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This is the second part of the FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions) List
for rec.pets.cats.  It is posted every twenty days: updates,
additions, and corrections (including attributions) are always
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L.  Vaccination and Worming Schedule.

Preventative health care schedule for cattery cats and pet cats.  From
John R. August, 1989.  Preventative Health Care and Infectious Disease
Control, pp.  391-404 in Sherding, Robert H. (ed) The Cat: Diseases
and Clinical Management, v1.  Churchill-Livingstone Inc, NY.

All cats should be vaccinated, even strictly indoor ones.  Cats may
escape.  Some diseases use mice, fleas, or other insects as vectors
and do not require the presence of other cats.  Natural disasters:
consider earthquakes, hurricanes, etc., may let your cat out of the
house.

3 weeks          fecal exam

6 weeks          fecal exam

9-10 weeks       FRTV/FCV/FPV vaccine
                 ELISA test for FeLV
                 FeLV vaccine
                 fecal exam

12-14 weeks      FRTV/FCV/FPV vaccine
                 FeLV vaccination
                 Rabies vaccine
                 fecal exam

6 months         FeLV vaccination
                 fecal exam

12 months        fecal exam

16 months        FRTV/FCV/FPV vaccine (repeated annually)
                 FeLV vaccine (repeated annually)
                 Rabies vaccine (repeated according to manufacturer's
                                 instructions)
                 fecal exam (every 6 months)

FCV= feline calicivirus
FRTV= feline rhino-tracheovirus
FPV= feline panleukopenia virus = distemper
FeLV = feline leukemia virus.

FIP is a yearly vaccination, but it is new and may not always be
available, or advised for your particular cat.  Talk with your vet.

M.  What Your Vet Should Check.

On a standard annual physical/examination, your vet should check:

  * teeth for tartar/gum swelling
  * ears for ear mites and other fungus problems
  * body for ringworm (with black light)
  * standard bloodwork
  * fecal exam for worms
  * booster shots for rabies, FeLV, panleukopenia, rhino&co, etc.
  * eyes for normal pupil response and normal retinal appearance
  * weight, heart rate, temperature

N.  My Cat is Sick, Should I Take It To the Vet?

1.  Asking on the net

Frequently there are postings such as: "My cat is doing <this>, should
I take it to the vet?"  Or even, "I can't afford to take my cat to the
vet, he is doing <this>, what can I do?"  The usual answer will be
TAKE IT TO THE VET!  It is an irresponsible owner who does not consult
the vet, even by phone, at the first opportunity.  And if you take on
the responsibility of owning a cat, you must budget for the vet visits
to keep it healthy.

On the other hand, if you already have a vet appointment, or have had
the vet look at it and be stumped by the symptoms, rec.pets.cats is a
valuable resource of tips on what might be wrong, or reassurances that
the cat is not at risk of immediate death, so do not hesitate to ask
the group under these circumstances.

2.  Home vet books

A low-cost method to ease anxieties over non-emergency kitty problems
is to get a home vet book.  (See Literature.)  These books also help
explain what sort of "deviant" behaviors are actually relatively
normal for cats.  However, unless you yourself are a vet, these books
should never substitute for having a vet for your cat.

O.  Disease Transmission (Zoonoses).

Some diseases can be transmitted from cats to people (zoonoses).  Most
cannot.  For example, you absolutely cannot contract AIDS from a cat
with FIV or FeLV, although the diseases are related (all are
retroviruses).  This misconception led to the tragic deaths of
hundreds of cats as panicked owners got rid of them.

Anyone with an impaired immune system is at risk of exposure to germs
and other things from cats that healthy people would not contract;
this is regardless of the health of the cat.

You are more likely to contract diseases from other people than your
pets.  Transmission of disease generally requires close contact
between susceptible people and animals or their oral, nasal, ocular or
digestive excretions.  Use common sense and practice good hygiene to
reduce your risks.

From the Cornell Book of Cats:

  * Viral diseases transmitted by cats are rabies and cowpox, usually
    through biting or direct contact.

  * Ringworm is a fungus infection affecting the hair, skin, and
    nails.  Humans contract it either by direct contact with the cat
    or by the spores shed from an infected animal.

  * Cat bites can cause a variety of diseases and infections,
    including pasteurella and tetanus.

  * Campylobacter enteritis, a disease of the small intestine, can be
    caused by contact with contaminated cat feces.

  * Cat scratch fever is an infection caused by a bacterial agent
    transmitted to the human via a cat scratch.

  * Conjunctivitis in humans can be caused by contact with the nasal
    and ocular discharges of cats infected with feline chlamydiosis.

  * Humans can become infected by Lyme disease or Rocky Mountain
    Spotted Fever when a cat brings home ticks.  If the cat becomes
    infected with plague, it can also infect humans directly.

  * Salmonella organisms, which are shed in discharges from the mouth,
    eyes, and in the feces, can cause intestinal disease in humans.

  * Toxoplasmosis is transmitted by contact with the feces of an
    infected cat. Although it is well-known that cats can transmit
    toxoplasmosis, many do not know that humans are more commonly
    infected by eating incompletely cooked meat.

  * Other parasites which can be acquired by humans are hookworms,
    roundworms, and tapeworms: usually by direct or indirect contact
    with contaminated feces, or ingestion of contaminated fleas.

P.  Toxoplasmosis (when you are pregnant and own a cat).

Toxoplasmosis is a disease that can be picked up by handling
contaminated raw meat, or the feces produced after ingestion of such
meat.  It takes between 36 and 48 hours for the eggs shed in stools to
reach the infective stage, so if you remove stools from the litter box
every day, the chances are slim that you could contract toxoplasmosis.
(Nomenclature: Toxoplasma gondii is the organism, toxoplasmosis the
disease, and Toxoplasma is a protozoan.)

In theory, you can catch it by cleaning the litter box or by
working in a garden used as a litter box.  Most commonly, people catch
it by handling raw meat or eating undercooked meat.  Many cat-exposed
people have had toxoplasmosis; the symptoms are similar to a mild
cold.

