Fecal test for coronavirus in cats. Coronavirus in cats: ways of infection, symptoms and possible treatment

Disease Definition

Feline Viral Peritonitis (FIP) is a subacute or chronic viral disease of wild and domestic cats caused by one of the feline RNA coronoviruses.

Occurrence

It is found all over the planet. All types of wild and domestic cats get sick. More common in kennels and other crowded cats. Of domestic cats - purebred get sick more often than outbred. The disease does not choose sex and age.

epizootology

There are many types of coronaviruses, but some cause disease and some don't. Most coronaviruses cause only short-term diarrhea in kittens. Other coronaviruses cause dangerous and often fatal diseases. Unfortunately, it is not currently possible to determine whether a cat is infected with a practically harmless coronavirus or a deadly one that causes FIP.

Cat coronoviruses are usually divided into two groups according to the degree of pathogenicity of the strains.

• Highly pathogenic strains are Feline Infectious Peritonitis Virus (FIPV).
• Strains that cause mild enteritis or are generally safe for health are feline intestinal coronoviruses (FECVs).

Both groups of strains are considered a single population of viruses, but with varying degrees pathogenicity. However, FIPK has been found to be a mutation of TSVK that occurs spontaneously in cats during the course of the disease (Pedersen, 1981). Under natural conditions, the main route of transmission of the virus is considered oral. There is also evidence of the possibility of transplacental infection (Pederson, 1987). Upon oral infection, virus replication occurs primarily in the tonsils and small intestine. The causative agent of coronavirus enteritis directly affects the intestines, which can be manifested by mild diarrhea, but more often it is asymptomatic. Undoubtedly, all strains of feline coronovirus are very closely related and theirs, but with the help of monoclonal antibodies, it is possible to differentiate between FPV and TLCC (Fiscu & Teramoto 1987).

Cats become infected through the nose and through the mouth, i.e. faeces of sick animals, through saliva, through household items, it has been proven that kittens are infected through the mother when passing through the birth canal. The introduction of the virus into the body of a cat occurs in the nasopharynx and at the tips of the villi of the epithelium. This is how the coronavirus infection occurs. For unknown reasons, a simple coronavirus begins to mutate into a dangerous one, causing viral peritonitis in a cat. At what point this event occurs, for what reasons this transformation occurs - no one knows yet. Therefore, there is no reliable way to protect a cat from FIP.

The causative agent of coronavirus infection

Coronaviruses are common pathogens serious illnesses and are closely related strains of the same virus.

According to the Baltimore Classification of Viruses, the causative agent of coronavirus infection IV: : (+)ss RNA viruses Coronaviridae.
And what is their a large number of!

The coronavirus family includes the following viruses:

• chicken infectious bronchitis (IBK)
• porcine infectious gastroenteritis (IGI)
• neonatal calf diarrhea coronavirus (NVT)
• turkey bluish disease virus (CBV)
• canine coronavirus (CBC)
• feline coronavirus enteritis (CVIE) and how it is modified
• feline coronavirus peritonitis (FCP)

From this list, we are only interested in:

Feline enteric coronavirus (FECV) and feline infectious peritonitis virus (FIPV)

FECV (feline enteritis)

Mainly affects mucosal cells small intestine cats and cause diarrhoea. Kittens aged after one - two months are especially susceptible to the virus. The disease usually begins with vomiting, and then turns into diarrhea, which lasts 2-4 days, after which recovery is observed. However, the animals remain carriers of the virus for a long time, which is excreted in the faeces and easily infects other kittens if they use the same toilet. Although this is a very common and frequent disease of kittens, it is not so dangerous as to attract much attention.

Infectious peritonitis (FIPV)

Occurs unexpectedly and as if spontaneously in kittens and young animals. In contrast to the disease described above, this disease almost inevitably ends in death.
The virus infects macrophages (white blood cells, they are also leukocytes, they are cells that carry out immune surveillance), destroying them and thereby opening the way for infection in the tissues.

How does it happen? And why is the disease almost always fatal?

Let's try to figure it out. Someone might be interested in this. Follow my thought.

The pathogenesis of the disease (This is the most difficult!!!)

The virus entered the body through the nasopharynx. He could manifest himself by hitting the epithelium of the gastrointestinal tract (gastrointestinal intestinal tract). The virus could be in the body for some time, not manifesting itself in any way, from a very short to a very long time. But something happened. For unknown reasons, the virus mutated; reborn and began to show its highly pathogenic properties.

A deadly fight begins. Who will win. On the field of action, we have an attacking virus on the one hand, on the other hand T-cells (macrophages) and their helpers B-cells (lymphocytes) This is the so-called T-cell and B-cell immunity, the main defenders of the body. In the cat's body, a viral attack is going on against the cells of the immune system. Macrophages are very actively devouring viruses, but their strength is depleted, they shout "guard, help !!!" and then very small, mobile, everywhere penetrating B-cells of the protective unit run to their aid. They are beginning to work hard to help large, clumsy macrophages destroy viruses. Cry for help - red Bone marrow begins to intensively produce T-cells and produces more and more of them.

BUT!!! There is a terrible paradox of nature.

The virus, which was absorbed by the macrophage, took root in it, settled down well, fed on the reserves of this cell, destroyed it completely, left it and began to look for other cells in order to destroy everything there. But we have not forgotten that these T-cells (macrophages) are the first defenders of the cat's body, the first link of immunity, and when they die completely, the virus spreads everywhere.

The whole problem is that it is T-cells (macrophages) that are the main target of the virus. Macrophages captured by the virus can no longer issue orders to defensive units. The immune system is weakened. B-cells (lymphocytes) can not cope with the destruction of the virus. The immune system is completely weakened.

Viruses don't stop there. The hostilities between the viruses and the defenders continue in the blood and the virus thus spreads throughout the body. He especially likes to accumulate in places where there are many small blood vessels, and these are cells of the liver, spleen and others. If the immune system is weak, the virus destroys the blood vessels and through their smallest microtrauma, blood seeps into the cavity. The largest cavity is the abdominal cavity. The abdominal cavity is filled with fluid. There is ascites (dropsy). This is wet peritonitis. The course of wet peritonitis is transient.

If the immune system continues to actively resist constantly, the process drags on for a long time, so-called dry peritonitis occurs, i.e. the lungs, liver, nervous system, mucous membranes, conjunctiva are involved in the infectious process. Dry peritonitis continues for a long time. It is not immediately recognizable. Basically, all treatment is directed to its manifestations, and not to itself.

As a rule, in both manifestations of viral infectious peritonitis, death occurs.

Perhaps this is all about how the disease develops.

The same mechanism of disease development in feline viral leukemia, feline viral immunodeficiency. The main thing that happens in the body is death immune cells. That is why diseases are often considered similar to HIV - human viral immunodeficiency and its last stage AIDS - acquired immunodeficiency syndrome. The organism has no chance to survive. He is not protected by anything.

Diagnosis of coronavirus infection in cats

ICA method diagnostics (rapid test VetExpert) is very good to use when selling kittens, mating, and other cases. Just in execution. The owner can make them himself. This will save the breeder a lot of trouble. Examine the feces of the animal. This method allows you to identify clean and infected. This method is extremely important when selling a kitten. It can be performed directly in front of the buyer and this is the great value of this method!

PCR method(polymerase chain reaction). This method shows whether a cat has a virus or not. The disadvantage of this method is that it responds to titer up to 400 and therefore gives positive result. We hand over fresh feces to the laboratory and if the result is negative, we live in peace.
A positive result for the presence of coronavirus antibodies is not a definitive diagnosis of peritonitis. For a more accurate diagnosis, there is ELISA method. The blood is examined.

Tab. one Quantitative table of titers of coronavirus infection.

Symptoms of coronavirus infection

Classic exudative (wet) feline infectious peritonitis (FIP) is characterized by exudation of a sticky, straw-colored fluid into the peritoneal and pleural cavities. And therefore, most often the disease is noticed by a progressively swollen belly, against the background of an increased, fluctuating body temperature. This is the so-called "wet" form of FIP ("dropsy").

But there is (much less often) a "dry" form, when there are no external signs, and only an increased fluctuating temperature, lethargy, loss of appetite, and weight loss are observed. Non-exudative (dry) FIP is characterized by the manifestation of chronic granulomatosis of organs and systems. Both forms are unfortunately fatal. It is impossible to save sick animals.

Treatment

There is no effective treatment for viral peritonitis. Basically, treatment is aimed at concomitant manifestations of the disease - hepatonephropathy, damage to the lungs and heart, and nervous manifestations. The veterinarian himself chooses the tactics of treatment.

It is not necessary to remove high value cats carrying this disease from breeding, but kittens should be weaned at 7-8 weeks of age while maternal colostral immunity is in effect.

There are no such statistics in Russia.

