How To Treat Cat Flu At Home?

How To Treat Cat Flu At Home
Although antibiotics can help with certain complications, there is currently no single cat flu treatment. Instead, keeping your cat comfortable and nursing them at home is the best way to get them better. Keep their fluids up: encourage your pet to drink because water can help loosen up catarrhal secretions.

Contents

How can I treat my cats cat flu at home?

Home care for cat flu Wipe their eyes and nose – to help your cat feel better, smell their food and breathe more easily, use a cotton wool pad soaked in warm water to wipe any discharge from their eyes and nose. Reduce stress – keep your cat’s life as stress-free as possible because stress can make illness worse.

How long does cat flu last?

What is cat flu and how is it managed? Cat flu is a general term for a highly contagious upper respiratory disease that affects cats and kittens. This disease is caused by one or more viruses including Feline Herpes Virus 1 (FHV1) and Feline Calicivirus (FVC).

  1. These viruses produces symptoms similar to the common cold in humans.
  2. Symptoms include sneezing, discharge from the eyes or nose, fever, breathing problems, coughing, fatigue and loss of appetite.
  3. Cats can also develop ulcers on the mouth or eyes.
  4. If the condition becomes severe and is not treated, it can cause permanent eye damage, pneumonia or even death.

Kittens and older cats are the worst affected due to lower immunity. Cat flu is generally spread by direct contact between cats (through saliva, tears or nasal discharge), but it can also be spread indirectly, such as via food bowls, bedding, litter trays or human hands.

It cannot be caught by humans or other animals. Affected cats can be severely debilitated. It is therefore vital that all kittens be vaccinated against the viruses that cause cat flu. Vaccination courses should start at 8 weeks of age, and booster vaccinations should be given as often as recommended by a veterinarian.

Kittens need to be kept indoors and away from other cats until they are fully protected. Vaccination can prevent disease or reduce the severity of symptoms in those cats who become ill. Any cats who are sick with cat flu must be isolated from other cats until they are fully recovered.

  • Their food bowls, litter trays and bedding must also be washed separately.
  • Recovery typically takes around two weeks.
  • As cat flu is caused by viruses, there is no direct cure, so treatment aims to relieve clinical signs until the immune system can clear the infection.
  • Supportive treatment can include pain medication, anti-viral medication, eye drops and antibiotics for any secondary bacterial infection.

Some cats need to be hospitalised and placed on an intravenous drip or given nutritional support if they stop eating and drinking. After recovering from cat flu, many cats will remain life-long carriers of the virus but will show no, or minimal, signs of the illness.

Cats who are life-long carriers can spread the virus to others, as they sometimes ‘shed’ the virus during periods of stress such as boarding or entering a shelter. If you suspect your cat has cat flu, seek veterinary advice. In addition to medications, you can help your cat recover with nursing care. Nursing care can include steam inhalation to assist with breathing (e.g.

via use of a humidifier), gentle bathing the eyes and nose with warm water to remove crusting and warming up strong smelling foods to tempt your cat to eat. : What is cat flu and how is it managed?

What are the first signs of cat flu?

You are here: Home Feature pages About Cat Flu

What is Cat Flu? Cat flu is a common illness, like a human cold, that affects the upper respiratory tract of cats. It can be caused by a number of infectious agents, including viruses and bacteria. It can cause a runny nose and eyes, and a sore throat.

  • Other symptoms include aches and pains in the muscles and joints, mouth ulcers, dribbling, sneezing, loss of voice and fever.
  • Cat flu is not usually serious in adult cats, however, all cats with symptoms of cat flu should see the vet.
  • With cat flu, eye ulcers are often found and, particularly in kittens, can progress to cause serious damage to the eye.

If your cat or kitten has a sore looking or partially closed eye, seek immediate veterinary attention. Unfortunately, cat flu still persists, despite the availability of vaccines. The cats most severely affected include the very young, the very old and those with a damaged immune system or other serious underlying illnesses.

In some cases, it can be serious, even fatal. However, in the majority of cases, cat flu can be recovered from and lived with, and flare ups can be treated, just like us humans when we have a cold and flu. What causes cat flu? Around 80% of cases of cat flu are caused by one of 2 viruses, Feline Herpesvirus (FHV) or Feline Calicivirus (FCV),

The viruses may both be present and once they have damaged the lining of an infected cat’s respiratory tract, the disease may be further complicated by additional bacterial infections. Other causes of cat flu include bacteria such as Chlamydophila Felis – previously known as Chlamydia – and Bordetella Bronchiseptica – the cause of kennel cough in dogs.