The problem occurs when pregnant women contract toxoplasmosis.  This
will severely damage the fetus.  Simple precautions will prevent this
problem; unfortunately many doctors still recommend getting rid of
cats when the woman is pregnant.  A good idea is to get tested for
toxoplasmosis *before* you get pregnant; once you've had it, you will
not get it again.

You should note that there has yet to be a proven case of human
toxoplasmosis contracted from a cat -- the most common sources of
toxoplasmosis are the eating or preparing of contaminated raw meat.

To prevent human contraction of toxoplasmosis:

  a) Cook any meat for you or your cat thoroughly.
  b) Use care when handling raw meat.
  c) Wear household gloves when handling litter.
  d) Use disinfectant to clean the litter pan and surrounding area.
  e) Change the cat litter often.
  f) Keep children's sandpits covered when not in use.
  g) Wear gardening gloves when working in the garden.

To be on the safe side, the litterbox and meat-chopping chores should
go to someone else if you're pregnant.


III.  HEALTH/MEDICAL

A.  In General.

Your cat can't tell you how it's feeling so you must familiarize
yourself with its normal behavior.  A healthy cat maintains normal
body weight, level of activity, and social behavior.  A significant
change in any of these is a warning sign.

Getting regular, accurate weights can detect problems early.  You can
weigh yourself on a bathroom scale with (holding) and without the cat
and subtract.  This is accurate only to about two pounds on most
bathroom scales.  For better accuracy, modify a kitchen scale by
mounting a bigger platform on it.  Train your cat to get on the
platform by placing a Pounce or similar treat on it.  Any sudden
weight change, especially loss, probably means your cat is feeling
sick.

Medicines for humans are often used for cats, both prescription and
non-prescription drugs (phenobarbitol, lasix, amoxicillin, cold
medications, etc.).  When you hear that you should never give human
medicines to cats, it means that you should NOT give them without
first consulting your vet.  Certain very common human drugs like
aspirin and especially tylenol are DEADLY to cats, so DON'T give them
ANY kind of medication unless recommended by the vet (note that
aspirin can be given in very small doses, but you need to check
correct dosage and frequency of administration).

A final cautionary note about this section.  This is not meant to be a
complete treatise on these various diseases.  It is intended to
familiarize you with the various major diseases your cat can develop.
If your cat has any of these diseases, you should be in close contact
with your vet, who will provide you with all the information you need
to deal with your cat's illness.  Further information on any of these
diseases may also be found in the books listed in the Literature
section.

Furthermore, while vaccines exist to prevent many of these diseases,
be aware that vaccines do not always work 100% of the time.  Variables
can include the cat's own ability to "take" the vaccine, the proper
administration of the vaccine, and whether or not the cat has already
be exposed to the disease in question.

B.  Aging.

Most cats will reach about 11 or 12 years of age.  Some make it 18 and
very few to 20 and beyond.

According to material provided by the Gaines Research Center, cats
will age 15 years in the first year (10 in the first six months!) and
4 years for every year after that.  Other vets will say 20 years for
the first year, 4 years for each year thereafter.

C.  Cat Allergies.

Here are some highlights from the article in
CATS Magazine, April 1992, pertaining to cats with allergies.

  * Cats can suffer from a wide range of allergies.
  * A cat with one allergy often has others.
  * 15% of all cats in the U.S. suffer from one or more allergies.
  * Cats' allergies fall into several categories, each with a parallel
    complaint among human allergy sufferers.  Inhalant allergies are
    caused by airborne articles, such as pollen, that irritate the
    nasal passages and lungs.  Contact alllergies manifest themselves
    when the cat has prolonged contact with a substance that it just
    cannot tolerate.  Cats have allergies to foods as well -- not so
    much to the chemical preservatives but to the grains, meats and
    dairy products used.  Some cats react badly to certain drugs, such
    as antibiotics or anesthesia.
  * Flea allergy is the most common of all allergies.  As cats age,
    their sensitivity to flea bites increases.  Prednisone (oral or
    injection) is commonly used for a bad reaction.
  * Between 5 & 10 percent of allergy cases are caused by food. Like
    contact allergies, food allergies will show up as dermatitis and
    severe itching but in some cases will also cause vomiting and
    diarrhea.  Also, the cat may have excessively oily skin, ear
    inflammation, or hair loss (which can also be a sign of hormone
    imbalance).
  * A food allergy doesn't show up overnight.  It can take from a week
    to 10 years of exposure to show itself; more than 80 percent of
    cats with food allergies have been eating the allergen-containing
    food for more than two years.

Studies are being done to determine possible connections between food
allergies and FUS, with some success in eliminating foods and cutting
down on FUS symptoms.  Results are still experimental.

Food allergies are treated with a bland, hypoallergenic diet -- rice
with boiled chicken or lamb, and distilled water is commonly used.
Two weeks is the longest it usually takes for the bland diet to work.

Causes, symptoms, and treatments of some types of allergies:

  * Plants, especially oily-leafed ones, such as rubber plants, that
    might be brushed against.  Other contact allergens include: carpet
    fresheners, wool, house dust, newsprint, cleansers and topical
    medications.  Even the carpet itself.

    Signs of contact allergens: dermatitis, pigmentary changes or skin
    eruptions.  Most noticable on the chin, ears, inner thighs,
    abdomen, underside of the tail, armpits and around the anus.

    Skin patch tests are used to determine cause of contact allergies.

  * Medications that commonly cause skin eruptions: penicillin,
    tetracycline, neomycin and panleukopenia vaccine.

    Each drug causes different symptoms, but the symptoms differ from
    cat to cat.  There is no way to predict how a cat will react.

    Antihistamines or steroids may be used to eliminate symptoms
    (after ceasing administration of the drug)

  * Kitty litter - when new brands of litter come out, vets frequently
    see a number of cats that have reactions to it.  Other inhalant
    allergies can include: dust from the furnace esp. when it is first
    turned on; cigarette smoke; perfumes; household sprays and air
    freshners; pollen.

    Inhalent allergies can also result in skin loss, scabbing
    pustules, or ulcerated areas on the skin.  This in addition to the
    asthmatic symptoms.

    Treatment uses...antihistamines, such as chlortrimetron..  More
    severe cases are treated with systemic steroids, which can have
    drawbacks.

