered red blood cells)
Rough hair coat
Depression
Complete loss of interest in food
Hiding
Neurological symptoms (eg lack of coordination)

The feline parvovirus (FPV) is the initiating cause for feline panleukopenia. Cats acquire this infection when they come into contact with infected blood, faeces, urine or other bodily fluids. The virus can also be passed along by people who have not washed their hands appropriately or have not changed clothing between handling cats, or by materials such as bedding, food dishes or equipment that has been used for other cats. There are other contamination means (maybe even via fleas) – it is a very resistant virus.