My vet says my cat has Calicivirus. I told her my cat has bad breath, very red gums & she occasionaly sneezes. I adopted her from a humane society 3 months ago. They said she's about between 4 to 5 years old. My vet said it's almost like a kitty herpes, but it's not and she said she'll keep a watch out for her. I am concerned as I don't know much about this a read a few articles, but still confused. I massage her gums almost daily and give her Feline Greenies for cats. I see some results with that. Does anyone out there at Yahoo have the same cat symptoms? Need some good answers Thanks a lot Yahoo Answers ( :
2007-12-27 08:11:17 · 6 answers · asked by litta bitts 1 in Pets ➔ Cats
The vet is right, the calcivirus and the herpes virus both affect cats eyes/respiratory system. The herpes virus can be treated easily with powdered lysine, it stops runny eyes in less than three days and can keep that at bay really easily, but the calcivirus is harder to control and if there's a problem of runny eyes caused by this you need a prescription cream to put in the eyes for that.
If it's part of a respiratory problem, you need to treat it as it won't get better without treatment. Usually when a cat gets their three-in-one vaccination it covers the calcivirus but there are different forms.
The red gums COULD be one of several other things though. Feline stomatitis is one, which is connected to feline bartonella (a GOOD thing because if the bartonella is treated, it can cure up the stomatitis completely--you'd need a blood test to see though. New info on bartonella has come out in the last few years, they found 3/4 of cats with bad mouth problems could be treated because of the bartonella connection). It could also be an immune system reaction to the surface of the teeth (an FIV problem mostly) or one of several other things.
But if your cat was tested and the test said calcivirus, then read up on it more, you'll find some good info online.
2007-12-27 13:44:55 · answer #1 · answered by Elaine M 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
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2016-08-21 21:33:17 · answer #2 · answered by ? 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Treatment For Calicivirus In Cats
2016-12-18 04:51:09 · answer #3 · answered by rawson 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Hey I actually work at a vets office. We don't see many cases of the Calicivirus but there is a good website that has quite a bit of information about the virus. The website is veterinarypartner.com, its a very helpful website.. You can also find some useful information on wikipedia.com if you search for Feline Calicivirus. I hope this was helpful! Good Luck
2007-12-27 08:43:55 · answer #4 · answered by cutie_tiff01 1 · 1⤊ 0⤋
90% of upper respiratory infections in cats are caused by either herpes virus or calici so it's pretty common, particularly in shelters where cats send it back and forth between each other all the time. one of my cats had this as well - my cat was pretty sneezy & wheezy most of the time until the episode cleared (another of mine had herpes and had a chronic respiratory infection for most of her 15 yrs of life - the treatment of her symptoms was pretty much the same as my cat with calici...main difference is that hers was recurring and she had episodes of it all her life.).
there are many different strains of calici, and like a cold in humans, it can be either raging and make the cat very ill or it can be minor and she will just be a bit uncomfortable until the episode passes and she's fine again. i'd be willing to bet your kitty isn't doing too bad if the vet wasn't wanting to do much more than keep an eye on her. (the very sick ones stay there and get put on IV fluids and rounds of meds.) other than letting it run its course and an occasional bout of antibiotics (to treat any secondary bacterial infections since antibiotics will not cure the cold virus itself), there isn't much you can do besides treat the symptoms to make her feel better.
• bring her into the bathroom for 15 mins several times a day with the hot shower running...the steam will help open her nasal passages.
• warm up some wet food in the microwave for only a few seconds (and stir it up well so there is no hot spot that can burn her)...she may not be interested in eating much if she can't smell anything.
• keep her warm and dry...no drafty areas, no outdoor activity and no baths until it's cleared up.
• if she has mouth ulcers, you can mix white cheddar cheese with water to make a paste & spread it on the gums...the cheese contains enzymes that are supposed to help alleviate the infection & "eat" the bacteria. i haven't done this with any of my cats who had URIs but it had been told to me as a natural remedy by my vet.
it can be pretty sad to see our kitties so miserable sometimes. if she gets any worse (stops eating altogether, can't open eyes from ulcers or matting, stops going to the bathroom, gets lethargic or has no interest in anything around her) get her back to your vet right away...but this really is generally not too bad for them to get thru. it just takes time and support. good luck to the kitty!
http://www.marvistavet.com/html/body_feline_upper_respiratory.html
http://www.cfa.org/articles/health/calici.html
2007-12-27 09:08:03 · answer #5 · answered by sleepycatz1972 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
you should ask your vet to explained it to you .
2007-12-27 08:15:53 · answer #6 · answered by minnie 1 · 1⤊ 0⤋