During the year I had about 300 cats at the reception - Scottish, Maine Coon and others, 9 cats died from peritonitis, i.e. about 3%.

When writing the article, scientific data, some information from the Internet and my experience were used. It may be difficult for someone to understand what I wrote, but I tried to express it very intelligibly. My colleagues may have questions, please, I'm ready for dialogue, but this article is written for the owners of my most adored.

Ask, I will answer everyone.

P.S. Do not confuse coronavirus enteritis with coronavirus peritonitis. Very often, various authors, when discussing this disease, are confused.

Afterword

Virus carriage plays a significant role in the spread of infections, since long-term isolation of virus carriers is practically impossible. An effective preventive measure here is an individual hygiene regime, as well as sanitary and educational work in nurseries, and, in particular, recommendations to virus carriers regarding their behavior and lifestyle.

Diseases of cats, leading to their death, a sufficient number. There are vaccinations against especially dangerous diseases. More cats die from panleukopenia, calcivirosis, rhinotrachein and other viral diseases than from coronavirus infection. In the early stages of the disease, most cats with proper treatment recover.

A simple diarrhea in a kitten, and this is in most cases coronavirus enteritis is always treated, almost never leaving consequences. And only in very rare cases, this virus remains to live in the body of a cat and these are already carriers, while there are few such cats and very rarely this virus, getting into the blood, mutates and leads to death. And there are even fewer of these cats. BUT THIS IS SOON!!!

Identification of dysfunctional catteries, removal of virus carriers from breeding, timely vaccination, lack of crowding of cats, sanitization of premises, use of bactericidal lamps, deworming, quarantine when introducing a new cat to a living community, thorough verification of producers, adherence to strict rules when using high-breed cats that are carriers infections - following these simple rules will significantly reduce the risk of disease.

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Today, viruses are considered one of the most dangerous causative agents of diseases in humans and domestic animals. This is largely due to the fact that most viral infections there is no specific method or preparation of treatment, except perhaps for the creation of polyvalent sera.

A good example is the coronavirus in cats. According to veterinary experts around the world, this is one of the most common causative agents of viral infections in these animals. In some countries, the prevalence of livestock exceeds 67%.

The only thing known for sure about the pathogen is that it belongs to the Coronaviriadea family. Coronavirus is one of the most mysterious representatives of its “tribe”, as more and more questions arise from the study of it.

Today, scientists have established for sure that two strains can occur in cats that are very pathogenic and dangerous: FIPV and FECV. Recall that this is the same virus, but different "breeds". But if the latter causes enteritis, with which coronavirus is most often associated, then FIPV contributes to the development of infectious peritonitis.

Important! The disease is not transmitted to humans! Even old, weakened people and newborns are absolutely not threatened by the virus, which is good news.

That is why the feline pathogen is much more dangerous than its "relative" that causes a similar disease in dogs. The latter, by the way, also have several strains (the exact number is unknown). But in cats, a phenomenon was discovered when a relatively “harmless” FECV suddenly mutates, turning into a highly virulent causative agent of feline peritonitis.

Interestingly, in most cases, the virus present in the cat's body does not cause her the slightest problem. His "rebirth" is an absolutely spontaneous process. It is still not entirely clear what exactly stimulates it, but many experts are of the opinion about hereditary predisposition and stress factors.

It is possible that cats genetically related to affected individuals are at increased risk. Fortunately, the chance of FECV converting to FIPV is quite low. Today, there are two theories explaining the probable causes of this process:

• classical theory. Proponents of this version believe that mutation can occur only in special cases. As scientists write, “in this case, the ratio between age, physiological state of the body, conditions of detention and genetics plays an important role.” Indirectly, this theory is confirmed by the sporadism and locality of cases of degeneration of virus strains.

• The theory of "hot tension". There is a version that different strains circulate in nature, some of which may be “unstable”, initially prone to rearrangement. This theory may help explain occasional outbreaks of the disease, during which infectious peritonitis sometimes affects quite a large number of livestock (in nurseries, shelters). So far, there is no exact evidence for the validity of this assumption, but geneticists are working on it.

On a note. When buying kittens with a pedigree, be sure to ask the breeder if one of the animal's ancestors died from infectious feline peritonitis. If the answer is yes, it is preferable not to buy such a pet.

Read also: Eye diseases in cats: types and methods of treating pathologies

A cat with any form of coronavirus infection can be cured. But this does not in the least guarantee the absence of relapses, since there is no long-term immunity. Simply put, with any contact with a sick animal, a cat may well become infected again.

Factors contributing to the disease

There are no predisposing factors: all cats get sick, regardless of their breed, age, gender. However, it should be noted that less than 4% of the entire global population of domestic cats have an innate resistance to coronavirus infection. Alas, this “bonus” is practically not transmitted genetically, which is why resistance develops exactly is still unknown. However, in practice, most often it turns out that three categories of animals are sick:

• Young cats, whose age has not yet reached two weeks.

• Old cats, whose age has already exceeded the mark of 10 years.

• Animals emaciated and weakened after any illness. In particular, the cat's body becomes sharply vulnerable to infection against the background of a strong helminthic invasion.

How is coronavirus in cats transmitted from animal to animal? Usually, Infection occurs when eating food or drinking water contaminated with fecal particles that have got there. There are also reports of airborne transmission, but this is more common with a canine pathogen.

Typically, the incubation period is about a week.. If the animal is very young (kittens at the age of two or three weeks) or, on the contrary, very old (a cat older than ten years), then the first Clinical signs may develop within a couple of days.

Important! Practice shows that the virus can be stored in cat litter for a very (!) Long time. If possible, it is better to burn the used filler. Or throw away in tightly tied plastic bags.

It is not for nothing that coronovirus infection in cats is considered a “kennel disease”, since overcrowding and poor sanitary conditions greatly contribute to its occurrence and development. Veterinary volunteers note that in many domestic animal shelters, the livestock (both cats and dogs) are completely carriers of the virus. Of course, this contributes to the spread of infection in nature.

Pathogenesis and symptoms

Once the virus enters the body, it attacks the cells of the glandular epithelium of the gastrointestinal tract. Once inside, the pathogen begins to replicate itself (that is, reproduce copies of itself). As a result of such an invasion, the cells die en masse.

In some cases (in the situation with FECV), the intensity of the lesion is low, the rate of cell decay does not cause much harm to the body. In this case, the cat looks completely healthy. It is a completely different matter when the causative agent of infectious feline peritonitis enters the body of an animal.

Symptoms of coronavirus in cats include:

• Has mild diarrhea, sometimes a runny nose appears, the cat becomes somewhat lethargic, the appetite decreases, the need for water remains at the same level.

• From time to time episodes of vomiting are noted. The condition of the animal is stable, periods of vomiting and diarrhea are short-lived and disappear on their own.

• Soon tears begin to flow from the eyes of the animal, episodes of vomiting and diarrhea become more frequent until they become permanent.

• Animal gets tired quickly, there is no appetite, the cat drinks a lot and constantly.

• Feces are greenish-brown in color, watery, smell very unpleasant. At the initial stages of the disease, there is no blood in them; as the pathological process develops, it appears.

• Soon, pronounced signs of dehydration develop: the skin becomes dry, loses its elasticity, the coat becomes dry and brittle. If the animal does not die of peritonitis by then, neurological seizures are possible.

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Gradually, the condition of the intestinal wall reaches a state where intestinal microflora gains unlimited access to internal tissues. There are deep erosions and ulcerations. If the animal does not receive proper treatment (and often it does not help), perforation occurs (that is, a hole in the intestines).

The contents of the intestines that have entered the abdominal cavity almost immediately cause diffuse peritonitis. As a rule, at this stage it is better to euthanize the animal, since the chances of recovery are almost zero.

About diagnosing

Regardless of the specific type of virus that caused the disease, it can be very difficult to make an accurate diagnosis. Alas, there is simply no universal and high-precision method; analysis for coronavirus involves diverse studies of pathological material. It is believed that a 100% accurate diagnostic method is the study of the tissues of a deceased animal. Often the only clinical sign is a strong profuse, which for a confident statement of the exact differential diagnosis clearly not enough.

Oddly enough, even serological tests and PCR (polymerase chain reaction) of material obtained from the feces of a diseased animal are not considered reliable. diagnostic method, as they often give false positive or false negative results. Much of this has to do with the fact that many perfectly healthy cats have coronavirus in their intestines, which, however, for some reason does not "activate". How, then, to determine that your pet has managed to "pick up" a dangerous variety of this infection?

• As a rule, the development of infectious peritonitis is accompanied by the formation of effusion in the chest and abdominal cavities. In addition, the animal's body temperature rises greatly, uveitis develops. But diagnosis on these grounds alone is not carried out.