D.  Declawing.

Declawing is the surgical removal of the claw and the surrounding
tissue that it retracts into.  Usually the claws on the front feet
only are removed, but sometimes the digits are as well.  This is
sometimes used as a last resort with inveterate scratchers of
furniture, carpet, etc.  However, if trained in kittenhood, most cats
are very good about scratching only allowable items such as scratching
posts (see Scratching).  Britain has made declawing illegal.  Show
cats may not be shown declawed.  Many vets will refuse to do this
procedure.

Declawed cats often compensate with their rear claws; many can still
climb well, although their ability to defend themselves is often
impaired and they should not be allowed outside without supervision.
Many declawed cats become biters when they find that their claws no
longer work; others develop displays of growling.  Scratching is one
way of marking territory (there are scent glands among the paw pads),
so declawed cats will still "scratch" things even though there are no
claws to sharpen.

Alternatives are trimming the claws (see section on Trimming Claws) or
"Soft Paws".  These are soft plastic covers for the cat's claws.
Generally, the vet will put them on, but cat owners can do so
themselves if shown how.  They will last about a month despite efforts
to remove them.  Check the July 1992 issue of _Animal Sense_.  There is
an informative article titled "Fake Fingernails for Felines?" by Dr.
Marilyn Hayes at the Rowley Animal Hospital in Rowley, MA.  They can
make a useful training tool if used in conjuction with techniques to
redirect clawing and scratching to approved items.

E.  Diabetes.

Diabetes occurs when the cat cannot properly regulate its blood sugar
level.  Symptoms may include excessive thirst and urination; it may
lose weight or develop diabetes because of obesity.  Older cats are
more likely to develop diabetes than younger ones.

Treatment may consist of a carefully regulated diet to keep blood
sugar levels consistent (especially if the diabetes was triggered by
obesity).  In most cases, daily injections of insulin are needed.
Regular vet visits are required to determine the proper dosage.  In
between visits, using urine glucose test strips available from the
pharmacy helps you determine whether the dosage of insulin is
sufficient.

A bottle of Karo syrup or maple syrup kept handy is essential for
bringing the cat out of dangerously low blood sugar levels.  Diabetic
cats should be kept indoors to prevent accidental feeding (and thus
disturbing the regulation of blood sugar levels).

F.  Diarrhea.

If your cat has persistent diarrhea, take the cat to the vet if
symptoms have continued for more than 2 days.  Bring a stool sample
with you and have the vet check for parasites and/or fever.

You can try changing (temporarily) the cat's diet to one or more of
the following (depending on the cat's preferences):
  * boiled rice
  * cottage cheese
  * bread
  * plain yogurt
  * boiled chicken
  * chicken broth
  * baby food (strained meat varieties)
The emphasis on the above being as BLAND as possible. No spices
allowed as they tend to aggravate the stomach.  This procedure may be
advisable to reduce the possibility of dehydration from the diarrhea.

The vet may or may not prescribe medication.  One-half teaspoon of
kaopectate (NOT peptobismol, it contains asprin) usually works pretty
well too.  The vet may recommend withholding food for 24-48 hours
to give the GI tract a rest before starting with some bland food.

Usually diarrhea lasts only a few days. If it lasts longer than that,
as long as the cat does not have a fever, it USUALLY does not mean
anything serious, but you must protect the cat from dehydration by
making it take in plenty of liquids.

1.  Possible causes for diarrhea.

From: Colin F. Burrows.  1991.  _Diarrhea in kittens and young cats_.  pp.
415-418 IN J.R. August.  Consultations in Feline Internal Medicine. WB
Saunders Co., Philadelphia.

Causes of acute (sudden onset) diarrhea

Infections
  Viral
    Panleucopenia (distemper)
    Feline Leukemia Virus
    Coronavirus
    Rotavirus
    Astrovirus
  Bacterial
    Salmonella
    Campylobacter
    Escherischia coli (not documented in cats)
  Parasitic
    Roundworms
    Hookworms
    Coccidia
    Giardia
    Toxoplasma

Diet esp. dietary change or raid on the garbage

Toxic or drug-induced
   Acetominophen (tylenol)
   antibiotics

Miscellaneous
   partial intestinal obstruction

Most common causes are viral infections and dietary changes.

2.  Causes of chronic diarrhea

Viral and Bacterial
    FIV
    FeLeuk
    Salmonella
    Campylobacter
    Clostridium
Parasites
    as above, except Toxoplasma

Dietary sensitivity

Miscellaneous
  Inflammatory Bowel Disease
  Drug Sensitivity
  Inappropriate use of antibiotics
  Bacterial overgrowth??
  Partial intestinal obstruction
  Idiopathic (no known cause)

You should enlist the help of your vet if symptoms persist for more
than a few days, or if your kitten is weak or listless, or refuses to
take fluids.  Dehydration can rapidly kill a kitten.

G.  Feline Leukemia Virus (FeLV).

Also a retrovirus, Feline Leukemia is fatal and usually fairly
quickly, within three to four years and often less.  There is a small
percentage, ~4%, who are apparently immune and live with FeLV with no
side effects (except that they are carriers and may infect other
cats).  There is a vaccination for this disease.

FeLV is spread mainly by saliva, nose mucous and maybe urine.  It is
fairly fragile away from cats' bodily fluids,,so transmission by
humans (on boots, etc.) are not likely.  A latent cat probably needs
to become viremic (positive test) before it can infect other cats,
*unless* it is a queen nursing kittens.  The ELISA test has a
significant false postive rate, depending on fluid tested.  The IFA
test correlates better with actual virus isolation from tested cats.
The best way to reduce risk is to keep negative cats away from
positive cats.

The virus can affect a lot of tissues, but tends to be most notorious
for causing cancer of lymphocytes, neutrophiles, platelet precursors,
in fact nearly all cellular constituants of the blood.  These cancers
arise from the similar ability to hide out for a long latency in the
body, but the FeLV virus "irritates" blood forming cells, causing them
to do strange things (become cancerous).  Very generally, symptoms of
FeLV infection can range from none (some few recover) to very sick.
The symptoms depend on which cell line is being attacked.  Treatment
is similarly complicated, ranging from antivirals to anticancer drugs,
and other drugs thrown in to manage infections and side effects.

