Cat flu symptoms are easily confused with other sicknesses and viruses that can cause your cat to have frequent sneezing fits.
Cat flu is a viral illness of the sinus cavities that commonly causes respiratory problems, nose discharges and heavy sneezing that can make your friend feel miserable.
It’s a common condition that is rarely fatal, except in very young kittens. However, the illness can cause considerable problems for infected felines, as the virus tends to persist in the system even after a visible recovery. Your cats symptoms can then re-occur throughout its life, especially during times of stress.
As an example, when they’re going to a kennel or a regular visit to the vet. Cats that carry the cat flu can also be infectious to others of their species.
Severely congested cats may refuse to eat, as they are totally unable to smell the food served to them. This can leave them in danger of becoming dehydrated and malnourished.
Another symptom of the cat flu is your cats breathing may become noisy with large amounts of nasal discharges that could also be diagnosed as sinusitis. Pets that are infected with the cat flu are frequently miserable and show a lack of energy.
Your cat may not participate in normal activities such as playing and investigating their surroundings or jumping in that empty box. They can also fiercely shake the head in an attempt to clear their nose. Nevertheless, a cat sneezing is fairly common and often caused by other issues besides the flu.
Cats can have a very sensitive mental state. When your little friend is showing behavior symptoms of any illness, they will more than likely withdraw and maybe even feel sorry for themselves at times.
Providing additional comfort for sick pets and letting them know you understand what they’re going through can help ease this condition. Typical symptoms of the feline flu aren’t an urgent problem unless they have refused food for several days or water for more than 24 hours.
In normal circumstances, a routine appointment should be made for a thorough examination. Make your vet aware of the specific cat flu symptoms you have noticed. Also check the vaccination record card to see when the last booster vaccination for the illness was received.
Vaccination Questions and Answers
Your cat should have an up-to-date vaccination record made out in their name and detailing the diseases that they have been protected against.
The most common vaccinations are for the cat flu, feline enteritis and feline leukemia. Your vaccination card should be stamped or signed and dated by the veterinary clinic outlining the exact dates of each vaccination.
If you acquire a cat, and he or she does not have a vaccination record you should not assume that the vaccination has been carried out.
Perhaps a vaccine was never given are only done so years ago. Although blood tests can be done to check immunity levels, they are expensive.
Most people are guided by their vets and decide to have a vaccination course repeated to ensure the vaccination protection is adequate for the long term.
If you have an indoor cat that never goes out or comes into contact with other felines, you could discuss the possibilities of less frequent vaccinations with your veterinarian.
However, keep in mind that your friend may have to enter a kennel or travel abroad and an up-to-date vaccine history will be required for these type of activities.
You also never know when your indoor pet will escape to explore the outdoors. Please visit our cat health questions page for more information on other feline ailments.
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