Once infected, cats shed virus particles in nasal and eye discharges and in saliva. Although ill cats are the biggest source of infection, some healthy cats are carriers of the viruses. ‘Carriers’ do not suffer from symptoms of the disease but they too can shed virus particles and infect other cats. Particles can survive for up to a week in the environment, so a cat does not even need to meet another to catch the illness.

It can easily be spread to other cats by contact with infected feed bowls or toys, or on people’s clothing after touching an infected cat.1. FHV (Feline Herpesvirus) Transmission The virus is spread by discharge from the nose/eyes and from saliva of an infected cat.

The virus can also survive in the environment and be passed on to other cats. It is a very common cause of cat flu. Symptoms Seen most commonly in kittens, symptoms include fever, sneezing, discharge from the eyes and nose, conjunctivitis and occasionally ulcers on the surface of the eye. Ulcers may also develop on the tongue.

Anorexia can be a problem, especially in kittens, leading to dehydration. If a pregnant cat becomes infected, this may result in pregnancy loss. Adult cats are less severely affected. An infected cat may not show any outward sign of illness, but can act as a ‘carrier’ cat, passing the infection on to others.

Treatment Once a cat has had feline herpes virus, it is infected for life and may suffer from flare ups (in the same way people with human herpes virus get recurrent cold sores), but the first infection is usually the most severe. Flare ups may occur after stress or illness, or if the cat is immuno-suppressed.

To treat the initial infection or subsequent future flare ups, keep the eyes and nose clear of discharge by gently bathing the eyes and nose (e.g. with cotton wool pads and water). Antibiotics may be given to prevent secondary bacterial infections, and eye drops may be given if conjunctivitis is present.2.

  1. FCV (Feline Calicivirus) Transmission The virus can by spread by direct contact with affected cats, or by air-borne spread, or contamination of the environment.
  2. Cats that recover can occasionally become carriers, and able to transmit the infection to other cats.
  3. Symptoms Its symptoms include fever, loss of appetite, discharge from the nose/eyes and sneezing.

It can also cause drooling and severe mouth ulcers. More severe strains can lead to pneumonia. Stress or illness can cause flare-ups of the virus. Treatment is supportive, bathing the cat’s face, encouraging feeding with soft food, and antibiotics to prevent secondary infection.

  1. Severely affected cats with mouth ulceration may need to go on a drip and be given pain killers.
  2. Vaccination prevents infection with some strains of feline calicivirus but not all.
  3. However, cats that do become infected generally have much milder symptoms than those that are unvaccinated.3.
  4. Chlamydophila Can produce a mild form of cat flu.

Discharge and redness of the eyes is a common feature of this infection.4. Bordetella Causes flu-like signs like those described above but may also progress to the chest, causing a serious infection and a relatively high death rate in kittens. Cats infected with Bordetella may develop a cough.

How is cat flu treated? Antibiotics may help because, just as with human flu, once the virus has damaged the delicate lining of the nose and airways, bacterial infections can enter and cause complications, such as pneumonia. Nursing care at home is important. A blocked nose and mouth ulcers may stop a cat eating and drinking, leading to dehydration, which can be particularly dangerous in kittens.

Because your cat may have lost its sense of smell and have a sore throat, sloppy, strong-smelling foods should be offered. Suggestions include sardines, pilchards, roast chicken, or a special diet available from vets. Mixing water with any normal food is a good idea too.

  • Cats that cannot eat may need to be hospitalised for treatment.
  • Encourage your cat to drink, as fluids help to loosen thick catarrhal secretions.
  • Wipe away discharges from the nose and eyes regularly using salt water (a teaspoonful of salt to a pint of water).
  • Steam inhalations help to loosen catarrh, so let the cat in the bathroom when you have a bath or shower.
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Can cat flu be prevented? There are lots of different strains of virus, and, just as with human flu, the vaccine is not effective against them all. Two doses of vaccine are needed initially, followed by regular boosters. You should consult your vet for details.

It is particularly important to remember that your cat will need to be fully up to date with vaccinations if they will be going to a boarding cattery when you are on holiday. Even vaccinated cats can become carriers without showing any symptoms and can infect other cats. Kittens initially get some immunity from their mothers but, as they get older, this fades and they become susceptible to the infection.

