Is feline distemper always fatal in kittens??

Question

Last week I got a 2 month old kitten from the Animal Welfare shelter. I brought her in today with a stool sample because she was vomiting and didn't seem to be eating much.

They told me she had feline distemper and that it's fatal. Long story short they took her from me, I'm assuming to be euthanised. I resigned myself to bad luck, but now in reading up on the disease it seems it's only 75% fatal in kittens. If this is true I find it hard to accept that the shelter is just killing her off. Does anyone know if her age or perhaps some other circumstance could be the reason it's definitely fatal for her? I had a crying 4 year old all the way home with me, and I really hope we didn't go through this horrible experience unnecessarily.

Answer 1

It is not always fatal. I cannot imagine they can just TAKE the kitten from you if you adopted it.

Answer 2

It is possible for a kitten to survive distemper, but the treatment is time consuming and costly. Those who do survive face the possibility of neurological problems for a lifetime.

If you want to get another kitten, don't get one from that shelter. The disease is highly contagious and I'd bet there are more infected kittens and cats there.

The shelters don't have the staff or the money to deal with treating this disease, which, unfortunately is mostly fatal. The easy solution for them is euthanasia.

If you would like to get a kitten, look for postings on bulletin boards in vet's offices or your local paper. Try to have the kitten checked out before you bring it home.

Answer 3

I understand that they can have some success pulling a puppy through parvo (the comparable dog affliction) and I don't think they can do it for cats. It is very touch and go with the puppies and the recovery rate is very low with the possibility of brain damage and life-long problems.

So she most likely was euthanized. It is so contagious and deadly that every cat in the shelter would have been put at risk. I was volunteering at a shelter one summer when every cat and kitten was euthanized because the shelter had to be sterilized completely to prevent further outbreak.

Of course a four year old cannot possibly understand this. You will probably get a link to the Rainbow Bridge site from people here. Read that "story" to your child. It may be a "fairy tale" in a certain sense and even at my age it is such a wonderful thought that someday my darling Spookie will come running across the grass to me to be held in my arms again I can hold it in my heart and hope it is true.

Answer 4

The shelter folk were probably concerned about other animals coming into contact with the infected kitten and possible liabilities.
Even after treatment the cat will shed the virus in urine and feces for up to six weeks. Food bowls, blankets, litter boxes, your hands, shoes, anything that may have contact with urine or feces can spread it, so the cat's environment needs to be disinfected. Distemper can be treated by offering support for the dehydration through intravenous fluids, antibiotics and B vitamins. If the cat or kitten survives past day 5, they are likely to make it, though full recovery may take weeks.

They should not have taken the kitten

Answer 5

Unfortunately if it is not fatal, that is if you had treated it, the kitten's life would not have been much of a life. Often it will affect the neurological system and cause the cat to walk on it knuckles and fall over as they cannot balance. They may always walk in a circle as their head can be tilted in one direction and they end up following it. To treat a cat with this disease is a long hard battle that you will commonly loose. The disease is very very contagious and it is often "better" to euthanize one in order to avoid it spreading to a much bigger population. I don't think they should have just taken the kitten without giving you the option to treat and letting you know what you would be getting yourself into. Was it a vet who told you it was distemper?
As hard as it was and as hard as it's going to be sometimes we don't have much of a choice and need to let our pets go quietly and painlessly instead of forcing them to live a life of misery.
Hang in there, it will get easier.

Answer 6

As far as I know feline distemper is fatal for most kittens. But it is treatable if caught in time. The vet had no right to take her from you, they should have given you the option of treatment or euthanasia. There would only be a small chance of survival but it is possible, I'm sure.

Answer 7

it is significant you get her to eat. foodstuff is her source of potential and could help her combat the an infection. whilst ever I even have had a unwell puppy the veterinarian could continually recommend I cook dinner fowl and rice. No seasonings. decrease the fowl up into little bits and combine collectively. you'll be able to desire to attempt handfeeding her.