Pet owners warned of calici virus release

Let we know what is  calici virus?

Calici Virus is also known as FCV (Feline Calici Virus) and is the least severe of the 3 Upper Respiratory Infections which cats are usually immunized against. Even for a virus it is considered to be small.

There are many factors which will determine the strength and type of symptoms which will be experienced by the infected cat; these factors include:

   1.  The Age of the Cat: Very young or very old cats will tend to get sick much easier. Very young kittens can even die if this disease becomes too severe.
2. The Amount of Exposure to the Virus: If the cat is exposed to a higher number of virus particles then there will be a higher number of viruses growing (incubating) inside the cat before it’s immune system has a chance to know what is happening.
3. The Nutritional Health of the Cat: If the infected cat has been eating very nutritious food and is not suffering from any nutritional deficiencies then the cat will be better able to fight the disease.
4. The Strain of Calici Virus: There are many different strains of Calici Virus, some are very strong and some are fairly weak.
5. General Health of the Cat: If the cat is unhealthy, suffering from another disease, or is immuno-suppressed by a disease or some prescription drugs it will have a much harder time fighting the virus.
6. Genetics: Some cats are more prone to certain strains of Calici Virus, while others may be partially immune to it.

Once infected, the cat will become a carrier of the Calici Virus for months or even years to come. This means that they will be able to infect other cats if they come in contact with them or they can infect objects in their environment, which can later infect another cat that comes into contact with that object. The virus can survive 8 to 10 days in the environment after it has left the cat’s body. Kittens will get much sicker than adult cats, and will therefore shed many more virus particles into the environment. Kittens will also give other cats a much larger exposure to the virus and cause them to become much sicker than if they had caught the infection from an adult cat.

Symptoms:
Calici Virus affects the eyes, nose, mouth, and sometimes the lungs. Symptoms can range anywhere from nothing to severe pneumonia.
Symptoms will usually include:

* Ulcers everywhere in the mouth including the tongue, lips, and nose.
* Clear eye and nose discharge.
* Sneezing.
* Fever.
* Limping.
* Swollen eyelids.
* Lack of appetite.
* Difficulty breathing.
* Pneumonia.
* Severe drooling caused by the ulcers in the cat’s mouth.

The nasal discharge is not as thick and there is not as much of it as there is with Rhinotracheitis.

Diagnosis:
Veterinarians will generally diagnose Calici Virus by looking at the symptoms that the cat is experiencing, but there are some laboratory tests which can be performed if necessary.

Treatment:
Unfortunately, as with other viral infections there isn’t very much that the veterinarian can do to cure it. A veterinarian will usually prescribe antibiotics to prevent secondary bacterial infections from taking advantage of the cat’s weakened immune system. You should care for your cat in a comfortable and familiar environment. You should also keep your cat clean and warm. If the cat’s nose or lungs become too filled with mucous then the veterinarian could help to clear the cat’s air passageways.

Another important part of treating an infected cat is to keep it isolated to one part of your home. This is especially true if you have other cats in your home which haven’t yet been infected. The sick cat(s) should have their own litter box, food and water dishes, and sleeping areas; if other cats are not yet sick they should not be allowed to come into contact with the infected cats or their environment. You should also try to keep the environment in which you are keeping your sick cat as clean as possible. You should also have all of the healthy cats immunized against Calici Virus immediately, because even despite all of your efforts to separate your sick cats from the healthy ones, unless you have a very large home, the other cats will most likely become infected sooner or later.
The vaccine for Calici Virus should be given to kittens shortly after they are born (10 to 12 weeks). As with any vaccine, it is only effective if given before the cat has been infected with Calici Virus. Most vaccine manufacturers will try to make their vaccine effective against as many of the most common strains of Calici Virus as possible.

After becoming infected with the Calici Virus, a cat will usually become naturally immune to that particular strain after about ten days. This means that they can still become infected with Calici Virus in the future, but not the exact same strain. It is also possible for a cat to become infected with other diseases while they are still sick with Calici Virus.

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