Infected mothers can infect their kittens without showing illness themselves. The kittens either get flu or become symptom-free carriers. It can take as long as two weeks for signs of flu to appear, so one reason for apparent vaccine “failures”, especially in kittens, may be that they are already infected at the time of vaccination.

  1. The vaccine, as with all vaccines, cannot prevent symptoms from occurring if the animal already has the infection at the time of vaccination.
  2. Can I catch cat flu from my cat? No! Humans cannot catch cat flu.
  3. I’m thinking about adopting a cat or kitten that has had cat flu – should I? Many cats have suffered from or are carriers of cat flu.

If a cat or kitten is ready for homing, it means it is well. As long as you are prepared to give your cat the supportive treatment required if you notice symptoms of cat flu, they can live normal, happy, long and healthy lives. Cat flu information sheet Cat flu – A fosterer’s perspective

What home remedy can I give my cat for sneezing?

At-Home Remedies – If your cat is suffering from a more mild case of sneezing, at-home remedies might do the trick. There are a few ways you can treat your cat’s sneezes right from home, such as:

Get rid of air fresheners or other scented products: Inhaling strong odors from air fresheners or scented products can cause a cat to develop a watery nose/eyes and can even lead to respiratory illnesses. Avoid toxic disinfectants: This includes many household cleaners, which can be dangerous to cats if inhaled or ingested. Use a vaporizer: A dry environment can cause sneezing and stuffiness in cats, so adding moisture to the air with a vaporizer can help to alleviate these symptoms. Feed them potent-smelling food: In order for a cat to naturally be able to fight off infections, they need to be healthy. And to be healthy, they need to eat. If your cat can’t smell they may be less inclined to eat, which is just going to exacerbate the problem. You can even try warming up their food to make the smell even more noticeable.

How To Treat Cat Flu At Home There are various ways to prevent your cat from sneezing by making simple adjustments in your home. Stop using air fresheners, perfumes, and scented laundry detergents and see if that makes a difference, and check for dust that could be exacerbating their allergies.

What is the best antibiotic for cat flu?

Diagnosis and treatment can be simplified by assessing whether the disease is in the acute or chronic state. The following article is the first in a three-part series summarizing information from the new guidelines on the use of antimicrobials in dogs and cats with respiratory tract disease.

These recommendations were developed by the Antimicrobial Guidelines Working Group of the International Society for Companion Animal Infectious Diseases. (Shutterstock)Overview Feline upper respiratory tract disease (URTD) can present with clinical signs that include serous or mucopurulent nasal discharge, sneezing, epistaxis and conjunctivitis.

The most common infectious causes of acute URTD in cats are feline herpesvirus 1 (FHV-1) or feline calicivirus (FCV), which can often be complicated by secondary bacterial infections caused by a variety of organisms. It is these secondary bacterial pathogens that are often the focus of treatment in cats with URTD.

  1. A thorough patient history should be obtained with particular attention paid to vaccination status; exposure to other cats; recent shelter, veterinary clinic or kennel exposure; recent environmental stressors; and contact with foreign bodies (such as house plants or grasses).
  2. Thoracic auscultation is performed to determine the presence of concurrent lower airway disease, and screening for feline leukemia and feline immunodeficiency viruses is recommended, given their detrimental impact on feline immunity.

The diagnosis and treatment of URTD in cats can be further simplified by categorizing the disease into acute or chronic form. Acute disease The clinical signs are considered acute if they have been present for 10 or fewer days. While nasal cytology and bacterial cultures are often performed, they are not recommended by the guideline authors because the results are difficult to interpret due to the presence of commensal organisms or false negative results.

The use of polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assays for Mycoplasma species, Chlamydia species, FHV-1 and FCV can also prove problematic because the diseases can be isolated from both healthy and diseased cats. Furthermore, recent vaccination can confound interpretation. In cats with acute URTD, the working group recommends no antimicrobial treatment be initiated during a 10-day observation period, unless the patient is exhibiting fever, lethargy or anorexia along with mucopurulent nasal discharge.

If antimicrobial therapy is indicated, the working group recommends empirical administration of doxycycline (5 mg/kg orally every 12 hours, or 10 mg/kg orally every 24 hours) for seven to 10 days. Doxycycline is recommended because of its broad spectrum of activity against common feline nasal pathogens and because it is well-tolerated by cats.

