Domestic cats are susceptible to various viruses, which are a source of serious diseases. Example, coronavirus provokes the development of an inflammatory process in the peritoneum in cats. Peritonitis in cats is a dangerous disease, without timely treatment leads to the death of a furry pet.
Description and types of pathology
Infectious and viral peritonitis in cats - a disease, caused by coronaviruses, the pathogen is transmitted orally (through feces) or airborne, and from the mother's placenta to the kitten in her womb. The most vulnerable group includes stray animals, residents of nurseries and special hotels. The maximum probability of infection exists against the background of weakened immunity.
Peritonitis in cats is acute or chronic. The last stage is divided into wet (with exudate) and dry species. Wet appearance is characterized by abundant accumulation of fluid in the peritoneum, at dry peritonitis granulomas or nodules are formed.
Causes of peritonitis in cats
Infectious peritonitis in cats is considered a relatively young pathological process. Kittens and young individuals up to two years of age are most often prone to it, or elderly pets, whose age has passed the mark in 10 years. But fluffy middle-aged animals do not get sick with peritonitis.
The causes of infection can be:
- Eating coronavirus-infected food.
- Accidental entry of feces of a sick cat into the body of a healthy one.
- Entering an infection during surgery.
- Early weaning of a kitten from its mother.
- Contact with other animals.
in addition, infection is present in unsanitary conditions, and coronaviruses are transmitted through the air by inhalation.
Peritonitis in cats is a dangerous disease, without timely treatment leads to the death of a furry pet. Source: Flickr (Regina1)
signs of illness
Viral peritonitis of cats has quite pronounced symptoms. In small kittens, the disease begins with vomiting, further diarrhea is observed. Interesting, that through 3 day all the signs in small cats disappear, however, individuals themselves become carriers of the virus. In the absence of timely treatment, a pet may die, if the pathogen is suppressed by immune cells, then the cat recovers.
The main symptoms:
- Vomiting and diarrhea.
- Refusal to eat.
- Rapid weight loss, especially noticeable weight loss in the lower back.
- Pain on palpation of the abdominal cavity.
- Jaundice and anemia, if the mucous membranes were affected.
- Hypochondria.
- Fever and fever.
- Disorders of the central nervous system: convulsions, imbalance of coordination, in severe cases - paralysis.
- Blurred eyes.
- Enlarged lymph nodes.
- Conjunctivitis.
Also in the wet form of the disease in cats increases the volume of the abdomen due to the accumulation of fluid in the abdominal cavity. If fluid accumulates in the heart bag, then the heart rate is lost, accumulated fluid in the chest causes coughing and shortness of breath, may develop pleurisy.
With the dry variant of inflammation, the symptoms appear, characteristic of intestinal lesions, liver and kidneys, there are violations of the chair and ??urination.
treatment of the disease
Treatment for viral peritonitis in cats has not been developed, this pathology progresses rapidly, and in the wet form inevitably leads to death. If you start timely symptomatic therapy and adjuvant methods to maintain good health, then you can significantly alleviate the condition of the pet and prolong his life. In cases, when even maintenance therapy is useless, animals are put to sleep.
Treatment of peritonitis in cats in the early stages is to take steroid hormones, which suppress immunity, preventing the development of symptoms and improving the overall well-being of the furry pet.
The veterinarian may prescribe other groups of drugs, namely:
- immune correctors;
- antibacterial drugs;
- vitamins;
- serum.
In addition to drug therapy, also of great importance is the nutrition of a sick cat, which is selected taking into account the course of the disease and the animal's body.
With exudative form, the condition can be alleviated with a puncture, to reduce pain, apply cold objects to the abdomen of a four-legged friend.
preventive measures
Prevention of the inflammatory process plays a huge role. To avoid its development, you need to monitor the condition of the cat toilet, wash the tray regularly, to do disinfection, change the filler. If the house contains several members of the feline family, then each of them must have a separate tray.
In the kennel, the kittens are isolated with their mother 3 months. If the mother cat is infected with coronaviruses, then the babies are transferred to artificial feeding.
It is important to monitor the quality of food and cleanliness of the place, where the animal eats. Bowls must be washed, periodically replacing them with new ones.
Peritonitis is a dangerous and practically incurable disease, its treatment is based only on maintaining the satisfactory health of the pet. If you follow the basic rules of prevention, the inflammatory process is not terrible.