Can a cat catch a cold? Signs, symptoms and treatment if your cat has a cold.

Symptoms Diseases of cats with “cold” symptoms Diagnostics Treatment of infectious respiratory diseases Treatment of non-infectious diseases Prevention of respiratory diseases
Every year during the cold season, people get colds, often suffering from them “on their feet”. Therefore, when a cat begins to sneeze and cough, and there is discharge from the nose and eyes, the owners believe that the cat is frozen and has a “cold.” However, cats are not as susceptible to drafts and temperature changes, so a “cat cold” often implies more serious respiratory problems. Typically, these problems are caused by viruses.

Reasons why a cat has a cold

Knowing the reasons why the cat caught a cold , the owner has the opportunity to protect the cat from the disease. Colds that cats can get have different causes. Which ones we will look at below.

living conditions - this factor greatly influences the occurrence of colds in your pet. It often happens when, having adopted a cat, people simply do not know how to treat it. They believe that she will feel good in any conditions. This is wrong. Keeping a cat requires certain conditions that must be adhered to, taking into account breed characteristics, climatic conditions, etc. The animal must not be allowed to become hypothermic. An atmosphere that is too humid can cause pneumonia. A lot of nuances must be taken into account. For detailed information on keeping cats, you can contact our veterinary center;

nutrition is also an important factor. The animal's nutrition must be complete and balanced. Often, due to the lack of vitamins and microelements, the animal’s immunity decreases and the body becomes an open target for attack by viruses and infections;

temperature change - the cat’s body, despite its predatory origin, is very sensitive to temperature changes. On hot summer days, you should keep the room temperature at about 19-20 degrees, and on cold winter days at about 24 degrees. It is very important

Hypothermia - situations here can be different. Sometimes, after the owners bathe the cat, they finish the procedure without drying its fur, but in vain. There may be a draft in the room and the pet may get sick. Another situation is when your cat likes to walk outside and you welcome it, he may get caught in the rain and also become hypothermic, which is fraught with a cold;

other diseases - very often, various ailments that occur without any symptoms can weaken the animal’s immunity.

Is it dangerous! Since latent pathology can develop aggressively against the background of a cold, the animal’s body takes a double blow to its health.

The most dangerous diseases

A runny nose is a symptom of the most dangerous viral diseases:

Calcivirosis.
Rhinotracheitis.
Panleukopenia.

Calcivirosis

An extremely contagious viral infection. Characterized by fever, rhinitis and stomatitis. Kittens taken from their mothers become ill.

Rhinotracheitis

Rhinotracheitis is caused by the herpes virus. Develops rhinitis, conjunctivitis and tracheitis. The kitten cries and sneezes, having recovered from the disease, it becomes a carrier of the virus, gaining lifelong immunity. Hypothermic cubs and unvaccinated individuals become ill. Unbalanced nutrition and overcrowding increases the risk of epizootics.

The signs of the disease are similar to the symptoms of Calcivirosis, but the ulcers do not appear on the mucous membrane of the mouth, but on the cornea of the eye. In kittens, necrosis of nasal tissue and bone resorption are observed.

Rhinotracheitis

Panleukopenia

Panleukopenia is a dangerous disease with high mortality. Survivors within 100 hours become reservoirs of Parvovirus. Contagium is transmitted by blood-sucking exoparasites.

There is no placental barrier; kittens receive the virus in utero. Intermittent fever is characteristic. First, body temperature rises 2 °C above normal, and after 2 days it drops 1 °C below the limit.

The pulmonary variant of panleukopenia is characterized by purulent discharge from wear and tear and eyes. Cloudy films and hemorrhages appear on the mucous membranes. The mortality rate is, on average, 50%.

Panleukopenia

Can a cat catch a cold? What are the first symptoms?

Colds are usually caused by exposure to viruses. This type of disease is characterized by certain symptoms that are easy to notice in your pet . If your cat has a cold , you need to pay attention to its behavior

.
Knowing the signs of a cold in cats , it becomes possible to quickly respond to their manifestations and seek help from a veterinary center. This will avoid complications and deterioration of the pet’s condition.