• Be sure to do a complete blood count and its biochemistry, and the ratio of albumin and globulins is especially important, which decreases sharply with infectious peritonitis or a “normal” coronavirus infection.

Alas, but in cases of infectious peritonitis, it is very often necessary to resort to euthanasia. If you have other cats at home, it is highly recommended to select and examine the tissues of the deceased pet (histopathology and immunohistochemistry). This is important for the final formulation of an accurate diagnosis. Based on the data obtained, the veterinarian can make therapeutic recommendations for other animals.

Therapy

Is there any treatment for coronavirus in cats? Unfortunately no. No specific therapy has been developed to date. Convalescent serum (that is, serum from the blood of recovered cats) is reported to be highly effective, but, for obvious reasons, the deployment of its production is too unprofitable. Only experimental work is carried out in this area.

However, there is evidence of a fairly good effect of some immunomodulatory drugs. For example, he has proven himself well. Here you need to understand that in advanced cases, such tools no longer help.

So what to do with a cat with a coronavirus infection? First, he broad-spectrum antibiotics are prescribed that prevent the development of secondary pathogenic microflora. Secondly, in the clinic, the effusion that accumulates in the abdominal cavity is constantly removed.

Coronavirus in cats is an infectious (viral) disease that occurs in acute form capable of being rapidly transmitted to other animals. It is accompanied by diarrhea and leukopenia. The causative agent of infection refers to complexly organized RNA viruses. Kittens at the age of 6-12 weeks are very difficult to tolerate this disease.

Mortality from such a disease is small (about 5%), but it should not be allowed to take its course, but be sure to consult a doctor at the first symptoms of the disease in order to avoid complications.

The coronavirus infection got its name due to the fact that the structure of the shell of the microorganism consists of protrusions that remotely resemble a crown. Hence the name.

The feline coronavirus is considered one of the most mysterious viruses of its kind, as scientists increasingly come to a dead end in the course of research. To date, it is known for sure that cats suffer from two strains - FIPV and FECV. They are extremely pathogenic and dangerous.

One of the strains causes enteritis in an animal, with which the disease itself is associated. But in the case of a coronavirus infection of the FIPV strain, the development of infectious peritonitis is characteristic. The development of infectious peritonitis contributes to poor heredity.

A harmless strain of the virus can spontaneously begin to mutate into a virulent type of pathogen. Researchers are still unable to figure out the effect of the coronavirus and the main reasons for its sudden mutation. They believe that genetic predisposition and stressful situations are to blame. The descendants of once sick cats are most suitable for carrying the future “reborn” pathogen.

Coronavirus infection is a disease that affects the abdominal organs, dangerously peritonitis - which cannot be cured in cats and leads to the death of a pet. It is called "coronovirus" - because. when examining the pathogen through a microscope, its crown and halo are visualized. Vaccination is necessary to prevent the disease, but it does not provide 100% protection against infection. However, if your cat is often outdoors, it is still worth vaccinating.

Coronavirus is infectious peritonitis. For most of us, these words did not explain anything definite. You will be surprised, but for most experts, coronavirus is a mysterious disease. More precisely, it is a virus from the Coronaviridea family (Coronaviriadea), one of the least studied. It becomes pathogenic as a result of an inexplicable mutation of a non-pathogenic strain into a highly virulent type.

1. Highly pathogenic strains - infectious peritonitis virus

2. Intestinal feline coronaviruses, easily tolerated by animals and often harmless to health, account for 80% of all infections. Often this form is even asymptomatic, but it is important to understand that the cat becomes a carrier for life dangerous virus and it is highly undesirable to let her live with other cats.

Causes of coronavirus infections

Coronaviruses are a type of RNA virus. A huge number of such infectious agents circulate in nature, some of them are the causative agents of severe infectious diseases of cultivated plants and domestic animals.

For the cat family, two types of diseases caused by coronaviruses are dangerous:

1. Feline Infectious Peritonitis or FIP The causative agent of this disease is a highly pathogenic strain of coronavirus. The disease is almost 100% fatal.
2. Infectious coronavirus enteritis and gastroenteritis- are caused by low pathogenic feline enteric coronaviruses (CLIC), proceed easily, without posing a threat to life.

The FIP virus is difficult to distinguish from the CCVC virus, these two viruses are very similar in structure and, judging by recent studies, it is likely that the highly pathogenic infectious peritonitis virus is a mutation of one of the strains of low pathogenic intestinal coronaviruses.

In Russia, there is an annual increase in the incidence of cats with coronavirus peritonitis, which may be due to the emergence of an increasing number of catteries, which, without proper anti-epizootic measures and in conditions of difficult diagnosis, unwittingly become reservoirs of pathogenic strains of the virus.

Kittens are most susceptible to the disease. For them, infection is especially dangerous, because their body does not yet have the necessary supply of nutrients. The main signs of infection are vomiting and profuse diarrhea. This is what leads to rapid dehydration of the body (in kittens, it occurs after 2-3 hours from the onset of the activation of the disease). The heaviest up to 3-4 days. If the cat is not dead, it usually gets better.

There are many reasons for the appearance of coronovirus enteritis, the most common of them:

1. 1. Stagnant or untreated water.
2. 2. In case of poisoning with chemical or toxic substances and mushrooms, intoxication begins, which is very dangerous.
3. 3. Feeding the pet tubular bones- Intestinal walls can be damaged by their sharp edges.
4. 4. From dysbacteriosis there is a catarrhal form of pathology.
5. 5. A sharp change from one type of food to another has an adverse effect on the animal's body.
6. 6. Violation of the diet, improperly selected food or vitamin supplements and an incorrectly balanced diet.
7. 7. Worms secrete dangerous toxins, injure the mucous membrane of the digestive tract.
8. 8. Cheap low-quality cat food can become a source of fungal infection or have other defects.

Gastroenteritis can begin due to pathologies in the gastrointestinal tract - atherosclerosis, ischemia, valve insufficiency. Stress is a common reason for the development of the disease.

Stages of the disease

Researchers distinguish three stages of the disease: asymptomatic, mild and severe.

1. The asymptomatic stage is characterized by the absence of pathologies and signs that would indicate the presence of infection. But despite this, other pets are already being infected.
2. On the mild stage cats feel weak, and there is a disorder of the gastrointestinal tract. The intestinal form of the coronavirus is easily tolerated by the cat.
3. The severe stage is accompanied by the accumulation of exudate in the abdominal cavity, as a result of which the functionality of all processes in the animal's body is disrupted. In 5% of cases, cats at this stage can no longer be helped.

Contact of a cat with infected individuals on the street contributes to the accelerated transmission of infection. Vaccination will protect a healthy animal from infection, prevent further distribution virus

Symptoms and signs of coronavirus disease

The first signs of the disease are not very obvious. They can be confused with signs of a cold, food poisoning, or allergic reaction acute character. But after 3 days, the symptoms of the disease manifest themselves in full, so often the treatment can become useless at this stage. The first signs of coronavirus:

• lack of activity, lack of strength, general fatigue;
• loss of appetite;
• diarrhea as a form of impaired bowel function;
• frequent urge to vomit;
• runny nose and lacrimation.

More pronounced symptoms of coronavirus in cats are as follows:

• unstable bowel movements;
• temperature fluctuations;
• fever;
• negative reaction to bright light;
• uncharacteristic coordination of movements;
• inflammation of the gums;
• damage to the body by a fungus;
• muscle atony;
• decrease in cellular resistance to malignant microorganisms due to the presence of fungal diseases.

A specific scheme for combating a pathogenic microorganism has not yet been invented to maintain a stable immune system, so the animal's body independently resists the virus.

Incubation period

The incubation period of the disease lasts about one week. By this time, in kittens or old animals, the clinical signs are already fully manifested.

In practice, it happens that coronavirus in cats long time can be found in cat litter. Therefore, after use, the filler must be burned or disposed of in tightly tied bags.

• bowel disorder
• the presence of blood and mucus in the stool
• vomit
• lack of appetite
• general lethargy
• temperature changes
• fever
• photophobia
• loss of coordination
• panic
• angiopathy of the vessels of the eyeball
• red gums fade over time
• fungal diseases
• eye discharge
• runny nose

Symptoms

The symptoms and treatment of coronavirus infection depend to a large extent on the type of stamp, since FIPV and FECV cause different diseases.

But the coronavirus of any subspecies is concentrated on the abdominal cavity. If treatment is not started in a timely manner, coronavirus gastroenteritis and peritonitis can even lead to death.

Infectious peritonitis is considered an incurable disease, which is especially dangerous for pet.

These symptoms may last for several days. After such a manifestation of the disease, the cat either recovers or dies.

If the cat survived, it still remains a carrier of the infection for a long time, it is dangerous for the surrounding animals. But it is not dangerous for people, since the coronavirus is not transmitted to humans.

