Certain Cat Disease Questions

Hi... I'm new here, so if I'm not posting this in the right spot.. I'm extremely sorry.

Anyway...

I live at an old farm, where people keep dumping cats on me. Most are wild. But I've grown to love them all, even the wild ones.

But a few years back, we had about 20 cats when they started to get sick. Only 4 of tem were inside cats. Having the same symptoms as an animal would if they got Anti-Freeze poisoning. We took the one who first got sick, Koda, to the vet and they said it was Anti-Freeze poisoning...but we didn't have any anti-freeze in the house. We told them about it, but te said they "only treated the symptoms."

Symptoms:
-Started to get wobbly which progressed into not walking.
-Dehydration
-No appetite
-Some Vomiting
-Death

He ended up dying after spending over $400 at the vet within 2 weeks. Then the other cats around him started to do the same thing... inside cats and out. Within 3 weeks... 6 cats died. 2 of them inside cats. All with the same thing as Koda.

But what I don't understand is what it is, how it's obviously contagious, what caused it, and how to prevent it from ever happening again.

Do you have any idea as towhat it might be?

 

board is making me crazy - I had this typed and it wouldn't send
Anyway sounds like either feline leuk or distemper. I would do an online search for symptons of both to see.
With the cats being dumped off, and feral, I wouldn't imagine you've been able to get them vaccines. If it is either of these 2 diseases it'll go right through your colony.
You could test 1 or 2 cats to see if that's what it is. If it is either the kindest thing to do would be to let them all be humanely put to sleep.
I hope that's not it....

 

Thanks for the reply!

Well, it happened about 5 years ago and I was really sad when it happened.

I wasn't aware that they could get infected that fast. I mean, it all happened in about 2 weeks. Koda was the first to show signs, causing Lil Lu Lu to get sick too. All she did was lay next to him when he couldn't move. Then the cats outside started getting sick. I had no clue what happened.

I was just concerned as to what it might be, where it was obviously contagious. I've been dreading another outbreak happening.

I was just curious as to what I could do to prevent it?

 

I would test a couple of the cats to see if they might have it. I can understand not doing the whole crew. Then vaccinate. Rabies (which is required by law in most states), feline leuk, distemper. Since you have so many there you could have your vet show you how to do the vaccine, but it online and give them yourself.
Keep good records though.
info on distemper
http://www.starbreezes.com/11/fdistemper.html
and feline leuk
http://www.essortment.com/all/felineleukemia_retz.htm

 

Thanks a lot!

That does sound a lot like feline distemper... I now know I can get them vaccinated now.

I've been looking for what it might've been but never found anything on the cats symptoms.

I really appreciate the info.

Again... thanks!

 

M.J. I agree with Mary_NH with it looking like Fe Distemper I would test a few to make sure then yes vaccinate vaccinate...... wow yes it could go through all of them soo fast!! :cry: hang in there!!

 

Hi M.J. Just wanted to welcome you to Auspet. Looks like you got some good info already. Let us know how things go. As for the cats passing away 5 years ago the only definite way to know what happened would have been to do an autopsy. I'm sorry you have so many cats being dumped on you. This seems to happen often to people. It's nice that you are trying to look after them. Are there any no kill animal shelters in your area that will take them should it happen again?

Also good job on putting up an avatar so quickly! :y_the_best:

 

:m23: and welcome MJ! I'm so glad you made it here! I love your painting of Missy! I'm so sorry you had lost so many kitties in the past. I'm glad that you can do something about your cats now so that the same thing won't happen again. You are so wonderful for taking them all in. I hope you will enter the cat photo contest. You have so many beautiful pictures of your furbabies.