Does My Kitten Have Parvo

It is one of the deadliest viruses to cats.

Does my kitten have parvo. It is highly contagious and cats should be vaccinated as kittens and have booster shots every year. They can also get it from contact with an infected cat s urine feces and nose secretions. Feline parvovirus does not affect humans but you must adhere to hygiene measures in order to eliminate the virus from the environment. Kittens are most severely affected by the virus.

With blood work the white blood cell or platelet count will be checked to ensure levels aren t too low. The names feline distemper and feline parvo should not be confused with canine distemper or canine parvo although their names are similar they are caused by different viruses. Kittens are more susceptible to parvo especially if exposed to an infected animal such as their mother. It is actually a virus called panleukopenia but is sometimes called feline parvo because the symptoms are similar to the symptoms of canine parvo virus.

Like many viruses parvo in cats has different strains varying in deadliness. Swollen lymph nodes can be a sign that something is wrong as well as a swollen and painful abdomen. The parvo virus is tough. Cats can get parvo directly from contact with another cat who has it.

A veterinarian has a number of ways to check for parvo even if your cat or kitten is not displaying any symptoms. But parvo can also be transmitted by fleas that have fed off of an infected cat which is why it s very difficult to prevent your kitten from being exposed to this deadly disease. The best way to avoid infection is prevention. Feline panleukopenia fp is a highly contagious viral disease of cats caused by the feline parvovirus.

You should keep young sick or unvaccinated cats away from other cats or those who have had the disease a few months earlier. Once your cat has contracted fpv and lived to tell the tale it is unlikely that they will catch it again.