Depending on the age, the strength of the immune system of cats tolerate the disease in different ways, but nevertheless, veterinarians distinguish several types of symptoms.

• Severe diarrhea exhausts the cat for several days. Signs of illness, such as diarrhea, should always alert the owner of the animal. After all, a complication of this is also dehydration. A cat can survive after this, but will serve as a source of coronavirus for a long time, sometimes the process lasts up to ten months.
• Attentive hosts can observe and frequent changes in body temperature pet.
• From external signs appears gingival hyperemia, keratitis. You can also see an increase in the volume of the cat's tummy.
• The virus can go beyond the abdominal cavity, this brings the disease into the most dangerous phase. The pathological process leads to death. To prevent this from happening, you need to vaccinate the cat on time.
• It is also possible the chronic course of the disease, which is caused by a coronovirus infection. Sluggish serious illnesses also greatly exhaust the body. In addition, in this case, cats carry the virus for many years. The owner of the animal will treat diarrhea in a cat for a long time, with the rest of the symptoms, the pet copes on its own. This course of the disease is associated with insufficient immunity of the cat.

It is necessary to observe not only the physical, but also the emotional state of the animal, a sign of infection can be a depressive, depressed state. The pet is losing weight, he has signs of anemia. Possible violations of coordination, work of the central nervous system.

The incubation period for the virus is about three weeks. Symptoms can appear all at once. But it is also possible that the signs appear gradually, one or two. But you should always be attentive to your pet, this will quickly identify one or another ailment.

The occurrence of certain symptoms depends on the degree of virulence of the pathogen. If we are talking about viral enteritis, then the following symptoms of an intestinal disorder are characteristic of it:

• diarrhea;
• loss of appetite;
• in rare cases - vomiting.

Sometimes there are signs of colds, such as a runny nose and lacrimation. Prolonged diarrhea increases the pathogenic properties of the virus and contributes to the transition of the intestinal form of the disease into a systemic disease.

Infectious peritonitis caused by coronavirus at the very beginning of development does not have pronounced symptoms. Apathy, fatigue, diarrhea, vomiting and loss of appetite may be observed. After some time, the clinical picture acquires the following characteristic features:

• weight is reduced;
• apathy intensifies;
• ascites occurs;
• anemia develops.

As the amount of the virus in the body begins to increase, there is a disruption in the functioning of the kidneys and liver, symptoms of damage to the nervous system appear (muscle atony, convulsions, etc.).

The manifestation of symptoms will depend directly on the severity of the course of the disease. We will consider separately the course of enteritis and infectious peritonitis. By the way, coronavirus enteritis is not transmitted to other animals. Particularly for dogs. Dogs also have a disease with a similar name, however, this is a different form of enteritis, with its own characteristics.

The first symptoms of enteritis in a cat will be signs of intestinal upset. Vomiting, diarrhea, or appetite disorders may come and go on their own. Sometimes, in combination with them, you can notice a runny nose or tearing.

At this point, the animal must be closely monitored to prevent dehydration and weakening of the body. Such a development of events can lead to the transition of the disease into a chronic form with lingering course, which is likely to end fatally.

Treating coronavirus in cats is not an easy task. The main thing in this matter is not to start the disease into a more severe form. As soon as you see the first symptoms of the disease, even if you are not one hundred percent sure, it is better to show the animal to a specialist.

If a veterinarian diagnoses coronavirus based on symptoms and tests, then antiviral drugs will be the first to go into battle. These are sources of interferon, immunomodulators and ribaverin.

Their primary task is to stop the furious reproduction of the virus in the cells of the body, and give the cat the opportunity to cope with the disease on its own. As a matter of fact, these drugs do not therapeutic effect. They stop the progression of the virus, and give us some precious time.

The second to attack are antibiotics and corticosteroids. These comrades will level inflammatory processes and relieve symptoms. But these drugs will not be a full-fledged treatment.

Treatment in this case is symptomatic. Vomiting and diarrhea are eliminated with the help of levomecithin, no-shpa and similar drugs. Fluid loss is restored by connecting systems with glucose and saline. The forces of the body are supported at this time by the vitamin and mineral complex.

Incubation period

The onset of the disease proceeds without pronounced signs. Fatigue, apathy, loss of appetite, diarrhea, single bouts of vomiting are observed. In some situations, runny nose and lacrimation are noted. Animals with stable immunity recover.

Weakened cats suffer from prolonged diarrhea, as a result of which the virus mutates and symptoms of coronavirus peritonitis develop:

• The state of depression intensifies.
• The cat is thin.
• The temperature is rising.
• Vision is impaired.
• Anemia develops, mucous membranes turn pale.
• Formed ascites and (or) pleurisy.
• Observe symptoms of kidney and liver damage.
• Due to the action of the pathogen on the nervous system, convulsions appear.

Distinguish wet and dry form of the course of coronavirus infection. The first type is characterized by the development of severe complications. The effusion-free form of the coronavirus is distinguished by the formation of pyogranulomas, colloquially called "wild meat".

In addition to the above symptoms, in some situations, there is a loss of coordination, a desire to hide in a dark place, a panic state, and the development of fungal diseases.

The virus that causes FIP in the international classification is designated as FIPV and is capable of causing a variety of manifestations of damage to many organs and systems in the body of cats.

The name of the disease is due to the fact that often, one of the main clinical signs is peritonitis.

It is accepted to divide the flow of IPC into three main forms:

• Wet IPC. With this form of peritonitis, due to damage to the blood vessels of the peritoneum or pulmonary pleura, exudate effusion occurs inside the abdominal or chest cavity.
  It provokes the development of wet peritonitis, a weak immune response of the body, this form of the disease occurs mainly in kittens. The disease is accompanied by fever up to 40 C, weakness, lack of appetite, peritonitis, with accumulation of effusion exudate in the abdominal cavity, gradual exhaustion.

With the formation of effusion in the chest cavity, the disease is accompanied by respiratory disorders, wheezing.

If the animal does not die in the first weeks, then signs of peritonitis or respiratory disorders are accompanied by symptoms of renal and hepatic insufficiency, manifestations of pancreatic dysfunction.

The duration of the course of the wet form of infectious peritonitis is about 6 months. The outcome is fatal, or the disease passes into the form of dry IPC.

• The dry form of peritonitis is characterized by the absence of exudative fluid. Older cats suffer from this form of peritonitis. The disease proceeds without pronounced symptoms. There may be a decrease in appetite, physical activity. With this form, it is very difficult to diagnose the disease, this is due to the absence of pronounced clinical signs.
  In a later period, multiple signs of damage to internal organs appear, most often the liver and kidneys, less often the nervous system (weakness of the hind limbs, paralysis, paresis, convulsions, behavioral disorders - aggression or apathy) and eyes (hyphema, retinitis, iridocyclitis).
• hidden form. It is characterized by a long course without the manifestation of any clinical signs. With a latent form, only blood macrophages are affected and the animal can be a virus carrier for a long time without showing signs of the disease.
  Periodically releasing the virus into the environment, a cat that is a virus carrier infects healthy animals.

With a latent form, the animal's body either gets rid of the virus over time, or, if immunity is weakened, the disease progresses. Viruses from immune cells in the blood internal organs where characteristic granulomatous nodules and indurations develop.

The dry form of the disease can turn into a wet one, or they occur simultaneously.

Classic exudative (wet) feline infectious peritonitis (FIP) is characterized by exudation of a sticky, straw-colored fluid into the peritoneal and pleural cavities. And therefore, most often the disease is noticed by a progressively swollen belly, against the background of an increased, fluctuating body temperature. This is the so-called “wet” form of FIP (“dropsy”).

Diagnosis of coronavirus infection

Owners of cats of any breed are interested in the question, is such a complex disease, its manifestation in the form of coronavirus gastroenteritis, treated?

When the first symptoms of the disease appear (diarrhea, vomiting), you need to contact your veterinarian. The specialist will send you to do tests for the presence of infection.

To do this, bring the feces of a sick cat. Analyzes will allow you to establish an accurate diagnosis and choose the right treatment regimen. The decision on how to treat a pet depends largely on the type of stamp.

Rhinovirus and coronovirus infection is difficult to determine; enzyme immunoassay and immunochromatographic analysis of blood and serum are often needed. It detects antibodies. If there is a large lesion of the abdominal organs, a biopsy of the affected areas may be performed.

To determine the exact diagnosis, symptoms alone are not enough. The combination of symptoms resembles the course of several more diseases, so you should rely on a timely analysis for coronavirus.

Among laboratory research for the presence of coronavirus in the body of cats, histology, serological tests are isolated, polymerase chain reaction(PCR) and immunofluorescent tests.

The PCR method involves the study of feces, blood plasma, pleural and ascitic fluids. In this case, the minimum amount of the virus genome is recognized. Cats have antibodies in their blood that fight the virus. The maximum allowable concentration of antibodies in peritonitis is 1280.