  • To counteract the potential for esophageal stricture, tablets and capsules should be given coated with a lubricating substance, followed by water; administered in a pill treat, along with at least 2 ml of a liquid; or followed by a small amount of food.
  • If Chlamydophila felis or Mycoplasma species are not highly suspected, amoxicillin can be an alternate choice (22 mg/kg orally every 12 hours).

The guideline authors thought that there is not enough evidence to support the use of cefovecin in this setting. For cats with acute disease that does not respond to antimicrobial therapy within 10 days or cats with recurrent infections, a more extensive diagnostic workup is recommended.

  • Administration of an alternate antibiotic with a different antibacterial spectrum should be considered only if owners decline further workup and a bacterial cause is still suspected.
  • Chronic disease Cats with URTD that has been present for more than 10 days are considered to have chronic disease.
  • For these patients, the guideline authors recommend a more extensive workup and referral to a specialist for advanced imaging or rhinoscopy and biopsy to look for possible nonbacterial issues (e.g.

parasites, foreign bodies or fungal disease). Antimicrobial selection and use in these patients should be guided by bacterial culture and antimicrobial sensitivity testing of nasal tissue samples. The empiric use of fluoroquinolones and third-generation cephalosporins should be avoided because of the emergence of bacterial resistance.

The guideline authors caution, however, that nasal cultures can be difficult to interpret since many types of bacteria can be cultured from the nose of a healthy cat as well as an ill cat. Use of azithromycin should be reserved for patients in which chlamydiosis is not considered likely and when other drugs (e.g.

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doxycycline and amoxicillin) are not viable options. Although the optimal duration of therapy is unknown, the work group recommends continuing treatment for a minimum of seven days and for at least one week past clinical resolution or disease plateau.

  • For cats with chronic, recurrent signs of upper respiratory tract disease, the guideline authors recommend use of the previously effective antimicrobial, but avoid repeated regular empirical treatment.
  • If treatment is ineffective after 48 hours of therapy, a switch to an antimicrobial in a different drug class should be considered.

If therapy is still ineffective, bacterial culture and antimicrobial sensitivity testing is recommended. Table: First-line antimicrobial options Type of infection First-line drug options Feline acute bacterial upper respiratory infection (URI) Doxycycline: 5 mg/kg PO every 12 hours, or 10 mg/kg PO every 24 hours or Amoxicillin: 22 mg/kg PO every 12 hours Feline chronic bacterial URI Doxycycline: 5 mg/kg PO every 12 hours, or 10 mg/kg PO every 24 hours or Amoxicillin: 22 mg/kg PO every 12 hours *** Choice should be based on culture and antimicrobial susceptibility testing if available Lappin MR, Blondeau J, Boothe D, et al.

Can cat flu pass to humans?

How can a person catch a flu virus from a cat? – Generally, a person can get infected with a flu virus when enough of the virus gets into their eyes, nose or mouth, or is inhaled (from droplets or possibly dust containing the virus). People can potentially get flu from a sick cat by touching virus-containing secretions from the cat and then touching their eyes, nose or mouth.

Can cats survive cat flu?

How To Prevent Cat Flu – Since upper respiratory infections are highly contagious, it’s hard to prevent them from spreading. It is best to keep a new cat away from other cats in your house for two weeks to reduce spread of diseases. If one of your cats develops cat flu, keep them quarantined until the symptoms clear. 1 “Does My Cat Have Cat Flu?” Blue Cross. https://www.bluecross.org.uk/pet-advice/cat-flu 2 “What Is Cat Flu And How Is It Managed?” RSPCA Knowledge Base. https://kb.rspca.org.au/knowledge-base/what-is-cat-flu-and-how-is-it-ma,3 “Treating Upper Respiratory Infections in Cats.” PetMD.

Https://www.petmd.com/cat/conditions/respiratory/treating-upper-respira,4 “Treating Upper Respiratory Infections in Cats.” PetMD. https://www.petmd.com/cat/conditions/respiratory/treating-upper-respira,5 “What Is Cat Flu And How Is It Managed?” RSPCA Knowledge Base. https://kb.rspca.org.au/knowledge-base/what-is-cat-flu-and-how-is-it-ma,6 “Cat Flu – Upper Respiratory Infection.” International Cat Care.

https://icatcare.org/advice/cat-flu-upper-respiratory-infection/,7 Laura Playforth, MSc. “Cat Flu: Why Is My Cat Sneezing?” Vets Now. https://www.vets-now.com/pet-care-advice/cat-flu-sneezing/,8 “Cat Flu – Upper Respiratory Infection.” International Cat Care.

