Can indoor cats get viruses

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Marshall, III M. With William F. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Accessed May 5, Coronavirus disease If you have pets. Food and Drug Administration. Accessed May 6, Products and Services U. How to take your pulse How to measure your respiratory rate How to take your temperature Loss of smell Mayo Clinic Minute: You're washing your hands all wrong Mayo Clinic Minute: How dirty are common surfaces?

See coronavirus cases and forecasts Track vaccine rates by state. The vaccine should definitely be administered if your cat spends any time outdoors ASPCA experts recommend keeping pet cats indoors.

Symptoms of Rabies Animals will not show signs immediately following exposure to a rabid animal. Symptoms can be varied and can take months to develop. Classic signs of rabies in cats include: Changes in behavior including aggression, restlessness and lethargy , Increased vocalization Loss of appetite Weakness Disorientation Paralysis Seizures Sudden death Diagnosing Rabies There is no accurate test to diagnose rabies in live animals.

The direct fluorescent antibody test is the most accurate test for diagnosis, but it can only be performed after the death of the animal.

When the animal becomes infectious, symptoms appear quickly. It is possible for a cat, or dog, to shed the virus for several days before clinical signs appear. There is no treatment or cure for rabies once symptoms appear. The disease results in fatality. Call your veterinarian for an immediate appointment! Contact local animal control officers if the animal who bit your pet is still at large; they will be best able to safely apprehend and remove the animal from the environment.

A cat who is up to date with his vaccinations and who has been bitten by a possibly rabid animal should also be given a rabies booster vaccine immediately and kept under observation for 45 days. Expand to read more Ringworm Symptoms Classic symptoms of ringworm in cats include: Skin lesions that typically appear on the head, ears and forelimbs.

Ringworm can cause flaky bald patches that sometimes look red in the center. Ringworm Transmission A cat can get ringworm directly through contact with an infected animal—or indirectly through contact with bedding, dishes and other materials that have been contaminated with the skin cells or hairs of infected animals.

Any cat can develop ringworm, but kittens less than a year old and geriatric cats are most prone to infection. Long-haired cats and those who are immunocompromised are also more susceptible. Ringworm can quickly spread in shelters or other crowded environments.

Warm and humid conditions tend to promote ringworm infections. Since some cats show few or no symptoms, a diagnosis of ringworm is rarely made just by looking at the skin. Skin biopsy and microscopic exam are sometimes also performed. Treating Ringworm Treatment of ringworm depends on the severity of the infection. A veterinarian may prescribe a shampoo or ointment that contains a special medication to kill the fungus. In some cases, oral medications are necessary.

Your veterinarian may recommend that you do the following: Bathe all pets in the household with a medicated rinse or shampoo.

Discard items that are impossible to thoroughly disinfect carpeted cat trees, etc. Frequently vacuum to rid the house of infected hairs and skin cells. Yes, the fungus can survive on hair and skin that your cat sheds! Thoroughly wash your hands after you bathe or touch your cat.

These viruses can be transmitted from cat to cat through sneezing, coughing, or while grooming or sharing food and water bowls. Once infected, cats can become carriers for life, and though they may not show clinical signs, they can still transmit the viruses to others. Cats often develop bacterial infections secondary to these common viral infections. There are also upper respiratory infections in cats that are primarily caused by bacteria. Chlamydia and Bordetella—commonly found in shelters and areas with multiple cats—are two such bacterial infections.

Less common in cats than dogs, Bordetella is usually associated with stress and overcrowded living conditions. Preventing Upper Respiratory Infections Keep your cat indoors to minimize the risk of exposure to infected animals. Properly isolate infected cats to protect other pets living in the same environment. Minimize stress. Keep your cat up to date on vaccines as recommended by your vet.

Vaccines for upper respiratory disease in cats may not actually prevent infection, but they help lessen the severity of the disease in some cases. Regular veterinary exams and preventative care can help catch and treat problems early. Practice good hygiene and wash your hands thoroughly when handling multiple cats. Cats who live in multi-cat households or shelters are most susceptible. Veterinarians have found that stress plays a role in causing outbreaks of URI, and cats in any shelter, cattery or boarding facility are generally experiencing high levels of stress.

Cats who have recovered from URI can become carriers, and may experience recurrences when stressed. Certain breeds like Persians and other flat-faced breeds have a predisposition to develop upper respiratory infections due to their facial structure. Treating Upper Respiratory Infections Your veterinarian will prescribe the best course of treatment for your cat, which may include: Medications Isolation Rest Support with fluids Nutritional support Left untreated, some upper respiratory infections can progress to pneumonia or have other serious complications, such as blindness or chronic breathing difficulties.

Expand to read more Common Types of Worms in Cats Outdoor cats and those who are routinely exposed to soil where other animals defecate are prone to worms. Roundworms are the most common internal parasites in cats. Resembling spaghetti, adult worms are three to four inches long. There are several ways cats can become infected. Hookworms are much smaller than roundworms—less than an inch long—and reside primarily in the small intestine. Hookworm eggs are passed in the stool and hatch into larvae, and a cat can become infected either through ingestion or skin contact.

Tapeworms are long, flat, segmented parasites that range from 4 to 28 inches in length. An infestation can cause vomiting or weight loss. Cats acquire tapeworms by ingesting an intermediate host, like an infected flea or rodent. Lungworms reside in the lungs of a cat. Most cats will not show any signs of having lungworms, but some can develop a cough. Snails and slugs are popular intermediate hosts of this type of parasite, but cats are usually infected after eating a bird or rodent who has ingested an intermediate host.

Though means of transmission can vary, one of the main ways that cats get worms is through the ingestion of the feces of infected felines. Mother cats can also pass on worms to their kittens. Just like in humans, cats can get sick for a number of reasons. Infectious diseases are dramatically reduced if you keep your pet inside but not eliminated completely. As your pet ages, diseases can appear that are not influenced by exposure to the outside world.

These diseases, like diabetes, heart disease, hyperthyroidism, inflammatory bowel disease, kidney disease, dental disease, cancer and arthritis, are just a few to mention that can occur in our beloved indoor cats. Unfortunately, cats are extremely stoic and do not easily show their symptoms of illness to you, their caretaker. In the wild, cats intuitively hide their signs of illness so they do not become prey. Regrettably, most of our indoor cats only obviously show their signs of illness to their owners late in the disease course -- thus, reducing our chance for a successful medical or surgical outcome.

For young cats, we recommend at least once yearly comprehensive physical examinations. I concluded each of the above visits with a strong affirmation of the importance of vaccinations in the prevention of diseases in our feline patients.