The method of diagnosing the disease is not well developed. It is not possible to isolate the virus for a conventional laboratory. An accurate diagnosis can only be established based on the results of post-mortem histology of the affected organs.

When making a presumptive diagnosis, the doctor is guided by:

1. Anamnesis data (history of the disease);
2. Based on clinical signs - the formation of fluid in the cavity of the peritoneum or chest cavity, enlargement of the spleen, detected by palpation, depressed appetite, a steady increase in temperature;
3. Test analysis data that determines the presence of coronavirus in the body of an animal;
4. Reverse CPR (polymerase chain reaction) data. The reaction determines the presence of virus RNA in the studied effusion.

When making a diagnosis, FIP should be distinguished from diseases with similar manifestations:

• Liver diseases - cirrhosis, cholangohepatitis, lymphocytic cholangitis, tumors;
• cardiomyopathy;
• Lymphosarcoma.

The ICA diagnostic method (VetExpert express test) is very good to use when selling kittens, mating, and other cases. Just in execution. The owner can make them himself. This will save the breeder a lot of trouble. Examine the feces of the animal. This method allows you to identify clean and infected. This method is extremely important when selling a kitten. It can be performed directly in front of the buyer and this is the great value of this method!

PCR method (polymerase chain reaction). This method shows whether a cat has a virus or not. The disadvantage of this method is that it responds to titer up to 400 and therefore gives a positive result. We hand over fresh feces to the laboratory and if the result is negative, we live in peace. A positive result for the presence of coronavirus antibodies is not a final diagnosis of peritonitis. For a more accurate diagnosis, there is an ELISA method. The blood is examined.

If you are a resident of the capital, then you are lucky: Moscow veterinary clinics have equipment that allows you to quickly laboratory analysis materials for the definition of coronovirus. If you live in the region, you should have information about which veterinary clinics are in your city, and where a veterinarian can provide first-class assistance to your pet.

To make a diagnosis, a blood test is required, as well as a plasma test - if antibodies to the coronovirus are present, this indicates infection. A fecal analysis is also performed - since it contains a large concentration of the virus. Only this method veterinary clinics are not always used, most often as an additional or safety net - since false information about the absence / presence of the virus is often provided. Also, the doctor will be able to predict how the infection will proceed.

Symptoms alone are not enough to make a diagnosis. The course of the disease is outwardly similar to several other diseases, so you need to rely only on a correctly done analysis.

Laboratory testing for coronavirus in cats is histology, serological tests, immunofluorescent tests and PCR (polymerase chain reaction). In the latter case, the material for the study is feces, blood plasma, ascitic and pleural fluids. PCR makes it possible to recognize minimal amounts of the viral genome.

IMPORTANT! Remember that even a positive test for the presence of coronavirus is not a sentence! Do not euthanize the animal immediately, it is quite possible that you have managed to identify the initial stage of the disease and the cat can be saved.

Ways of infection

If contact with an infected cat is not terrible for a person, then for other feline pets, such contact is dangerous.

The virus is transmitted through the feces of a sick individual, and you can get infected not only on the tray.

Such an infection also survives on a broom, toys, and various care items. The carrier will be a bowl from which both the sick and the healthy kitten will eat.

A cat infected with the virus can give birth to healthy kittens because the infection does not cross the placenta. But, after the babies are one and a half months old, the level of antibodies in their body decreases. It is imperative to get vaccinated to create the necessary protection.

The source of the disease is sick or recovered animals, which release the pathogen into the external environment along with vomit and feces. It can be transmitted through objects that have been in contact with the source of infection (toys, dishes, rugs, etc.). Stray cats often carry the virus, so they spread it wherever they defecate.

Can the virus be transmitted to humans? Coronavirus infection is completely harmless to humans. Only cats get sick with it, so the owner of the pet has nothing to worry about.

Susceptibility of animals to disease

Coronavirus infection mainly affects young cats under two years of age or adults older than 11-12 years. Newborn kittens are usually infected from their mother. This disease is very dangerous for babies, because in 90% of cases they die. The development of infectious peritonitis occurs in growing kittens, as well as in debilitated cats living in poor conditions and who are exposed to stressful situations.

Most often, the incidence depends on the following factors:

• the age of the animal;
• the amount of the virus that hit the body;
• the degree of infectivity of the strain;
• immune activity;
• mental and physical state health;
• genetic predisposition to the disease.

Sadly, almost all cats who recover from coronavirus infection remain contagious all their lives. The percentage of animals that have completely cleared the virus is very low. Therefore, even if the cat has recovered, it must be treated as potentially infectious and all necessary measures to prevent the spread of the disease must be observed.

If animals are kept in large groups, for example, in shelters, nurseries, with oral-fecal transmission considered the main route of transmission, small kittens are most often infected by their mother, after the protective properties of mother's milk become low (5–6 weeks). One gram of the feces of an infected animal contains about a billion coronavirus microorganisms that enter the cat's body through the mouth with food and water or through breathing.

The virulence of the coronavirus (the ability to spread) is high, it is enough to leave the tray of a previously infected cat for use. The dangerous microorganism is found in 60-75% of the organisms of all cats, and almost all pets have been in contact with it. Under environmental conditions, the virus remains capable of life for about 1–1.5 months. The microbe is not transmitted through the attendants, except that the hands and clothes of the nursery attendant will be stained with the feces of a sick pet.

through the mouth or respiratory organs the microorganism enters primarily into the epithelial layer of the stomach or small intestine. The immune system of the animal tries to remove the uninvited infection from the body, and in most cases, the microorganisms leave the cat's body. The process of natural elimination itself takes from 3 weeks to six months, depending on the body's resistance.

Coronavirus in cats, the symptoms of which were described above, is also called feline enteritis. This virus is transmitted from animal to animal. The feces of a sick animal have the highest danger, but along with this, a healthy cat can become infected by contact with the tray, care items, and toys of an infected pet.

And if your animal does not go out at all, then this does not guarantee you complete safety. On their clothes and shoes, a person can bring into the house the smallest particles of wool or secretions or feces.

If there are several cats in your house, then you need to be triple alert. The first days after the virus enters the body, infection can occur through the saliva of the animal. And if you remember the mustachioed love for mutual licking, then this may not have a very happy result.

If the kittens were infected in the womb, then for adult cats it is almost not dangerous until some time.

Such a virus penetrates into kittens through the placenta. It is also not in milk, therefore, in the first 4 weeks of life, kittens cope with the disease thanks to the antibodies of the parent. After that, the level of antibodies begins to fall rapidly, therefore, after a month and a half, you need to seriously think about routine vaccination.

Coronavirus in cats in most cases is transmitted through the mouth. From mother to cub, as well as by airborne droplets, it is impossible to become infected.

The virus enters the body of an animal along with water and food, or in the process of washing (licking). Animals that are fully infected spread the virus in their urine, feces and saliva.

In addition, high temperature, disinfectants (for example, laundry soap). The above discharge can get on a person’s clothes and cause infection of the animal already a couple of hours after the walk.

When the coronavirus initially enters the body of an animal, it first of all attacks the cells of the intestinal epithelium and tonsils, where it lingers for a long period. After infection, the animal is a carrier for a long time without showing any specific symptoms of infection. But already at this stage, the pet is dangerous for other cats, often infecting the environment.

Kittens as young as a few weeks old may show symptoms infectious disease which will eventually destroy them. But scientists still insist on the impossibility of transmitting the virus from mother to cub.

Is it transmitted to humans

Coronavirus is not dangerous to humans, and it is not transmitted from cats to dogs and other pets. This disease occurs only in cats, so owners may not be afraid of infection.

According to research, the main route of infection in vivo is considered to be oral, that is, through the mouth. The virus enters the body with food and water or by licking during washing.

In addition to oral, there is information about the possibility of transplacental, that is, intrauterine infection of kittens from a cat.

Infected animals spread the virus by shedding it into the environment through feces, saliva and urine.

The virus can only exist inside the body; when it enters the external environment, it dies after a couple of days. The virus is detrimental high temperatures and common disinfectants, including laundry soap.

It is noted that after penetration into the body of a healthy animal, the FIP virus initially attacks epithelial cells tonsils and intestines, where it can remain for a long time.

After infection with the infectious peritonitis virus, a cat can be a virus carrier for a long time without showing any visible signs of illness, but they are able to infect the environment and infect kittens, which die transiently in the first week after birth or in utero.

Infectious peritonitis of cats, for humans, can not pose any danger. The virus is specific, and affects only the cat family.

A large concentration of infection is found in the animal's feces and saliva. If you have several cats, be sure to feed them from different bowls, wash them daily with baking soda or treat with boiling water.