Why do cats get cat flu?

What Are The Signs Of Cat Flu | Greencross Vets Feline respiratory disease (also referred to as cat flu), is a common disease seen in unvaccinated cats. It can affect cats of all ages but tends to be particularly severe in kittens, with old and immuno-compromised cats and some purebreds being at a higher risk for contracting it.

  • Cat flu is highly contagious and can spread from one feline friend to another via discharge from the eyes, nose and mouth.
  • Contaminated food or water bowls can also be a source of the spread of disease.
  • There are several viruses responsible for cat flu, however, the majority of cases will be caused by one of two viruses, Feline Herpes Virus 1 (FHV-1) and Feline Calicivirus (FCV).

These viruses are both covered by the core F3 cat vaccines that all vaccinated cats receive, providing protection against them. How To Treat Cat Flu At Home

How can I treat my cats cold without going to the vet?

Cat Colds FAQs – How can I treat my cat’s cold at home? As long as your cat is still able to perform her essential daily functions (eat, drink, urinate, and defecate normally) then you can help her recover by using steam therapy from a hot shower, adding a humidifier if your air is dry, and reducing stress at home.

  1. How do indoor cats get colds? Most cats are exposed to the feline herpesvirus or feline calicivirus when they are very young or by being housed in a shelter with other cats.
  2. Both viruses will stay in a cat’s system for life after they are exposed, meaning that the majority of the time cats will appear healthy but may start to show symptoms of a cold after times of stress.

Do cats get cold easily? Yes, most cat colds are caused by the feline herpesvirus and feline calicivirus. Both are very contagious and easily transmitted between cats. Does lysine help cats with colds? Lysine may reduce the severity of the symptoms a cat experiences due to the herpesvirus by interfering with viral replication.

What human medicine can you give a cat for a cold?

Examples of Human Medicine Used for Pets – Many cold medications contain a pain reliever such as acetaminophen (Tylenol) or ibuprofen (Motrin or Advil). These medications are toxic to some animals and are rarely used in dogs and cats. For example, acetaminophen cannot be broken down effectively in cats.

This causes toxic substances to form which attach to liver cells and destroy them. These substances can also alter blood cells so they no longer carry oxygen to the body. Ibuprofen can cause ulcers and/or holes to form in the stomach or small intestine and may cause kidney damage in dogs. Cats are even more sensitive to this drug.

Cough medications such as dextromethorphan (Robitussin) and guaifenesin (Mucinex) are sometimes used in pets, but should only be used as recommended by your vet. Coughing, sneezing, or a runny nose may not always indicate a “cold.” While dogs and cats can get colds (not contagious to us), there are many possible causes of these symptoms.

Other viral, bacterial, or fungal infections are possible and may require antibiotics or antifungals. Environmental allergies can also impact pets and may require antihistamine drugs. More serious infections such as pneumonia, tuberculosis, valley fever (in the US southwest), and kennel cough (in exposed animals) can also cause these symptoms.

Your vet can help you determine which medication is right for your pet. In the meantime, you can help your furry friend (and yourself) by providing lots of water to drink and placing a humidifier near bedding or allowing her/him to stand in a steamy (but not too hot) bathroom to try and relieve congestion.

Richardson J. (2000). Management of Acetaminophen and Ibuprofen Toxicoses in Dogs and Cats. J Veter Emer Crit Care.285-291.

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What is the fastest way to get rid of a upper respiratory infection in cats?

Treating Upper Respiratory Infections in Cats – Thankfully, many times URI cases have generally mild signs that will resolve on their own over time (much like if you caught the common cold). However, if your cat has colored eye or nasal discharge, your vet may prescribe antibiotics, either orally or in a topical eye.

  • If your cat is not responding, then your vet will change medications as indicated to appropriately treat the infection.
  • If your cat only has mild sneezing or clear eye discharge, your vet may not recommend needing to use antibiotics.
  • Most cats with upper respiratory infections can be treated at home.
  • If they are congested, providing humidification through steam treatment two to three times per day will help loosen secretions.