Immunoregulin has been used with some success in treating cats with
this disease.

H.  FIV.

There is no vaccine for this.  FIV is passed through open wounds, such
as cat bites.

This disease impairs the cat's immune system and it will often fall
prey to some other opportunistic disease.  While the virus is related
to HIV, it is NOT possible to contract AIDS from a cat with FIV.

FIV-positive cats should be kept inside and away from other cats.
With this and other precautions, they may live a fairly long time.
Because of their subsceptibility to secondary infections and
complications, these cats are rather vet-intensive.

They do not often die directly from FIV, but rather one of the
diseases that they can get when their immune system is impaired.  FIV
appears to involve three stages: acute (swollen lymph glands, fever,
depression, bacterial infections); latent (apparent wel being, can
last months to years); and chronic (cat is susceptible to all kinds of
other viruses, fungii, and bacteria).  Survival over two years is
rare.

I.  Feline Infectious Peritonitis (FIP)

FIP (Feline Infectious Peritonitis) is a viral infection of cats that
is considered essentially fatal.  Now there are blood tests that can
help determine whether a cat is infected, and there is a new vaccine
available to prevent FIP.

1.  Course of the disease

Weiss (1991) presents a flow-chart of possiblities for FIP infections;
the pathways presented here are probable, not proven.

                             FIPV carrier
                                  |
                               virus shed,
                         ingested by another cat
                 __________________/\
                /                    \
Inadequate exposure; no infection     \
                                      infection
                                          |
                                      replication of virus
                                          |
                                      macrophages (white blood cells)
                                        "eat" virus, are infected
                                           |
                                       transport to lymph nodes, persistent
                                       viral infection establishes
                                           |
                                       dissemination of virus to liver,
                                          lymph nodes, spleen
            _________________________________/\__________
          ?/                                             |
    With strong cell-                            With antibodies and partial or
  mediated immunity                              no cell-mediated immunity
  and good antibodies                                     |
            |                                   persistent secondary viremia
       NO DISEASE                                         |
       /        \                               circulating immune complexes
complete     persistant subclinical                       |
recovery         infection                      inflammation of vascular system
                  |                             tissue death in eyes, brain,
             carrier cat w/o symptoms?          lungs, kidney, mesentery
                  |                                       |
              immune system supression                    |
              due to drugs, stress, aging                 |
                  |                                       |
              FIP infection reactivates?                  |
                                                          |
                          _______________________________/ \
                          |                                |
     with partial cell-mediated immunity?      with no cell-mediated immunity?
                          |                                |
          NON-EFFUSIVE (DRY) FIP DEVELOPS           EFFUSIVE (WET) FIP DEVELOPS


2.  Symptoms

General symptoms early in the course of the disease are mild digestive
or respiratory symptoms, vague malaise and lethargy, poor appetite,
and progressive debility with fever.  Abdominal enlargement,
neurological symptoms and ocular symptoms are present in 30-40% of all
clinical cases.  The fever may fluctuate until later stages, when it
subsides and body temperature becomes subnormal.

The effusive form of FIP includes fluids building up in the peritoneal
or pleural cavity or both.  The cat becomes pudgy, is not in pain when
touched, and may have sudden trouble breathing if the pleural cavity
is affected.

The non-effusive form of FIP often has associated neurological or
ocular symptoms, including nystagmus, disorientation, lack of
coordination, paralysis, seizures, and various eye problems that can
be seen on eye exams.  Enlarged lymph nodes and kidneys can be felt.

3.  Diagnosis

Diagnosis of FIP will probably include a coronavirus titer of 1:128 or
more, but this is not diagnostic, since there can be cross-reactions
with FECV.  The vet will probably want samples of any fluid
accumulations, and may want to take needle-punch biopsies of kidney,
liver or other organs for microscopic exams.

The vet will have to make sure s/he is not dealing with a number of
other diseases, including cardiomyopathy, congestive heart failure,
infections, cancers, liver problems, kidney disease or toxoplasmosis
or systemic fungal diseases.

4.  Prognosis and course of treatment

Once FIP is apparent, most cats die within 5 weeks, though some
animals may survive up to 3 months.  Corticosteroids will slow the
disease, but may also stir up latent infections; this seems to be
the most common treatment offered, along with good nutrition, and
perhaps antibiotics for bacterial secondary infections.

Though it seems odd to try to supress the cat's immune system, it
seems that most of the disease symptoms are caused by damage caused by
some of the immune reactions.

UC Davis has used a treatment protocol of high amounts of predisone or
prednisolone with cytotoxic drugs like cyclophosphamide or
phenylalanine mustard, together with intensive supportive and nursing
care.  Cats are kept on the regimin for 2-4 weeks, then re-evaluated;
if there is no improvement, euthanasia is recommended.  If there is
improvement, drugs are continued for at least 3 months, then slowly
withdrawn.

Even after treatment, recurrences are common, and reports of spontaneous
remissions are few.

Abstracts of recent journal articles indicate that interferon as a
treatment for FIP is being explored: interferon, alone or in
conjuction with a bacterial extract that tends to "kick up" the immune
system seems to be showing promise.

Other labs are working on cytotoxic agents coupled to FIPV-specific
monoclonal antibodies: this is very exciting, but probably a long way
off.

Antiviral drugs like AZT, Ribavirin, Suramin, and Foscarnet are also
possibilities for FIP treatment.  The ones that look most promising are
these and Inosiplex.  Interferon and drugs that promote interferon
synthesis are also possibilities.  Not all of these drugs are approved
for use in animals, but the FDA has not yet objected-- though there
may be some legal complications possible for the vet who uses antivirals.

5.  General information

Summarized from Pedersen, 1991:

FIP (feline infectious peritonitis, sometimes also called feline
peritonitis) is a fairly recently recognized disease in the US.  It is
caused by one of the coronaviruses (which are RNA viruses, like HIV),
not the ordinary DNA viruses that often affect animals.  FIP is most
decidedly NOT RELATED to HIV (AIDS virus)-- just has some of the same
structural components.

