What are some signs of distemper in cats?

Question

We recently found a young cat with frostbitten ears who was amaciated, had a bloody nose, a broken tail, and runny stools. She also seemed to have a bad rectal infection. She was very sweet and social. She was very weak and starving. We had given her a bath and some moist food. I kindof got worried when a friend said she may have distemper and that it was fatal in cats and humans. The day after we found her we took her to an adoption center so she could be treated and placed in a new home.
What are some symptoms o distemper? she didn't seem terrebly ill- just an infection and runny stool and very hungery. They eye-gooer I see in most wild cats and most other wild cats I see have very poor fur quality. I really don't wan't the disease passed onto my pets or myself. What should I do if I suspect she had it?

Cat had bloodied nose, sticky eyes, frostbitten ears, a rectal infection, runny stools, and was amaciated. She wasn't so weak the next day after some food and a warm place to sleep. Was extreamly tame and affectionate.

Answer 1

Feline distemper is called Feline Panleukopenia. First, before we even talk symptoms, you should know that in NO way are you or any of your family at risk for contracting Panleuk. This infectious disease is "species specific" - that is to say that it affects cats and cats only.

Panleuk is a highly infectious disease that causes gastrointestinal, respiratory and neurologic disease. The illness is characterized by high fevers (over 103*), diarrhea and vomiting, and nasal and eye discharge. The neurologic signs are seen in the end stages of the infection. It is very often fatal. Cats and kittens who have the disease can overcome, but it's often at a high financial cost and can be a long battle.

The good news is this; if she's eating, that's a great sign. Cats with Panleuk are NOT interested in food. The eye goobers can be a sign of a very common upper respiratory infection that has NOTHING to do with Panleuk. It sounds like you just have a kitten who's had a rough go thus far. If you're interested in knowing, you can use a lubricated rectal thermometer to check her body temperature - normal for a kitty cat is between 99.5 and 102. If she's running a fever, it'd be best to get her into your vet as soon as possible to get her a physical (obviously, she should get to a vet soon anyway). While you're waiting to get her to see a doctor, keep her seperate from any other cats you might have in the house, just as a precaution.

Best of luck to you. Bless you for rescuing this little baby who was in such desperate need of a home. We'll send good thoughts your way!

Answer 2

Signs Of Distemper In Cats

Answer 3

Symptoms Of Distemper In Cats

Answer 4

The symptoms of panleukopenia can be similar to those seen in dogs with parvo or canine distemper (vomiting, diarrhea and seizures), which is why the disease is sometimes called 'feline distemper'. Panleukopenia in young unvaccinated kittens is usually fatal.

Young Cats: Many older cats who are exposed to feline panleukopenia virus do not show symptoms. However, young (3-5 months old) unvaccinated cats can become seriously ill. The onset of symptoms is sudden and cats will start out with fevers of 104-107°, depression, and will not eat. These symptoms appear so suddenly, some owners think their pet has been poisoned. Three to four days later they will start vomiting and can become severely dehydrated. Severely dehydrated cats may hang their heads over the water bowl, but not drink. Diarrhea can also occur and may be bloody.

A cat who becomes severely dehydrated may develop a lower than normal body temperature (hypothermia), become weak and even comatose. Such a cat is very susceptible to developing a bacterial infection in addition to the viral infection.

Cats who survive the symptoms for longer than five days will usually survive, but complete recovery (regaining of weight) may take several weeks.

Pregnant Cats and Their Litters: Pregnant cats who become infected with panleukopenia may abort or have stillborn kittens. In some cases, some of the kittens in the litter will be born incoordinated and have tremors, especially of the head. These nervous system changes are caused by the panleukopenia virus affecting the cerebellum, the part of the brain responsible for coordinating muscle movement. Mentally, these cats appear normal. As the kittens grow, they may be able to compensate and lead relatively normal lives.

Kittens may also have abnormalities of the retina of the eye (the back of the eye which receives the light and sends signals to the brain).

I don't believe humans can get this from cats.

Answer 5

Distemper is not a sickness like a cold, it is more of a neurological problem. The signs of it are close to the same signs of rabies. Either way, all responsable pet owners should have their pets distemper shots renewed every year due to the fact that they can catch this from simple things like licking or eating squirrel poop. Lots of wild animals have this disease, and dogs and cats that go outside are at high risk of getting it. Sounds to me like that cat probaly just had some viral infection.

Answer 6

Distemper can NOT be passed on to humans or to pets such as dogs...whoever told you that was completely clueless.

I doubt that the cat had distemper, but rather was half starved and was full of worms. It may also have had a slight URI and have been injured in some way..

No need to be concerned.

Answer 7

This Site Might Help You.

RE:
What are some signs of distemper in cats?
We recently found a young cat with frostbitten ears who was amaciated, had a bloody nose, a broken tail, and runny stools. She also seemed to have a bad rectal infection. She was very sweet and social. She was very weak and starving. We had given her a bath and some moist food. I kindof got worried...

Answer 8

**** NOTE ******
Feline distemper is not transmitted to humans.






Feline distemper, also called feline panleukopenia, cat plague, cat fever, feline agranulocytosis, and feline infectious enteritis, is an acute, highly infectious viral disease affecting members of the Felidae, Procyonidae and Mustelidae.


Transmission and Development


Feline distemper virus is shed in all body secretions and excretions of affected animals. Recovered animals may shed virus for months. Fleas and other insects, especially flies, may play a role in transmission of the disease. The route of infection is either inhalation or ingestion of infective material by a susceptible host. Feline distemper virus affects all rapidly dividing cells including cells of the intestinal mucosa, bone marrow and reticulo-endothelial system.


Clinical Signs and Pathology


Feline distemper usually begins suddenly with a high fever. Some animals may die peracutely at this stage with a minimum of gross lesions. More commonly, the high fever is followed by depression, vomiting, anorexia, diarrhea, and a profound leukopenia. These signs rapidly lead to severe dehydration. In a wild animal, feline distemper may progress as described above or the disease may be characterized by an encephalitis syndrome with central nervous system disturbances, convulsions, or ataxia. The course of the disease is short and rarely lasts over one week, but mortality is high and may reach 100% in susceptible animals.


The pathological lesions of feline distemper are found primarily in the bone marrow and small intestine.


Necropsy findings include an empty intestinal tract, hemorrhagic small intestine, hemorrhagic and edematous mesenteric lymph nodes, and a fluid-like appearance of the bone marrow of the long bones.


Diagnosis


A presumptive diagnosis can be made based on necropsy findings and the demonstration of leukopenia with a marked absence of granulocytes on differential blood cell count. Definitive diagnosis is based on histological examination and laboratory analysis of affected tissues.


Treatment and Control


No treatment other than supportive care and prevention of secondary bacterial infection exists for feline distemper. There is no means of control in wildlife populations other than the vaccination of susceptible domestic species to decrease the number of potential hosts.


Significance


The impact of this disease on wildlife populations in Michigan is thought to be small. Bobcats are very susceptible to feline distemper; however, we are aware of only one being positively diagnosed with the disease. Feline distemper is not transmitted to humans.

Answer 9

here's a website that's informative:
http://www.starbreezes.com/11/fdistemper.html