You can easily provide steam treatment by shutting your cat in the bathroom for 10 to 15 minutes and turning the shower on hot so that it produces a lot of steam. If your cat is experiencing nasal or eye discharge, gently clean it up using a warm, moist hand towel.

  1. When cats have upper respiratory infections, they may not have much of an appetite.
  2. Providing your cat with extra delicious canned food during this time is a good way to care for your cat.
  3. Canned food can be warmed up to increase the aroma, and has the added bonus of providing more moisture to your cat.

If your cat still won’t eat for more than a day or two, talk to your veterinarian about appetite stimulants. If a cat is dehydrated, fluid therapy in the form of or intravenous fluids may be recommended. Some cats are so sick that they must be hospitalized, but you can avoid this by seeking veterinary attention as soon as possible if your cat displays signs of a URI.

However, keep in mind that URI infections are highly contagious between animals. Thus, you should notify your vet prior to arriving if you suspect your cat has a URI, so they can take necessary precautions to keep other animals at the hospital safe, especially those that may have a compromised immune system.

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Keep your cat away from any cats that display signs of upper respiratory infection, and keep your cat up-to-date on vaccinations, which protect against several infectious causes of feline upper respiratory infections. Dr. Sarah Wooten A 2002 graduate of UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine, Dr. Sarah Wooten is a well-known international speaker in the veterinary and animal health care spaces. She has 10 years experience in public speaking and media work, and writes for a large number of online and print animal health publications, such as chewy.com, petMD, Vetstreet, Hill’s Education Blog, and DVM360 print and online publications, Healthy Pet Magazine, and the Bark.

  • Dr. Wooten has spoken in the veterinary education space for 5 years, and speaks on leadership, client communication, and personal development. Dr.
  • Wooten is also a certified veterinary journalist, a member of the AVMA, and has 16 years experience in small animal veterinary practice.
  • In addition to being a speaker, author, veterinarian, and co-creator of the wildly popular card game ‘Vets Against Insanity’, she co-owns Elevated Eateries Restaurant group in Greeley with her husband of 21 years, and together they are raising 3 slightly feral mini-humans.

When it is time to play, she can be found skiing in Colorado, diving with sharks in the Caribbean, or training kenpo karate in her local dojo. Go big.or go home. : Upper Respiratory Infection in a Cat: Is It Serious?

How can I treat my cats upper respiratory infection without antibiotics?

‘Most cats with an uncomplicated upper respiratory infection can be treated symptomatically at home.’ Cats with nasal or airway congestion may benefit from increased environmental humidification, such as being taken into a steamy bathroom for 10-15 minutes several times per day.

What is the best antibiotic for cat flu?

Diagnosis and treatment can be simplified by assessing whether the disease is in the acute or chronic state. The following article is the first in a three-part series summarizing information from the new guidelines on the use of antimicrobials in dogs and cats with respiratory tract disease.

These recommendations were developed by the Antimicrobial Guidelines Working Group of the International Society for Companion Animal Infectious Diseases. (Shutterstock)Overview Feline upper respiratory tract disease (URTD) can present with clinical signs that include serous or mucopurulent nasal discharge, sneezing, epistaxis and conjunctivitis.

The most common infectious causes of acute URTD in cats are feline herpesvirus 1 (FHV-1) or feline calicivirus (FCV), which can often be complicated by secondary bacterial infections caused by a variety of organisms. It is these secondary bacterial pathogens that are often the focus of treatment in cats with URTD.

A thorough patient history should be obtained with particular attention paid to vaccination status; exposure to other cats; recent shelter, veterinary clinic or kennel exposure; recent environmental stressors; and contact with foreign bodies (such as house plants or grasses). Thoracic auscultation is performed to determine the presence of concurrent lower airway disease, and screening for feline leukemia and feline immunodeficiency viruses is recommended, given their detrimental impact on feline immunity.

The diagnosis and treatment of URTD in cats can be further simplified by categorizing the disease into acute or chronic form. Acute disease The clinical signs are considered acute if they have been present for 10 or fewer days. While nasal cytology and bacterial cultures are often performed, they are not recommended by the guideline authors because the results are difficult to interpret due to the presence of commensal organisms or false negative results.

  1. The use of polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assays for Mycoplasma species, Chlamydia species, FHV-1 and FCV can also prove problematic because the diseases can be isolated from both healthy and diseased cats.
  2. Furthermore, recent vaccination can confound interpretation.
  3. In cats with acute URTD, the working group recommends no antimicrobial treatment be initiated during a 10-day observation period, unless the patient is exhibiting fever, lethargy or anorexia along with mucopurulent nasal discharge.