FIP was first recognized in the 1960's, about the same time as
transmissible gastroenteritis in pigs, a closely related virus.  FIP
is now worldwide in distribution.  It is also closely related to
canine coronavirus, and the three viruses have been described as
strains of the same species.  FIP appears to be a mutant of the FEC
(feline enteric coronavirus).  In fact, some consider the two be
almost the same, with a great deal of the difference in how they cause
disease stemming from how individual cats' immune systems react to
infection.

FIP infects mainly domestic cats, but has also been seen in lion,
mountain lion, leopard, cheetah, jaguar, lynx, caracal, sand cat and
pallas cat.  Incidence peaks in cats 5-6 years old, but it is seen in
all ages.  There is no correlation with the animal's sex, but
purebreds and multiple cat households seem to be more affected than
single cat households with "just plain cats".  FIP is apparently on
the rise in the colder areas of Europe.

Apparently, "healthy" cats can carry and shed FIPV (FIP virus), and it
may also be shed by FECV carriers.  Kittens may be infected before
birth, or within the first five weeks of life; route of infection can
be oral, respiratory, or parenteral.  There is a highly variable and
lengthy period between the time of infection and time of disease.

Apparently there are some highly virulent (deadly) strains of FIP
virus that can kill high numbers of cats quickly, but the ordinary
strains of the virus are less deadly: the majority of FIP infections
probably go unnoticed due to the low virulence of most of them.

What happens after a cat is infected with FIPV depends on what strain
of virus, the cat's natural resistance, and the cat's immunologic
response to the virus.  The virus probably multiplies in white blood
cells in the lymph nodes, or the intestinal lining.

The hallmark of all systemic viral infection is that they replicate in
macrophages or sometimes lymphocytes.  Their nastiness and ability to
spread around the body is expressed in their ability to infect the
very mobile cells of the immune system that are out there trying to
destroy them.  FECV infections, on the other hand, do not succeed in
infecting cells beyond the intestinal epithelial cells.  Thus FECV is
considered a localized infection.

Also, regarding transmission, FIP is considered to spread primarilty
by a fecal-oral route, or also by wounds inflicted in cat fights.  In
other words, it is not a virus with long life floating around in the
air, so requires fairly close contact with infected cats to be
transmitted.

Since FIP is a corona virus, it is sensitive to destruction by the
environment.  Coolness and dampness promotes survival, heat and
dessication will not.  This means once a household has had a cat with
FIP, all areas of the house should be cleaned with bleach and
detergents where appropriate and dry them thoroughly.  In addition,
laundering all bedding and other launderables the cat may have come
into contact with, and thorough vacumming (and disposal of the
contents) of the carpet and upholstered furniture is advisable.  Areas
the cat defecated or voided on should definitely be disinfected or
disposed of.  Replacing the cat toys is also recommended.  This should
Reduce or eliminate the risk to a new cat.

6.  References

Pedersen, N.C.  Common Infectious Diseases of Multiple-Cat
Environments pp. 163-288 _in_ Pedersen, Niels C.(ed) 1991.  Feline
Husbandry: Diseases and manangement of the multiple cat environment.
American Veterinary Publications, Inc.  Goleta, CA.  ISBN
0-939674-29-7

Weiss, Richard C.  Feline Infectious Peritonitis and other
Coronaviruses.  pp. 333-356 _in_ Sherding, Robert G. 1989.  The Cat:
Diseases and Clinical Management.  Churchill-Livingstone, New York.
ISBN 0-443-08461-0

J.  Feline Rhinotraecheitis.

Feline rhinotracheitis is a contagious disease that is spread either
horizontally or vertically.  (They can get it from either direct
contact with moist mucosal surfaces, or they can also get it from
their mother's milk or through the mothers placenta).  In young cats,
it is often seen as causing acute upper respiratory diseases or
conjunctivitis, or corneal ulcers, and rarely oral ulcers.  In the
adult, you may see recurrent subclinical infection due to the virus
being reactivated from a latent state.  There is a vaccination for
this disease, but no real cure for it, just management of it.

The most important thing for you to do is try to keep your cat from
getting stressed (when that's possible) because if he is under stress,
he can begin to shed the virus again without showing any signs of
being sick himself, and if he is around other cats who aren't
vaccinated, he can then give it to them.  Most cats who have had
rhinotracheitis are 'sick' more while they are kittens, but then when
they get older you wouldn't know that they have the disease.
Herpesviruses are almost always present for life once an animal has
been infected.  But, it probably doesn't mean that your cat will live
a short life, just that you need to be careful not to have him around
other nonvaccinated cats or kittens who may get the disease from it.

K.  Feline Urinary Syndrome (FUS).

Feline urinary syndrome or FUS is the name given to a group of
symptoms that occur in the cat secondary to inflammation, irritation,
and/or obstruction of the lower urinary tract (urinary bladder,
urethra, and penile urethra).  A cat with FUS can exhibit one, some,
or even all of the symptoms.

FUS is NOT a specific diagnosis: there are many known and some unknown
factors that may cause or contribute to FUS.  Any cause resulting in
particulate debris in the urine is capable of causing obstruction in
the male cat.

Males are much more likely to get this disease than females.  There is
no known means of prevention.  Treatment can vary from diet to
surgery.  Cats usually recover if the disease is caught in time; often
the cat must be watched for any recurrence of FUS.

1.  Symptoms

May appear periodically during the life of the cat.

  * Females: straining to urinate, blood in the urine, frequent trips
    to the litter box with only small amounts voided, loss of
    litterbox habits.

  * Males:  In addition to the above symptoms, small particles may
    lodge in the male urethra and cause complete obstruction with
    the inability to pass urine-this is a life and death situation if
    not treated quickly.

Obstruction usually occurs in the *male* cat and is most often
confined to the site where the urethra narrows as it enters the
bulbourethral gland and penis; small particles that can easily pass
out of the bladder and transverse the urethra congregate at the
bottleneck of the penile urethra to cause complete blockage.  (note
that the female urethra opens widely into the vagina with no
bottleneck).