So, here are the main symptoms of colds in cats:

apathy and weakness - a cat is not the most active representative of the fauna and loves to lie in its favorite place. This lazy pet behavior is normal. But when the animal does not react in any way to your attempt to play with it and practically does not move from its place, it is worth thinking about;
Nasal discharge - colds in cats may be accompanied by characteristic nasal discharge. Along with them, bad enzymes and microorganisms leave the animal’s body. The discharge itself has a transparent color and a viscous consistency. But if they take on the hue of purulent discharge mixed with blood, you urgently need to seek help from a veterinarian, this is a dangerous sign;
sneezing and coughing - by coughing and sneezing, the cat clears its airways. If you cough frequently, you should make sure that there are no foreign bodies in the respiratory tract that make breathing difficult;
discharge from the eyes;
loss of appetite - during the course of the disease, intoxication occurs. It is characterized by decreased appetite. A cat may not eat well, but it should drink as much as it needs. Therefore, the bowl of water should always be full and the contents clean. If loss of appetite lasts more than 36 hours, you should take the animal to the veterinarian and describe the change in its behavior;
inflammation of the mucous membranes - this symptom is not typical for all cats. Basically, the redness of the mucous membranes in an animal depends on the characteristics of the breed. In some cases, it may indicate a change in blood pressure;
increase in body temperature - if the cat is lethargic, and the thermometer readings show significant deviations from the norm, you should start to worry. High body temperature may indicate an inflammatory process in the body.

If you notice one of the symptoms of a cold, do not delay and immediately contact a veterinary center for help. Our specialists will arrive within 40 minutes and will provide all the necessary measures.

Diseases of cats with “cold” symptoms

Infectious diseases:

Rhinotracheitis (feline herpesvirus)
Calcevirosis
Chlamydia
Mycoplasmosis
Bordetellosis

Non-communicable diseases:

Allergy
Bronchial asthma
Mechanical rhinitis (foreign bodies entering the respiratory tract - most often dust particles and small plant seeds)
Neoplasms in the nasal cavity and upper respiratory tract

The appearance of signs of a cold should not go unnoticed by the animal owner. Often, the animal may self-heal, or the disease will enter a chronic stage without the manifestation of clinical symptoms. In young, weakened and unvaccinated animals, serious complications, even death, are common.

Diagnostics:

Before prescribing treatment, the attending physician must conduct a diagnosis of the cat’s body to identify the exact cause of the disorder. The fact is that the symptoms of colds are similar to other pathologies in animals. It is very important to exclude the occurrence of dangerous diseases and make an accurate diagnosis

. To ensure that the research result is accurate, certain measures are taken. Let's look at the most basic of them:

initial examination by a veterinarian - involves a visual assessment of the patient’s condition. It is necessary to give the doctor detailed information about the change in the pet’s condition and its actions over the last 72 hours;
blood test - biochemical and general analysis of blood cells allows doctors to determine the condition of the body and internal organs as a whole;
Ultrasound examination and radiography - these procedures are prescribed additionally if the situation requires it.

Treatment of non-communicable diseases

Treatment of non-infectious respiratory diseases depends on their origin.

For feline asthma, it is necessary, if possible, to identify allergens, exclude the animal’s contact with them, and use hormonal steroid drugs in the treatment regimen.
In case of mechanical rhinitis, it is necessary to remove the foreign object from the nasopharynx and, if necessary, connect to the sanitation of the nasal cavity.
In case of neoplasms, it is necessary to remove the tumor and carry out further supportive therapy for the animal. With your doctor, assess the risks and quality of life of your pet if additional diagnostics show that the tumor affects other vital organs and tissues, or has metastasized to vital organs.

For any respiratory disease, the main key to success is the timely provision of qualified veterinary care.

Treatment of colds in cats

How to treat colds in cats , what to do? After diagnosis, the doctor must prescribe competent treatment aimed at combating the disease. Taking antibiotics and stronger drugs is not necessary. If a cat has a common cold, the doctor only prescribes following the recommendations throughout the course of the disease.

Main treatment steps:

the room where the animal is located must be dry and regularly ventilated;
the animal is entitled to rest;
there should always be warm water or milk in the bowl;
in case of chills, cover the animal with a blanket;
If there is excessive discharge from the nose and eyes, you should wipe it with a cotton swab.