If antimicrobial therapy is indicated, the working group recommends empirical administration of doxycycline (5 mg/kg orally every 12 hours, or 10 mg/kg orally every 24 hours) for seven to 10 days. Doxycycline is recommended because of its broad spectrum of activity against common feline nasal pathogens and because it is well-tolerated by cats.

  1. To counteract the potential for esophageal stricture, tablets and capsules should be given coated with a lubricating substance, followed by water; administered in a pill treat, along with at least 2 ml of a liquid; or followed by a small amount of food.
  2. If Chlamydophila felis or Mycoplasma species are not highly suspected, amoxicillin can be an alternate choice (22 mg/kg orally every 12 hours).

The guideline authors thought that there is not enough evidence to support the use of cefovecin in this setting. For cats with acute disease that does not respond to antimicrobial therapy within 10 days or cats with recurrent infections, a more extensive diagnostic workup is recommended.

  1. Administration of an alternate antibiotic with a different antibacterial spectrum should be considered only if owners decline further workup and a bacterial cause is still suspected.
  2. Chronic disease Cats with URTD that has been present for more than 10 days are considered to have chronic disease.
  3. For these patients, the guideline authors recommend a more extensive workup and referral to a specialist for advanced imaging or rhinoscopy and biopsy to look for possible nonbacterial issues (e.g.

parasites, foreign bodies or fungal disease). Antimicrobial selection and use in these patients should be guided by bacterial culture and antimicrobial sensitivity testing of nasal tissue samples. The empiric use of fluoroquinolones and third-generation cephalosporins should be avoided because of the emergence of bacterial resistance.

  1. The guideline authors caution, however, that nasal cultures can be difficult to interpret since many types of bacteria can be cultured from the nose of a healthy cat as well as an ill cat.
  2. Use of azithromycin should be reserved for patients in which chlamydiosis is not considered likely and when other drugs (e.g.

doxycycline and amoxicillin) are not viable options. Although the optimal duration of therapy is unknown, the work group recommends continuing treatment for a minimum of seven days and for at least one week past clinical resolution or disease plateau.

For cats with chronic, recurrent signs of upper respiratory tract disease, the guideline authors recommend use of the previously effective antimicrobial, but avoid repeated regular empirical treatment. If treatment is ineffective after 48 hours of therapy, a switch to an antimicrobial in a different drug class should be considered.

If therapy is still ineffective, bacterial culture and antimicrobial sensitivity testing is recommended. Table: First-line antimicrobial options Type of infection First-line drug options Feline acute bacterial upper respiratory infection (URI) Doxycycline: 5 mg/kg PO every 12 hours, or 10 mg/kg PO every 24 hours or Amoxicillin: 22 mg/kg PO every 12 hours Feline chronic bacterial URI Doxycycline: 5 mg/kg PO every 12 hours, or 10 mg/kg PO every 24 hours or Amoxicillin: 22 mg/kg PO every 12 hours *** Choice should be based on culture and antimicrobial susceptibility testing if available Lappin MR, Blondeau J, Boothe D, et al.

How did my indoor cat get cat flu?

Cats can be infected with influenza viruses, including avian influenza viruses, and can spread influenza viruses to each other (cat-to-cat). Influenza in cats is thought to spread the same way that human flu spreads: through direct contact (playing or sleeping together, licking, nuzzling); through the air (droplets made from coughing or sneezing, including nasal discharge); and via contaminated surfaces (such as shared food and water bowls, cage surfaces).

  1. Some scientific studies suggest that it is not uncommon for people to infect cats with seasonal influenza viruses.
  2. Less is known about the risk of an infected cat spreading flu to people.
  3. Influenza infection in cats has generally resulted in mild illness in cats.
  4. CDC believes that the risk of human infection with an influenza virus from an infected cats is low, but risk is probably dependent on the characteristics of the virus in question and the duration and intensity of exposure.

CDC has long-standing guidance for cat owners, including that people wash their hands with soap and running water after contact with cats, cat saliva or stool, and after cleaning a litter box. These precautions are even more important for people who are at high risk of serious flu complications, such as those who are being treated for cancer, or who have other chronic health conditions such as diabetes, heart disease, liver disease or kidney disease or women who are pregnant.