Cat Flu Symptoms
Important Information About Cat Flu Symptoms
Typical cat flu symptoms are the same as they are in humans. However, the influenza virus that causes the flu in humans is highly specialized and is not contagious for animals. Instead, a hybrid version is often the cause for disease and triggers cat flu symptoms such as high temperature and pain.
The cause is often a mixture of bacteria that form a hybrid version of the influenza virus. Your cat is weakened by cold, stress and draft, thus is more vulnerable to the virus. Very often this virus is caught in a vet practice where many animals come together and spread the bacteria among them. Bear in mind that the virus can only trigger cat flu symptoms if the pet is weakened by illness or certain circumstances as mentioned above. Thus, you can prevent flu by providing a lot of fresh air, a vitamin-C rich diet and cat supplements during the winter to support the immune system. But before you commence treatment with supplements you should always discuss the issue with a vet. As you can see the preventive methods and infection are almost identical to the human flu, although the virus is slightly different. Sunshine and warmth are natural virus fighters and kill bacteria, which is the reason why most of us get flu in winter when it is cold and dark.
Just like humans, cats can suffer from infections in throat and respiratory tracts as well as diseases in stomach and bowel tracts. While the usual signs may occur, cat flu symptoms can also include diarrhea, vomiting and bleeding. There are no actual flu vaccinations for animals, but there are other preventive injections your vet can inform you about that may aid in the battle with flu. Furthermore you may need particular antibiotics to fight the disease, and these can only be obtained on prescription after a thorough examination.
If you observe cat flu symptoms, you must seek medical advice. Only a vet can determine whether the symptoms are caused by the seasonal flu or whether it is something more serious. Similarly, some cats can overcome the flu on their own while very young or very old cats need a lot of medical attention.
It is also possible that your cat shows flu symptoms but suffers from a secondary bacterial infection on top of that which requires different treatment. Thus, you should never try to treat your cat at home. Do not use prescription medication (maybe from when your cat was sick before) and do not try to cure animals with medication designed for humans. This can result in fatal side effects because you may be treating your cat for the wrong disease. As mentioned earlier, the flu in both humans and animals may trigger the same symptoms and are both equally contagious but the actual virus is a different one. Thus, a treatment for the human influenza virus will only cause your suffering cat harm.
If your cat is still young or already a senior you should seek medical attention even when only a small infection without the typical heavy cat flu symptoms is being observed. While this initial infection may be harmless, weak cats at that age can be very vulnerable for more serious virus.
While cat flu symptoms may hint towards a normal infection that can be cured, the symptoms may also be caused by a very serious disease. Pain and vomiting are very common symptoms of many diseases and you must speak to a vet when any of these things occur. To prevent the spread of a deadly disease you should always arrange regular blood tests and examinations – not only during the flu season.