Will Kitten Get Parvo

Highly contagious and potentially deadly parvo in cats has been on the rise in populations across the world.

Will kitten get parvo. Yes parvo in cats is transmissible to other unvaccinated cats. However kittens and juvenile cats usually 3 5 months old are susceptible to a different form of parvovirus called feline panleukopenia or fp for short. Kittens are most severely affected by the virus. So what is feline parvovirus.

The names feline distemper and feline parvo should not be confused with canine distemper or canine parvo although their names are similar they are caused by different viruses. The conventional form of parvo prevention is vaccination. Kittens are more susceptible to parvo especially if exposed to an infected animal such as their mother. It is highly contagious and cats should be vaccinated as kittens and have booster shots every year.

Symptoms range from fever severe dehydration diarrhea and vomiting. Cats can get parvo directly from contact with another cat who has it. It is actually a virus called panleukopenia but is sometimes called feline parvo because the symptoms are similar to the symptoms of canine parvo virus. So while it is uncommon yes cats can get parvovirus from dogs.

How to diagnose and treat parvo in cats is rather simple with lab tests and antibiotics but you must act quickly. Feline panleukopenia fp is a highly contagious viral disease of cats caused by the feline parvovirus. Parvo in cats is different than the parvo virus that dogs get. They can also get it from contact with an infected cat s urine feces and nose secretions.

But parvo can also be transmitted by fleas that have fed off of an infected cat which is why it s very difficult to prevent your kitten from being exposed to this deadly disease. According to a 2012 study of canine parvovirus in asymptomatic feline carriers researchers found that is parvo is contagious from dogs to cats and vice versa. Whilst it s rare and unlikely it can happen. For example if a parvo outbreak in an animal shelter takes place there is the possibility of cross contamination.

Although vaccination is no guarantee that your dog or cat will not become infected with parvo it severely limits the odds of it happening. It is possible for cats to get parvo from dogs. Cats get feline distemper via the parvovirus. Parvo in cats feline infectious enteritis feline distemper panleukopenia or cat plague are all common terms used to describe the infectious disease known as parvovirus.

People who handle an infected cat or an infected cat s bedding food or water dish can carry the virus to the next cat they handle.