Regularly clean the tray and disinfect the spatula with which you remove the filler. Wash the toys that the cat plays with - since the cat gnaws, licks them, the virus can remain on them and serve as a source of infection.

Also, you should not pet street animals - you risk bringing fragments of infected saliva or infected wool into the house.

As for kittens, they are not vulnerable to infection until the age of seven weeks. During this period, they are protected by maternal immunity. Coronavirus infection is not transmitted through the placenta. We recommend getting vaccinated.

The disease is transmitted by the anal-fecal route. The virus is not transmitted by airborne droplets or from a cat-mother to babies.

It would seem that scientists know enough about the coronavirus in cats to successfully defeat it - the structure, life cycle conditions of infection. But at the same time, it has not been possible to trace its outbreaks so far. It is believed that every cat is a potential carrier of the virus!

Disease statistics show that most often the following are prone to the appearance of mutated strains:

• cats that have inherited a genetic predisposition
• kittens under the age of one year (mortality - 90%)
• elderly individuals over 10 years old
• cats that have been in contact with sick animals
• cats living in close contact with their own kind. Very often outbreaks of the virus are observed in nurseries, even if the conditions in them are at the highest level.
• cats kept in poor or unsanitary conditions
• stressed cats. Nervousness weakens the immune system of the cat and the purr is at risk

There are cats completely immune to this virus, but it is not yet possible to understand their protective mechanism.

The incubation period is 3 months.

IMPORTANT! Cats and cats become infected with coronavirus from each other only through prolonged contact. Short-term contact is not dangerous.

Coronavirus does not pose any danger to humans!

Symptoms and treatment

• The treatment regimen includes the use of immunostimulants, as well as symptomatic therapy drugs. Your pet will need antibiotics. There is no specific cure for this disease, the treatment is carried out in a complex manner. The most important thing is to make every effort to prevent the further spread of coronavirus infection. It is necessary to give the cat and sorbents, they effectively remove toxins and other harmful elements from his body.
• If the pet suffers from severe pain, you need to help him with good antispasmodics, analgesics.
• Also an important factor is the observance of dietary nutrition, which is selected individually, taking into account the age of the cat, its breed, condition.
• It is difficult to treat at a severe stage of the disease. The animal develops ascites, and the resulting fluid must be removed. This procedure is performed in a veterinary clinic. But this stage most often ends in death, it is no longer possible to cure the disease.

There are a number folk recipes, which also help to overcome viral ailments, their symptoms. They should not be basic, but only additional in the scheme. To such folk remedies include infusions of stinging nettle, hawthorn fruit, wild rose. If a cat is overcome by diarrhea, it can be given a decoction of St. John's wort, yarrow.

Currently, no such vaccines and drugs have been created, the action of which would contribute to the destruction of coronavirus strains. How to treat such a disease? If the illness is in mild form, then medications are usually not used, because the animal's body is able to resist the infection itself, producing the required amount of antibodies.

Treatment of coronavirus in cats occurs in several stages. First, the animal is treated with vital antiviral drugs. The most common are those that contain the following active ingredients:

• ribavirin;
• interferon;
• other immunomodulators.

With the help of such drugs, the process of reproduction of the virus in the cells of the animal is suspended or slowed down, allowing the body to try to cope with it on its own. You should not expect a therapeutic effect from taking antiviral drugs, so the doctor prescribes antibiotics and corticosteroids, which help relieve inflammation. Such treatment significantly reduces the symptoms that cause pain and considerable discomfort to the animal.

After that, the tactics of treatment depends on the manifestations of enteritis or peritonitis. If the infection contributes to an increase in body temperature, jumps in blood pressure, then the doctor will definitely prescribe anti-inflammatory and antipyretic drugs. In addition to them, he can appoint intramuscular injection antispasmodics, for example, but-shpu.

Thanks to symptomatic treatment, care and care, the animal has a good chance of recovery. With infectious peritonitis, the prognosis for a pet is usually disappointing, but a fatal outcome can be delayed for a while. For this purpose, the accumulated fluid is periodically pumped out of the cat's abdominal cavity.

To restore vitality, anti-inflammatory drugs and immunocorrectors are used:

• the active tablet preparation Glycopin is produced from bacterial cells and is used to inhibit the vital activity of harmful microorganisms;
• with the help of the antibodies contained in the preparation, the canine Globcan-5 actively fights the infectious agent;
• the drug Likopid actively shows its bactericidal effect;
• restores immunity, destroys pathogenic and viral microorganisms in the body, reduces the manifestations of stress drug Roncoleukin;
• To restore the hemoglobin index, the iron-containing glycoprotein Polyferin A is used.

At the beginning of the detection of infection, kittens are prescribed immunomodulatory drugs and antibiotics. Pets are fed with dietary products, semi-finished products and offal are excluded. Multivitamin complexes are recommended, but they are used in short courses as prescribed and under the supervision of a physician.

Therapeutic treatments for coronavirus in cats are not very effective. But medicines for partial struggle were invented. The best results were shown by Primucell and Pfizer preparations, which at the initial stage contribute to the elimination of viruses in the body.

Doctors came to the conclusion that all efforts should be concentrated on symptomatic treatment, since the virus itself has not yet been invented. effective remedy. But you can make life easier for pets by eliminating the symptoms that have manifested. As a result, the condition of the animal stabilizes, the level of immunity increases, and this helps the body itself to fight the coronavirus.

At the initial stage, antiviral drugs are used, including interferon, ribaverin. They slow down the process of virus reproduction in cells. It should be noted that the above drugs are not marked by a therapeutic effect. That is why therapy is continued with the use of antibiotics and corticosteroids, which should reduce inflammation as much as possible.

Further, the treatment regimen for coronavirus infection depends on the behavior of the coronavirus. If body temperature rises and arterial pressure jumps constantly, veterinarians may prescribe intramuscular antispasmodics. This continues until the symptoms of the disease are completely eliminated. Of course, healthy eating and positive emotions will help to finally cure the cat.

An accurate diagnosis without laboratory tests is impossible. The most informative PCR is the polymerase chain reaction. A specific technique for the treatment of coronavirus infection has not been developed. Immunomodulators do not give the desired result. Antibiotic therapy can temporarily alleviate the condition, but do not exclude the return of painful symptoms.

Therapeutic measures are reduced to the fight against complications. Pumping out the peritoneal contents facilitates the condition of the body, but does not cure completely: the disease passes into a dry form.

A positive effect is observed when using anti-inflammatory drugs and immunocorrectors:

• Polyferrina-A. It is an iron-containing glycoprotein isolated from colostrum. Stimulates immune reactions organism. Has anti-inflammatory action. Oppresses development pathogenic bacteria, viruses, fungi. Released in the form of an injectable medication.
• Roncoleukin. The drug is isolated from baker's yeast. It has an immunostimulating effect, relieves stress, successfully resists viruses, pathogenic bacteria and fungi. Designed for intravenous or hypodermal injections.
• Glycopene. Active substance derived from bacterial cells. The drug in the form of tablets is used to inhibit pathogenic viruses and bacteria.
• Likopida - tablets that stimulate the synthesis of interleukins. The drug has a bactericidal effect.
• Facilitates the course of the disease canine Globcan -5, containing an antibody against the causative agent of canine coronavirus enteritis.

The duration of treatment is determined by a veterinarian. The cat's diet should consist of ready-made diet food. Offal and leftovers are excluded.

The prognosis for coronavirus peritonitis is not favorable. The disease is fatal. Information about rare cases of recovery is not confirmed by studies.

At wet form peritonitis, the interval from the appearance of the first signs of the disease to the death of the animal does not exceed a few weeks.

With early diagnosis and treatment, wet peritonitis can be converted into dry peritonitis.

Dry peritonitis, if treated, can last up to a year. For the treatment of dry peritonitis, drugs are used according to the symptoms, they provide the cat with good nutrition and care.

The main symptoms of infection

1. Diarrhea.
2. Vomit.
3. Runny nose
4. Lachrymation.
5. Lack of appetite.
6. Dehydration.

At the initial stage, diarrhea appears, vomiting periodically occurs. Over time, the cat's thirst increases, it weakens. Eyes begin to water, nose - to flow. The feces are liquid, with an unpleasant odor, greenish-brown in color. As the virus progresses, blood appears in it. A dull, tousled coat indicates dehydration.

What is Infectious Peritonitis in Cats?

This is a kind of mutation of the coronovirus. Most often, the disease is not treatable. The reasons why the virus mutates are not known to veterinarians. One thing is clear: peritonitis is not transmitted to another cat. If she becomes infected, then enteritis. The virus mutates only in the body of a cat. Peritonitis gives the following symptoms:

• depression
• weakness
• pallor of mucous membranes
• exhaustion, weight loss

The virus causes severe intoxication of the body, affects the function of the kidneys, liver and affects the nervous system - as evidenced by convulsions.

