# Distemper ?????



## jcp (Sep 7, 2009)

I had a kitten here for about a month, and we had to put her down last week because she got very ill from panleukopedia distemper (not too sure on the spelling), and was going to die . now, one of the foster kittens we had has just went into the vet yesterday and they have found he has the same thing, and he is dying. What happened was the vet tested the foster(mouse) negative, so the agency brought us another foster kitten(cheese). yesterday, we noticed mouse was acting very off, and a lot like our little kitten who just died from distemper, so we got him into the vet. His test results were "mistaken" as I am told, and he does have distemper, and is going to die. Now, we have to wonder whats going to happen to cheese, because he has been exposed to the distemper..not to mention we have a cat of our own, who is 5 years old (approx). 

(my understanding is that it lives everywhere in your home from you clothes to your upholstery for a few years?)

I am wondering if anyone here has ever experienced panleukopedia distemper(again, sorry on the spelling if it is wrong)?? I was also told this is the same thing as parvo. 

I have been reading about it and it sounds extremely hard to disinfect a house after being exposed. I read that one thing said you can have someone come in and gas your home with formildahyde gas (i guess this is the only thing besides bleach that can kill the virus..??) has anyone ever done this? or is there something else i can do? i am worried sick about my cat, and this foster kitten


----------



## RachandNito (Nov 21, 2008)

I'm currently in vet school, and I just had a whole lecture on this disease last week. I'll try my best to help you out...

Feline Panleukopenia Virus (feline distemper or FPV) is caused by a virus very similar to (but not that same as) the one that causes parvovirus disease in dogs. It is very hardy, and can survive in an environment for years at room temperature. It can also survive well in lower temperatures as well, and it is not killed by many of the common disinfectants. Contact with a bleach solution of one part bleach to 32 parts water for 10 minutes will inactivate the virus.

It is extremely widespread in nature- nearly all cats are exposed to it within their first year of life. It is also EXTREMELY contagious. It is transmitted when a susceptible cat comes into contact with the feces or urine of a diseased cat. Infected cats still pass the virus in their urine and feces up to 6 weeks after they recover. FPV can also be spread by contaminated items touched by the paws of cats who have just been in the litter box. Water dishes, clothing, shoes, hands, bedding- anywhere the cat's paws can touch can be a fomite for the virus. It is also passed from the queen to her kits inside the womb. On top of it all, it is also spread by fleas.

Symptoms include: fever, vomiting, loose stool/diarrhea (sometimes containing blood), and severe seizures. FPV in young kittens is almost always fatal  especially if they are not vaccinated. Young unvaccinated cats (3-5 months) can also become seriously ill from the virus. Many older cats who are exposed do not show symptoms. The incubation periods of the virus (time from exposure to development of symptoms) is 4-5 days. The onset of symptoms is sudden, with spiking temperatures and loss of appetite and depression. Dehydration can also occur, followed by hypothermia that can cause cats to become weak or even comatose. Cats who survive the symptoms for longer than 5 days will usually survive, but complete recovery takes several weeks.

Treatment is basically supportive- the vet will give SQ or IV (under the skin or into the veins) fluids to ease the dehydration. Blood transfusions may be needed in severe cases. Medication can stop the vomiting, and antibiotics can help protect against secondary infections. 

FPV *can* be prevented! It is extremely important to get your kitten vaccinated against the disease. The vaccinations are made from the killed virus and are given usually in a series of intervals. A kitten will need at least 2 injections, and they are not really protected until 3-7 days after the 2nd vaccination. A third is usually given just to be safe. Modified live vaccines produce more rapid and effective immunity but a series of at least 2 of them, spaced 2-4 weeks apart should still be given. Pregnant cats and kittens under 4 weeks should never be given a modified live vaccine due to the risk of abortion or brain damage to the kittens. 

An environment exposed to FPV should be considered contaminated. A 1:32 dilution of household bleach should be used to disinfect as much of the house as possible. Floors, dishes, litter boxes, cages, and other items the cats come in contact with should be disinfected. Remember, the virus can last for years in the environment, even with careful disinfecting. A kitten should NEVER enter the contaminated environment until a week after they have completed their vaccination series.

So, I would recommend you get all the cats vaccinated ASAP. If Cheese is not vaccinated yet, I think he should be removed from the environment to get his shots before being reintroduced. Your 5 year old has almost definitely been exposed to the virus at this point. But it is not as big a risk for older cats. If the adult is not yet vaccinated, do so ASAP.

Good luck, and I am so sorry about your two sick kittens. FPV is a horrible, horrible disease and it's so hard to see the little ones suffer


----------



## jcp (Sep 7, 2009)

Thank you so much, we have read a lot of that, but coming from you, now we know what is true and was isnt true. 

The weird thing is, all of the kittens were vaccinated, no one can understand how this happened. we adopted our kitten, and she had been vaccinated at about 8 ish weeks, and then a couple weeks after we got her.. so probably about 11 weeks, she started showing the signs (which come on very suddenly and FAST unfortunately). and then the foster (mouse) just started showing them yesterday, and he had been vaccinated when he was younger as well. I am pretty sure my adult cat had been vaccinated, we got him from a shelter as well. We got cheese vaccinated today, i am unsure if he had previously been vaccinated.. (is that part of the normal shots they get when they are young?) but we did get him in for the shot today. Hopefully he can fight this, I would hate to lose another one... one is enough  i miss her so much. its so unfair this happened to them. 

I was reading that this virus can live in upholstry, like curtains? is that true?


----------



## RachandNito (Nov 21, 2008)

yes, the virus can live almost anywhere their paws can touch. It is good to get the last kitten vaccinated again, just to be sure. Do you have papers that prove he was vaccinated before? if not, it's safe to assume they possible were not vaccinated at all. Do you know if they had a killed vs a modified live vaccine? You might talk to your vet about the latter- it can be much more effective at providing immunity. Your adult cat may have been vaccinated at the shelter, but cats might require boosters every so often.


----------