Follow your doctor's instructions and monitor your pet's health. If the cat's health does not improve, contact the veterinary center again. Under no circumstances should you try to cure your pet yourself by self-medicating. This event can lead to a deterioration in the animal’s condition, as well as provoke the appearance of other diseases!

Prevention:

Better than any treatment is the absence of disease.

Preventive measures aimed at strengthening the cat’s immunity can become a powerful weapon in the hands of every owner . With their help, you can prevent the occurrence of many diseases. Preventive measures usually consist of recommendations from leading veterinarians. Let's look at some of them so that the cat doesn't catch a cold .

nutrition – your furry friend’s diet should be complete and balanced. The food must contain all the necessary vitamins, minerals and trace elements. You should not feed your animal expired food or allow it to rummage through food waste. If the animal is walking on the street, you need to teach the pet not to eat anything other than homemade food;
conditions - in order for the cat to feel comfortable and healthy, it is necessary to provide it with certain conditions during its maintenance. The air temperature should be different at certain times of the year. The bedding on which the animal lies must be promptly cleaned and disinfected. When bathing, it is necessary to exclude the cat from being in a draft;
visit to the veterinarian - in order to ensure good health for your pet, it is necessary to visit a veterinarian in a timely manner. This will prevent the occurrence of many diseases, as well as detect dangerous diseases at an early stage, which will help carry out treatment more successfully;
other diseases - during the course of any disease, you cannot leave everything to chance. Any pathology weakens the pet’s immunity and can cause complications.

Treatment of infectious respiratory diseases

The key to successful treatment of infectious diseases is an individual approach to each animal. However, there is a general scheme for the treatment of respiratory infections.

Specific therapy
- if the pathogen is identified, drugs are prescribed to which a particular microorganism is sensitive (for example, doxycycline for chlamydial infection)
If the disease is caused by a virus that (like all viruses) does not respond to targeted treatment, antibiotic therapy is usually still necessary.
In addition to the viruses themselves, the primary pathogens, secondary opportunistic microflora play a significant role in respiratory diseases. The use of antibiotics in the treatment of infectious diseases stops the increased growth of bacteria that are on the surface of your pet's respiratory tract and prevents the development of complications, thereby giving the body time to fight the primary pathogen.
Symptomatic therapy
is necessary to maintain the animal’s body during illness. The variability of symptoms is high, so this may include painkillers, antipyretics, hemostatic drugs, as well as local sanitation of the nasal passages and treatment of the oral cavity.

Treatment at home

There is no universal way to cure a runny nose in a cat at home. It all depends on the disease. For example, if you have a cold, it is recommended to give your cat food with a high content of vitamins A and C.

If a cat has a runny nose and is sneezing, it is not the symptoms that should be treated, but the cause of the disease. However, this is usually not possible at home, so you can simply reduce the overall inflammation.

What to wash with?

The easiest way to cure a runny nose in a cat is to drip medicine into the nostrils. Although this will not help if you have a serious illness, it will help relieve symptoms. You can bury:

The listed remedies are folk methods for treating a runny nose in a cat at home. They may cause allergies or have no effect. If the animal is suffering from a bacterial infection, these methods will not help, since antibiotics are required, which are taken orally.

If the disease is associated with injury and flows from only one nostril, it is better to use ointment to speed up regeneration. And wipe only where the wound is located.

How to rinse and instill nose

It’s clear what medications to use and what to do if your cat has a runny nose. However, the next question is how to instill or rinse the nose, because the kitten is unlikely to calmly endure this procedure.

As with any unpleasant procedures, the cat must first be immobilized: wrapped in a towel, placed in a sock or pant leg. The main thing is to press the paws to the body so that it cannot escape or scratch the owner.

Remedies for the treatment of runny nose in cats at home should be instilled using a pipette. The liquid should be at room temperature. It is imperative to adhere to the dosage so as not to dry out the mucous membrane.

In addition to instillation, other methods can be used. For example, a good way to cure a runny nose in a cat at home is heating it with warm salt or an ultraviolet lamp. But, if traditional methods do not help, and the snot does not go away for more than a week, you should contact the clinic.

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