Symptoms of obstruction are much more intense than those of bladder
inflammation alone; this is an emergency requiring immediate steps to
relieve the obstruction.  Symptoms include:

  * Frequent non-producing straining-no urine produced, discomfort,
    pain, howling.
  * *Gentle* feeling of the cats abdomen reveals a tennis ball size
    structure which is the overdistended urinary bladder.
  * Subsequent depression, vomiting and/or diarrhea, dehydration, loss
    of appetite, uremic poisoning, and coma may develop rapidly within
    24 hours.
  * Death results from uremic poisoning; advanced uremic poisoning may
    not be reversible even with relief of the obstruction and
    intensive care.  Bladders can be permanently damaged as a result.

2.  Causes of FUS

In general: any condition that causes stricture, malfunction, inflammation,
or obstruction of the urethra.  In addition, any condition that causes
inflammation, malfunction, or abnormal anatomy of the urinary
bladder.

Known causes:

  * Struvite crystals accompanied by red blood cells-generally caused
    by a diet too high in magnesium relative to the pH of the urine.
      * Fish-flavored foods tend to be worse
      * The ability of a given diet to cause problems in an individual
        cat is highly variable: only those cats with a history of this
        kind of FUS may respond well to strictly dietary management.
        Many cats do not have problems with a diet that may produce
        FUS in some individuals.
      * Bladder stones, may occur from struvite crystals, or be
        secondary to bladder infections.  There are metabolic
        disorders (not all are understood) that result in a higher
        concentration of a given mineral that can remain in solution;
        hence stones are formed.  Diet may greatly modify the
        concentration of a given mineral in solution in the urine.
        Water intake may modify the concentration of all minerals in
        the urine, and bacterial infection increases the risk of stone
        formation.
      * Anatomical abnormalities such as congenital malformations of
        the bladder and/or urethra (early neutering is NOT a factor)
        OR acquired strictures of the urethra and/or scarring of the
        bladder.
      * Trauma.
  * Neurolgenic problems affecting the act of urination (difficult to
    diagnose except at institutions capable of urethral pressure profiles)
      * Primary bacterial infection-RARE!
      * Tumors (benign/malignant)
      * Protein matrix plug (generally urethral obstruction of males);
        can be from non-mineral protein debris, viral-based, other
        causes are unknown.
  * Suspected or unknown factors include non-bacterial infections,
    toxins, stress, and seasonal influences.

3.  Management of FUS

Obstruction of the male cat is a medical emergency.  The obstruction
must be relieved immediately.

Failure to produce a good stream of urine after relief of obstruction
is indicative of urethral stricture and/or stones or matrex plugs.
Failure of bladder to empty after relief of obstruction suggests
bladder paralysis (usually temporary unless present prior to
obstruction).  In either event, a urinary catheter must be placed to
allow continual urination.

Treatment of uremic poisoning requires IV fluid therapy with
monitoring of blood levels of waste products until uremia is no
longer present.

Permanent urethral damage with stricture, inability to dislodge a
urethral obstruction, or inability to prevent recurring obstructions
are all indications for perineal urethrostomy (amputation of the penis
and narrow portion of the urethra to create a female-sized opening for
urination).  This procedure is usually effective in preventing
reobstruction of the male cat, but this procedure should be a last
resort

If FUS is indicated without obstruction, 75 to 80% of FUS cats without
obstruction may be sucessfully managed by diet alone if urine reveals
typical crystals and red blood cells.  Unobstructed male cats or
non-uremic obstructed males who have a good urine stream and bladder
function after relief of an early obstruction may be managed as above
initially.  Cats who are symptom-free after 7 to 10 days of dietary
management and who have normal follow-up urines at 21 days, may be
maintained indefinitely with dietary management only.

DL-Methionine is often prescribed for cats with FUS.  Most commonly,
FUS-specific diets contain this acidifier.  Antibiotics may be used.
Distilled water for FUS-prone cats is often recommended as well.

L.  Neutering.

If you are not planning to breed your cat or put it to stud service,
you will want to neuter it.  Technically, the general term for either
sex is neutering; female cats are spayed and male cats are castrated.
However, general usage is that female cats are spayed or neutered and
male cats are neutered.

1. Castration

Male cats are castrated. A local anesthetic is administered and
several stitches are used to close it up.  You will want to neuter the
male cat after its testicles descend but before its urine odor
changes.  This is typically around 6 months of age.  By neutering
earlier, you prevent spraying (if it has started spraying, it may not
stop after neutering, even though it is no longer hormonally driven).
By neutering later, you allow the testicles and urinary tract full
development; this is thought to reduce the chances of contracting FUS
(growth will stop after neutering or puberty; be aware that the jury
is out on this one).  If surgery must be done on an undescended
testicle then the cost and risk increase.

An intact male cat (a "tom") will spray a foul-smelling urine to mark
his territory, he will roam widely, and he will be involved in more
fights.  Often, he will be more aggressive.  He will be at higher risk
for certain diseases, such as cancer; he will also be more prone to
infection from the injuries in fights.  A neutered male cat will lose
the foul-smelling odor in his urine (but may still spray); he will not
roam as widely nor fight as often.  You will be able to keep him
indoors if you wish.  Contrary to popular opinion, he will not become
more lazy or fat.  Laziness and fatness depend on cat temperament and
how much you feed him.

2. Spaying

Female cats are spayed; this is an ovario-hysterectomy (uterus and
ovaries are removed).  There are two methods: ventral entry which is
through the stomach muscles in the belly (where a large patch of fur
will be shaved to prevent later irritation of the incision), and the
lateral entry which is through a small incision in the cat's side.
Ventral entry is less expensive, lateral entry has a quicker recovery
time.  You may have to bring your cat back in after ventral entry to
remove stitches; lateral entry uses internal sutures which dissolve.
Ventral entry is much more commonly employed; lateral entry is
relatively rare, and not all vets may know how to do it.

The cat must be put under general anesthesia.  There is always an
element of risk in general anesthesia and while it is rare, a few
rec.pets.cats readers have had their cats die under anesthesia.  The
earlier the female cat is spayed, the better.  Any time after four
months or once the heat cycles have started is good.  Spaying when the
cat is in heat or already pregnant is possible, although some vets
refuse to operate under these circumstances.  On occasion, a female
cat will not have all of her ovaries removed.  The ovaries produce the
hormones that induce heat: if your cat still goes through heat after
being spayed, you may have to take her in for exploratory surgery to
find the missed ovary, or even piece of ovary.