Peritonitis, in turn, acquires 2 forms: dry and wet.

With wet peritonitis, fluid accumulates in the abdominal cavity. If you pump it out, it will still form again over time. Such peritonitis is typical for young pets due to actively resisting immunity.

Dry peritonitis is characterized chronic course, nodules form on the organs. The cat does not wither with this form of peritonitis.

Treatment of coronavirus in cats must be prescribed on time - then it will give a positive result. A home-call veterinarian will quickly guide you on what therapy is needed before a diagnosis is made after receiving the tests. But So far, no drug has been developed that affects the coronovirus. Therefore, the treatment is of a general nature to relieve symptoms, alleviate the condition of the pet.

5 Medical therapy

You can use immunocorrectors and anti-inflammatory drugs in treatment:

1. 1. Glycopene. The active substance, produced in the form of tablets, is obtained from bacterial cells. It is used to inhibit pathogenic bacteria and viruses.
2. 2. Canine Globcan-5 - facilitates the course of the disease, contains antibodies against the causative agent of coronovirus infection.
3. 3. Likopid - tablets with bactericidal action.
4. 4. Roncoleukin - a preparation is produced from baker's yeast. Designed for hypodermal and intravenous infections. The medicine is immunostimulating, protects against viruses, pathogenic bacteria and fungi, relieves stress.
5. 5. Polyferrin-A is an iron-containing glycoprotein, which is isolated from colostrum. Increases immunity, has an anti-inflammatory property, prevents the development of pathogenic viruses and bacteria, fungi. Available in the form of injections.

On the early stage cats are prescribed antibiotics and immunomodulating agents. If the disease goes into a severe stage and ascites appears, the formed fluid is removed, then the disease will go into a dry form. But in most cases, coronavirus remains incurable.

The veterinarian will determine the duration of treatment according to the stage of the disease. A cat during this period can only be given dietary food, exclude scraps and offal.

6 Treatment with folk remedies

Coronavirus infection is a feline disease, it is not transmitted to dogs, and this disease is also not dangerous to humans.

During this period, it is necessary to support the pet's body with the help of vitamin and mineral complexes, to take care and care. All this will help the animal to recover. If signs of this disease have been noticed, it is worth contacting a veterinarian without delay. Timely vaccination and proper feeding reduce the risk of disease in the animal.

Prevention

Despite the complexity of the disease, there are effective measures that can protect against it in most cases.

First of all, it is a coronavirus vaccine. But you also need to provide the animal with a complete and fortified diet, proper care so that his immunity was able to fight the most complex diseases.

If a coronavirus has appeared in the house, an infected cat must be isolated from healthy pets. It is worth doing this as soon as possible. Dangerous to make contact pet with yard cats, many of them can be a carrier of a dangerous infection.

Several vaccines against coronavirus have been developed, but doctors do not recommend any of them due to lack of evidence for their preventive effect. It was found that such a vaccination causes an infectious process in carriers of the virus in a very severe form of its manifestation. Non-specific control measures include proper care, good nutrition and maintenance in conditions that meet sanitary rules.

In addition, in order to prevent the spread of infection in nurseries, the following measures should be taken:

• to carry out disinfection of care items (bowls, cages, other equipment) after sick animals;
• newly admitted cats should be placed in quarantine, during which blood is examined for the presence of antibodies to the virus;
• take kittens from sick mothers.

To prevent coronavirus in domestic cats that are released outside, they should be sterilized, thereby reducing the frequency of contact with sick animals.

Thus, coronavirus in cats is a disease characterized by average degree contagiousness. It often affects the gastrointestinal tract and sometimes leads to the development of infectious peritonitis. For a person, such an ailment is not contagious. Does not exist certain medicine against coronavirus, therefore, if the animal recovers, it will be a carrier of the virus for life.

Preventive measures begin from the moment of birth or acquisition of a kitten. First of all, the feces are analyzed for the presence of infection. If the kitten is from a shelter, then you should ask about a certificate that would convince you that there is no virus.

As for pre-vaccination, it should be noted that scientists have not yet come up with a truly effective vaccine against feline coronavirus. But it is better to vaccinate a kitten in the first two weeks. Vaccination can protect your pet from the disease, although it is not a panacea.

The main preventive actions in the fight against infection are as follows:

1. complete nutrition with the necessary dose of protein;
2. careful pet care (bathing, combing);
3. inclusion in the diet of vitamins E, A, C, zinc for a month and a half;
4. fencing walks with sick cats;
5. quarantine in a separate room.

But the main thing is to seek help in a timely manner if symptoms are detected and ask veterinarians about possible methods of treatment.

It consists in a combination of non-specific measures of control and immunization of animals. Standard preventive measures include the implementation of the recommended parameters of feeding and maintenance. In the conditions of the nursery, serological diagnosis isolate infected animals from healthy ones. All new arrivals undergo quarantine measures, during which blood is examined for the detection of specific antibodies. They practice early weaning of kittens from mothers who have a seropositive response to coronavirus.

Specific immunization does not provide 100% protection against infection. Moreover, vaccination of an infected animal provokes the development of a severe form of the disease.

When buying a kitten, you must ask the seller for a document with the results of the analysis for coronavirus.

The only reliable way to protect an animal from an infectious disease is vaccination.

In Russia, an effective vaccine against FIP ​​has not yet been developed. In exceptional cases, the United States-manufactured Primucell FIP vaccine is used. It is administered nasally, that is, through the nose, in the form of drops. For the first time, the animal is vaccinated twice with a short interval, then once a year.

Other methods of prevention:

In only 10% of virus carriers, the infection progresses to clinical form. Many cats, in the absence of further contact with the source of infection, are completely free of the virus within a few months.

If a cat is suspected of having FIP, the first thing to do is to isolate the cat from other cats, if any, in the household, then see a specialist for symptomatic and laboratory testing.

When testing for the presence of the virus in large groups of cats, up to 80% of virus carriers may be detected, while clinical signs may be absent.

If the presence of the virus in the cattery is detected, the owner should take the following measures to improve the livestock:

• Regular tests, once every 3 or 6 months, of all animals for the virus carrier.
• Separate positive and negative cats by grouping them into small groups of 3-4 animals, regularly testing and transferring negative cats to a virus-free group.
• Mate only similarly reacting animals - seropositive with seropositive, and negative with negative.
• Practice early weaning of kittens from their mother, at 5 weeks of age.
• Before introducing new animals into the nursery, they must first be vaccinated.

In order to reduce the risk of developing infectious peritonitis for clinically healthy animals that are virus carriers, you need to:

It is not necessary to remove high value cats carrying this disease from breeding, but kittens should be weaned at 7-8 weeks of age while maternal colostral immunity is in effect.

There are no such statistics in Russia.

During the year I had about 300 cats at the reception - British, Scottish, Maine Coons and others, 9 cats died from peritonitis, i.e. about 3%.

When writing the article, scientific data, some information from the Internet and my experience were used. It may be difficult for someone to understand what I wrote, but I tried to express it very intelligibly. My colleagues may have questions, please, I'm open to dialogue, but this article is written for the owners of my most adored British cats.

Ask, I will answer everyone.

P.S. Do not confuse coronavirus enteritis with coronavirus peritonitis. Very often, various authors, when discussing this disease, are confused.

Afterword

1. As a preventive measure, it is advisable to provide the animal with complete care.
2. Monitor the sanitary condition of the pet's habitat, avoid contact with possible carriers of the infection.
3. Avoid places where animals are crowded, for example, a reception day at the clinic - it is better to invite a doctor to your house.
4. If a new pet comes into the house, it is recommended to first isolate it from other animals and conduct a full medical examination.
5. Timely complete all planned veterinary activities.
6. Do not ignore the fight against rodents and insects, so as not to weaken the cat's immunity with other possible infections.
7. As for the coronavirus vaccine, there is currently none.
8. The main method of prevention in this case is complete care, high-quality feeding and following the recommendations of the attending veterinarian.

Vaccination

Over the course of long-term research, many attempts have been made to develop an effective vaccine to protect cats from infection with coronovirus, but only a few are considered successful results. The intranasal vaccine Primucell, Pfizer is recognized for use. The preparation is made using a strain dependent on temperature changes, which is able to deploy and multiply only in the mouth or pharynx. This property of it allows it to produce a small amount of antibodies and form local immunity at the site of entry of the virus.

This vaccine preparation is effective against the causative agent of coronovirus and is safe, but no convincing results have been obtained regarding the protection of the animal body from infectious peritonitis. The recommended age for the start of vaccination is 16 weeks, but by this time the kittens have already had contact with coronovirus from the mother's body, which makes vaccination an unnecessary procedure.

In order to be able to make a full-fledged vaccination, some nurseries practice premature weaning from breastfeeding kittens until the term, when protective antibodies are still present in the mother's milk, and they have not been destroyed by time. Feline intestinal virus is rarely vaccinated, and there is no effective vaccine for infectious peritonitis and further research is underway.

