| Feline Panleukopenia or Feline Distemper is a serious | | | | shuts down production of body's protective white |
| disease that occur in cats. It is also known as Feline | | | | blood cells (panleukopenia). The result is a |
| Distemper. The illness is caused by a Parvovirus that | | | | catastrophic decline in body's defensive abilities that |
| is present everywhere in the environment and has | | | | often leads to mortality through secondary bacterial |
| been recorded in many countries. As such most cats | | | | infection. |
| are exposed to the pathogen to varying degrees. | | | | Next the virus moves to the intestines where it |
| However, the disease only takes hold in cats with | | | | destroys the protective gut lining, again exposing the |
| weakened immunity. | | | | cat to infection as well as causing life threatening |
| Most cat owners are unaware of Feline Panleukopenia | | | | diarrhea. Since there is no medicinal cure, the virus |
| since kittens are routinely immunized against it as part | | | | completes its natural cycle of progression until either |
| of the standard vaccination regimen. The disease | | | | the victim succumbs or recovers enough to combat |
| thus appears in feral, abandoned and other stray | | | | it. The virus, however, stays in the animal for several |
| felines that have not received adequate protection. | | | | weeks and is capable of spreading to other felines |
| Once the illness takes hold, it is deadly - killing up to | | | | even after there are no residual signs of illness in the |
| nine out of every ten individuals. No cure exists apart | | | | originally infected cat. |
| from dietary support and loving care. If the cat is | | | | Examination of infected cats reveals high fever, |
| able to pull through the acute phase lasting the first | | | | dehydration and lymphadenopathy. Blood picture |
| week, it is likely to survive and develop complete | | | | reveals a universal reduction in leukocyte (white blood |
| future immunity against the illness. | | | | cell) count. Therapeutic options are mainly limited and |
| Feline Panleukopenia is quite a contagious disease and | | | | supportive, comprising mainly of fluid infusion and |
| spreads readily through bodily secretions and fecal | | | | antibiotic prophylaxis to protect against opportunistic |
| route. Often numerous cats in shelters and other | | | | infections. In pregnant cats even a mild infection may |
| crowded settings catch the infection. The virus | | | | lead to abortion or cerebellar hypoplasia in kittens. |
| spreads through the body's lymphatic system upon | | | | The author is a blogger about cats and an expert on |
| entry and rapidly enters the bone marrow where it | | | | Feline Panleukopenia. |