An intact female cat (a "queen") will go through heat which can be as
frequent as one week in four.  You must keep her indoors to prevent
breeding, and she will do her best to escape.  She will spray a foul
smelling substance.  Many cats will meow loudly for long periods of
time.  She will twitch her tail to the side and display her vulva.  If
she becomes pregnant, she will undergo all the risks and expenses
associated with pregnancy (extra visits to the vet and extra food).
Male cats will try very hard to get at her; there are documented
cases, for example, of male cats entering homes through the chimney.
Medication is available that will delay heat; breeders use this to
control the number of times their queens are bred and to work around
cat show schedules.  An unbred, unspayed cat has a much higher risk of
developing cancer of the reproductive system.  Again, spayed females
do not lose their energy or change their personality after the
procedure.

Female cats may come into estrus within a few days of giving birth.
If you have a mom-cat that you want to stop from having more litters,
try to get her spayed as soon as possible after the kittens are born.

3.  Post-op recovery

You will need to watch to make sure your cat does not try to pull out
its stitches.  Consult your vet if your cat starts pulling at its
stitches.  You might, in persistent cases, need to get an elizabethan
collar to prevent the cat from reaching the stitches.  Puffiness,
redness, or oozing around the stiches should be also reported to the
vet.

Some stitches "dissolve" on their own; others require a return to the
vet for removal.

You should note that male cats will take some time to flush all
testosterone and semen out of their systems.  There have been recorded
cases of "neutered" cats impregnating female cats shortly after their
operation.  Three to four weeks is sufficient time for neutered toms
to become sterile.

4. Cost

The cost can vary widely, depending on where you get it done.  There
are many pet-adoption places that will offer low-cost or even free
neutering services, sometimes as a condition of adoption.  Local
animal clinics will often offer low-cost neutering.  Be aware that
spaying will always cost more than castrating at any given place since
spaying is a more complex operation.  Vets almost always charge more
than clinics, partly because of overhead, but also because they often
keep the animal overnight for observation and will do free followup on
any later complications (a consideration in the case of missed
ovaries).

In the US, there is at least one group, "Friends of Animals"
(1-800-321-7387) that will give you information on low-cost
spay/neutering places, or do it themselves.  They often have
price-reduction certificates that your vet may accept.

Quoting actual prices may or may not give you an idea of the cost for
you in your area.  Costs can range from US$10 for castration at a
clinic to US$100 for spaying at the vet's.  This is money well spent.
One pair of cats, allowed to breed, and with 2 litters a year and 2.8
surviving kittens per litter, will account for 80,000 cats in 10
years!

M.  Skin Problems.

1.  Matted fur

Matted fur is a perfect breeding ground for parasites and encourages
inflammatory skin diseases.  If your cat has matted fur, do not try to
cut it off as you may injure the cat.  Mats are difficult to comb out
and may be painful.  You may have to have the vet sedate and shave the
cat.  Do groom it regularly.

2.  Bald patches

Often caused by itching and irritation of some sort.  Fleas,
allergies, eczema, and ringworm are all possible culprits.  Sometimes
it is simply stress; Vets may prescribe hormone shots or even
tranquilizers to control the scratching.

If ringworm is indicated, you must take care not to get it yourself.
It is a fungus just like athletes foot.  Tresaderm and similar
medications are used to treat this.  Since ringworm spreads by
spores, you can reduce transmission and spreading by cleaning
everything you can with bleach (save the cat itself), and washing
bedding and clothing in hot water.  It may take some time (like
several months) to get ringworm under control.

3.  Scratching

If the cat is scratching its ears and you can see black grit, that's
probably earmites.  Consult your vet for appropriate ear drops.  Ear
mites stay in the ears, but can be passed from cat to cat, especially
if they groom each other.  The life cycle of an ear mite is entirely
within the ear, so you do not have to worry about ridding your house
of them the way you do fleas.  Cats typically shake their heads when
given the medication; unless the medication actually comes back out,
that is OK.  An additional step to take is to soak a cotton ball or
pad in mineral oil (baby oil is fine), and clean out the outer ear (do
not poke into the canal).  That rids the upper ear of any ear mites
lodged higher up than the canal, and makes it difficult for the ear
mites to reestablish themselves.

Scratching and a discharge from the ears means a bacterial or fungal
infection and the vet should be immediately consulted.  Other possible
causes of scratching include fleas, lice, eczema, allergies, or stud
tail (in male cats).

4. Feline Acne

Cats can develop acne just as humans do.  Usually it is only on the
chin.  It will appear as small black spots.  The reasons for feline
acne are as complex as it is for humans.  Sometimes a food allegery
(such as chocolate with humans or milk with cats) can cause it or
sometimes the cat does not clean its chin properly.

1.  Tips on caring for feline acne

It is important to keep food dishes clean.  Acne has bacteria
associated with it. The cat's chin comes in contact with the edge of
the food/water bowl, leaving bacteria.  The next time the cat uses the
bowl, it can come in contact with this bacteria and spread it on the
chin.

  * Use glass or metal food/water dishes.  It is next to impossible to
    remove the bacteria from acne from plastic dishes.

  * Wash the food and water dishes daily.  This removes the bacteria
    from the dishes and helps to keep the problem from getting worse.
    Also, in multi-cat households, it will help reduce the chance of
    others breaking out with it.

  * Bathe the cat's chin daily with a disinfectant soap/solution from
    the vet.  Nolvasan, Xenodine, Betadine soaps are a few of the ones
    to try.  More severe cases may need to be washed twice a day. DO
    NOT USE HUMAN ACNE SOLUTIONS, these are too strong for cats and
    may cause serious problems.  Don't try to pick the spots off, just
    clean it well.

Visit the vet if you can't get the acne to clear up within a week or
two or if the acne is severe or infected.  The vet may prescribe
antibiotics for these cats or other acne treatments.

Once the acne is cleared up, keep an eye out for reoccurances.
Washing the cat's chin once a week is a good preventative measure.

