Cat disease making a comeback

Feline Panleukopaenia is a fatal, devastating viral disease infecting predominantly young unvaccinated cats ( under 1 year ). it lives and replicates in the lympoid tissue and bone marrow causing a depletion of white blood cells, destroying the cat's immunity.

The virus is transmitted between cats via faeces, saliva and vomit. It can be hardy and can live in the environment for over 1 year so isolation from other cats deos not necessarily mean a cat is safe. It can potentially be walked in to the house on shoes so indoor only cats can potentially get exposed to it.

Most commonly unvaccinated cats under 6 months are affected however any unvaccinated cat is susceptible. In the early stages of the disease we see fever, lethargy, anorexia, vomiting or diarrhoea however sometimes cats can die without any symptoms at all. It is usually a fatal condition.

Up until recently this has been well controlled through regular vaccinations and the disease was rarely seen. However in 2014 we saw the first major outbreak in Mildura and Melbourne, and since then we have had regular seasonal reccurence of the disease. This year there have already been multiple reported outbreaks in NSW and Victoria. It is therefore more important now than ever before that we ensure our feline friends are fully protected and upto date with their current vaccinations.

Fortunately the F3 vaccine we use are protective for this strain of virus. Kittens should have their vaccines from 6-8 weeks then repeated every 4 weeks until at least 16 weeks of age. Adults should be checked and boosted evey 12 months of age

Please do not hesitated to contact us on 9568 2211 if you have and questions or concerns about Panleukopaenia virus or the vaccination status of your pets.