Coronavirus is infectious peritonitis. For most of us, these words did not explain anything definite. You will be surprised, but for most experts, coronavirus is a mysterious disease. More precisely, it is a virus from the Coronaviridea family (Coronaviriadea), one of the least studied. It becomes pathogenic as a result of an inexplicable mutation of a non-pathogenic strain into a highly virulent type.

Coronavirus infections veterinarians are conventionally divided into two groups:

1. Highly pathogenic strains - infectious peritonitis virus

2. Intestinal feline coronaviruses, easily tolerated by animals and often harmless to health, account for 80% of all infections. Often this form is even asymptomatic, but it is important to understand that a cat becomes a carrier of a dangerous virus for life and it is highly undesirable to let it live with other cats.

How is coronavirus transmitted in cats?

The disease is transmitted by the anal-fecal route. The virus is not transmitted by airborne droplets or from a cat-mother to babies.

It would seem that scientists know enough about the coronavirus in cats to successfully defeat it - the structure, life cycle, conditions of infection. But at the same time, it has not been possible to trace its outbreaks so far. It is believed that every cat is a potential carrier of the virus!

What animal can get coronavirus?

Disease statistics show that most often the following are prone to the appearance of mutated strains:

• cats that have inherited a genetic predisposition
• kittens under the age of one year (mortality - 90%)
• elderly individuals over 10 years old
• cats that have been in contact with sick animals
• cats living in close contact with their own kind. Very often outbreaks of the virus are observed in nurseries, even if the conditions in them are at the highest level.
• cats kept in poor or unsanitary conditions
• stressed cats. Nervousness weakens the immune system of the cat and the purr is at risk

There are cats completely immune to this virus, but it is not yet possible to understand their protective mechanism.

The incubation period is 3 months.

IMPORTANT! Cats and cats become infected with coronavirus from each other only through prolonged contact. Short-term contact is not dangerous.

Coronavirus does not pose any danger to humans!

Clinical picture of the disease

Clinical signs of coronavirus disease differ in two forms of the disease: dry and wet.

The wet form is characterized by the accumulation of a yellowish fluid containing a large amount of protein in the peritoneal and pleural areas. The wet form gives the greatest complications and is rightly considered the most dangerous.

The dry form is characterized by the formation of chronic pyogranulomas (their appearance is possible even in the nervous system).

Symptoms and signs of coronavirus disease

• bowel disorder
• the presence of blood and mucus in the stool
• lack of appetite
• general lethargy
• temperature changes
• fever
• photophobia
• loss of coordination
• panic
• angiopathy of the vessels of the eyeball
• red gums fade over time
• fungal diseases
• eye discharge
• runny nose

Diagnostics

Symptoms alone are not enough to make a diagnosis. The course of the disease is outwardly similar to several other diseases, so you need to rely only on a correctly done analysis.

Laboratory testing for coronavirus in cats is histology, serological tests, immunofluorescent tests and PCR (polymerase chain reaction). In the latter case, the material for the study is feces, blood plasma, ascitic and pleural fluids. PCR makes it possible to recognize minimal amounts of the viral genome.

IMPORTANT! Remember that even a positive test for the presence of coronavirus is not a sentence! Do not euthanize the animal immediately, it is quite possible that you have managed to identify the initial stage of the disease and the cat can be saved.

Treatment of coronavirus in cats

There is no treatment for coronavirus as such, mainly veterinary medicine stops the consequences.

Doctors have not yet figured out how to treat coronavirus in cats, since there is no answer to the question of how to kill the virus. After all, the virus, getting into the cell, destroys it completely, in order to then move on to another cell. And the only way to stop it is to destroy the cell itself.

Effective treatment of coronavirus in cats comes down to the removal of ascitic fluid (with a wet form of the disease), symptomatic treatment, the use of sorbents, and intensively good care.

As such, the treatment regimen has not been developed, antibiotics and corticosteroids ("Polyferrin-A", "", canine "Globkan-5", "Likopid", "Glycopin") relieve or weaken clinical symptoms.

The duration of treatment depends on clinical picture and determined by the veterinarian.

What to feed a cat during treatment?

Since most cases of coronavirus in cats affect the gastrointestinal tract, during treatment it is necessary to transfer the animal to an adequate diet.

Very susceptible to infection are newborn kittens and the youngest (up to one month old), as well as the oldest (who are more than 10 years old) representatives of the cat tribe, the inhabitants of nurseries, street residents with weakened immunity and poor nutrition, descendants of animals who have been ill.

Carrying coronavirus in cats

The disease has 3 forms:

• the cat is a carrier of the RNA virus, but does not get sick itself.

Important! Completely isolate from other individuals, because the pathogen is transmitted by the fecal-oral route (when licking wool, common places in the cat litter box). Rarely - through saliva;

• The "intestinal" form of the disease is accompanied by severe diarrhea (). Occurs in 90% of affected animals. Scientists tend to believe that four-legged patients have both a genetic predisposition to the disease and a greater resistance to it.

Important! There is no cure for completely eradicating the virus. There is no vaccine either.

• infectious peritonitis. There is an assumption that the "intestinal" strain degenerates into an aggressive form as a result of prolonged stress at pets. The virus causes, infecting new organs, especially the liver, kidneys, undermines the immune system. Fluid appears in the abdominal cavity. Peritonitis is very difficult.

Acute infectious coronavirus in cats is dangerous, unpredictable, incurable.

Coronavirus in cats. Symptoms

The time of the imperceptible course of the disease is three months. It is typical for 75% of cats - carriers of the pathogen. The main symptom of coronavirus is sudden and severe diarrhea (diarrhea).

Additional symptoms:

• vomiting;
• the appearance of blood and mucus in the feces;
• increased flow of mucus from the eyes and nose;
• lack of appetite and an irresistible desire to sleep;
• inhibition of all reactions;
• uneven, jumping;
• "alien" behavior (desire to hide, fear of sunlight);
• damage to the central nervous system (a clear orientation in space disappears);
• redness of the eyes and gums;
• the stomach is constantly swollen (fluid begins to accumulate). Its size contrasts sharply with the cat's weight loss.

If the owner of a four-legged friend notices at least a couple of cumulative symptoms, you should immediately contact your veterinarian. He will prescribe tests, supportive drugs and a "hospital" regimen (complete isolation for 12 weeks). Owners should not be afraid of infection - microbes are not transmitted to humans. But this does not negate the performance of personal human hygiene.

Important! There is no accurate test to determine the causative agent of coronavirus in cats. It is the symptoms that will determine the tactics of treatment. The sooner it starts, the more guaranteed the good dynamics of recovery will be.

Testing for coronavirus in cats

AT veterinary clinic conduct a study on histology, the presence of antibodies in the blood serum (the most important indicator) and other necessary medical manipulations, there is a whole complex of them. Repeated clinical trial convalescent individuals are carried out necessarily.

Restoring Health - Doubling down on kitty care

The main battle with coronavirus in cats is to alleviate the symptoms of the disease, and carry out treatment taking into account the harm done to the pet's body.

For shaggy patients, a suitable diet is developed, where the main place is occupied by dietary dishes, vitamin infusions from immunomodulatory herbs (nettle, rose hips), medicines (antibiotics and adsorbents) that alleviate general state and neutralizing toxins that have entered the body, regular pumping of fluid from the abdominal cavity.

Prevention is an important measure to protect against the virus

It is important not to miss the moment of the onset of the disease, so that the coronavirus does not reach form No. 3 in the “table of ranks”, when severe complications end in the death of animals. Main location in preventive measures dedicated to strengthening the immune system, because a well-resisting feline body will destroy the virus with its antibodies. This enemy is afraid of environmental conditions, especially temperature rise, losing viability in 24 hours.

It is necessary to follow simple rules:

• before the appearance of a four-legged newcomer, conduct stool tests for coronavirus;
• if this microbe is detected, avoid contact with other cats;
• to reduce to an absolute minimum the meetings of a pet with stray relatives;
• monitor your well-being, call the veterinarian in time;
• thoroughly clean the room using disinfectants;
• regularly clean bowls from food debris, trays - from traces of vital activity;
• keep the cat's sleeping place clean;
• feeding the pet (if possible) with good-quality feeds of natural origin, which will allow the intestines to work without failures;
• the inclusion in the diet of vitamins, useful mineral supplements, drugs to stimulate the good functioning of the immune system;
• take daily walks in the fresh air;
• do not forget to put cat and carry out deworming;
• avoid strong stressful situations, making the pet's life happy and serene, always be ready to help a friend.

Compliance with the above rules will ensure long life furry creatures, preventing coronavirus in cats, symptoms and treatment that will not bring joy to anyone.