N.  Thyroid Problems.

Treatments:

1)  Regular doses of Tapazol.

2. Surgery to remove most of the thyroid.
This is a difficult and potentially dangerous operation (especially
for an older cat), and it is not necessarily effective.  That is, it
will reduce the thyroid activity, but not necessarily stop the runaway
thyroid growth--it may only reduce or delay the problem and you'll
have to give Tapazol anyway.  At the other extreme, you might also end
up having to give the animal thyroid supplements...

3. Radioactive Iodine treatment of thyroid.
This is reported to be very effective in _solving_ the problem.  The
troubles are it is very expensive, and it means leaving your cat at
the facility where it is done for up to two weeks (they have to
monitor the cat to make sure all the radioactivity is gone before
letting it go home).  Leaving a cat at a facility where there are
other cats can expose it to the health problems of the other cats
there.

O.  Vomiting.

Some cats vomit all the time; other cats do so relatively rarely.
Vomiting is not a sign of the same sort of distress as it is in
humans.  Because they are carnivores, they need to be able to vomit
quickly and almost at will without feeling sick.

On the other hand, a cat that suddenly starts to vomit, or vomits more
than usual or in some way demonstrates a departure from its normal
habits should be checked by the vet.

1.  Reasons

Most commonly, a cat vomits because it has hairballs.  To check for
this, examine the vomit carefully for small grayish pellets or lumps
(it doesn't matter what color your cat's hair is).  If these are
present, then hairballs is the problem.  Hairballs occur even with
shorthair cats.  All cats benefit from regular brushing to help
minimize shedding and ingestion of hair.  If your cat is vomiting
because of hairballs, its normal behavior is not affected.  That is,
it will be its usual self immediately before and after vomiting.

To help prevent this kind of vomiting, feed your cat on a regular
basis some petroleum jelly (aka as Vaseline).  If they don't like it,
you can try Petromalt, a malt-flavored petroleum jelly.  Pats of
butter will also work.  To give it to them, if they won't eat it of
their free will, smear some on top of their paw and they will lick it
up as they clean it off.  Be careful to rub it in thoroughly,
otherwise when they shake their paw, you'll have gobs of vaseline go
flying onto the walls or carpet.  Give it to them daily for a few days
if they've just upchucked or are in the midst of dry heaves; go back
down to a weekly dose once they've gotten rid of existing hairballs
and this should keep them hairball free.  Frequent brushing also
helps; every bit of hair on the brush is less hair in your cat's
stomach.

Another common reason for vomiting is overeating, particularly dry
food.  The dry food absorbs water and swells, and then they have to
throw it back up.  If the vomit looks like a semi-solid tube of
partially digested cat food, that's probably what it is.

A cat may vomit when it is allergic to its food.  You can check this
out by trying another brand of food with substantially different
ingredients and no food colorings.

Sometimes cats vomit when they have worms.  Consult your vet for a
worming appointment.

If the vomit is white or clear, that can be one of the symptoms of
panleukopenia, feline distemper.  If such vomiting occurs a coule of
times over the course of a day or night, a phone call to the vet is
in order.

If cats eat something that obstructs their digestive system, they may
try to vomit it back up.  If you can see some of it in their mouth, DO
NOT PULL IT OUT, especially if it is string.  You may just cut up
their intestines in the attempt.  Take the cat to the vet immediately.

If the cat displays other changes of behavior along with the vomiting,
you should consult the vet.  Eg. listlessness, refusing food along
with vomiting may indicate poisoning.

Periodic throwing up can be a sign of an over-active thyroid.  This is
particularly common in older cats.  Your vet can do a blood test and
find out the thyroid level.  It can also be indicative of a kidney
infection: something that your vet can also check out.

In general, as distasteful as it may be, you should examine any vomit
for indication of why the cat vomited.

Summary:

Dietary problems include:
  * sudden change in diet
  * ingestion of foreign material (garbage, plants, etc)
  * eating too rapidly
  * intolerance or allergy to specific foods

Problems with drugs include:
  * specific reactions to certain drugs
  * accidental overdosages

Ingestion of toxins:
  * Lead, ethylene glycol, cleaning agents, herbicides, fertilizers,
    heavy metals all specifically result in vomiting.

Metabolic disorders:
  * diabetes mellitus
  * too little or too much of certain hormones, trace elements, etc.
  * renal disease
  * hepatic disease
  * sepsis
  * acidosis
  * heat stroke

Disorders of the stomach:
  * obstruction (foreign body, disease or trauma)
  * parasites
  * assorted gastric disorders
  * ulcers, polyps

Disorders of the small intestine:
  * parasites
  * enteritis
  * intraluminal obstruction
  * inflammatory bowel disease
  * fungal disease
  * intestinal volvulus
  * paralytic ileus

Disorders of the large intestine:
  * colitis
  * constipation
  * irritable bowel syndrome

Abdominal disorders:
  * pancreatitis
  * gastrinoma of the pancreas
  * peritonitus (any cause including FIP)
  * inflammatory liver disease
  * bile duct obstruction
  * steatitis
  * prostatitis
  * pyelonephritis
  * pyometra (infection of the uterus)
  * urinary obstruction
  * diaphragmatic hernia
  * neoplasia

Nerologic disorders:
  * pain, fear, excitement, stress
  * motion sickness
  * inflammatory lesions
  * head trauma
  * epilepsy
  * neoplasia

Misc:
  * hiatal hernia
  * heartworm


2.  Vomit stains

You may now have stains on the carpet that you want to get rid of.
Spot Shot, and other stain removers, work well at removing stains.  If
you're having trouble with bright red or orange stains, you may want
to invest in a cat food that doesn't use dyes.  That can help
considerably in reducing the stain factor.

(continued)
----------------
This article is Copyright (c) 1993 by Cindy Tittle Moore.  It may be
freely distributed in its entirety provided that this copyright notice
is not removed.  It may not be sold for profit nor incorporated in
commercial documents without the author's written permission.  This
article is provided "as is" without express or implied warranty.

Cindy Tittle Moore
Internet: [e-mail]       USmail: PO BOX 4188, Irvine CA 92716
----------------