Rhinotracheitis (herpes)

Rhinotracheitis of cats is an acute viral respiratory disease of cats. It is also called Herpesvirus infection of cats of the 1st type.

The causative agent of rhinotracheitis in cats is the herpesvirus of cats type 1 (GVK 1, HVC-1).The herpes virus, which causes disease in feline animals, contains double-stranded DNA, its shell consists of glycoproteins and lipids. Like many other types of herpes viruses, GVK 1 is relatively unstable in the external environment, very sensitive to heat, acids and all conventional disinfectants.

The course of viral rhinotracheitis of cats

The source of infection with the virus is nasal, oral or conjunctival secretions of animals with HVC-1. The cat rhinotracheitis virus enters the body through the respiratory tract, multiplies mainly in the mucous membrane of the nasopharynx and tonsils, but sometimes the conjunctiva, lymph nodes of the lower jaw and trachea are involved in the process. The multiplication of the virus leads to the appearance of areas of necrosis of epithelial tissue in combination with neutrophil infiltration and exudation of fibrin. The resolution of this process, as a rule, is slow, by 2-3 weeks there is a restoration of epithelial tissue with some metaplasia, sometimes hypertrophy of the epithelium.

Recovered cats become virus carriers. Virus transmission is characterized by latent periods, which are interspersed with episodes of virus release, especially after stress (in the 3-week period after stress).

Symptoms of viral rhinotracheitis of cats

The incubation period lasts 2-6 days. The first symptoms of the disease are apathy, lack of appetite, hyperthermia, serous discharge from the eyes and nose; sometimes there is increased salivation. With a prolonged course of the disease, the eye and nasal secretions become mucopurulent, shortness of breath and cough may develop.  Then ulcers develop on the tongue, ulcerative and parenchymal keratitis, primary viral pneumonia. In young and immunocompromised animals, the disease can be generalized. Necrosis and resorption of the underlying bone may develop in the area of the nasal shells.

Throughout the disease, leukocytosis with a shift of the nucleus to the left is present.

Prognosis for rhinotracheitis of cats

The mortality rate from viral rhinotracheitis among cats is usually low. Death occurs as a result of dehydration, as well as due to a secondary bacterial infection that leads to bronchopneumonia. Treatment of sinusitis and rhinitis is effective in the acute phase of the disease. If the bones of the nose are affected, the prognosis is unfavorable.

Comparison of clinical signs in common cat infections

Tips from the forum

• rinse the nose for 7 days with dioxidine (ampoules) 3 times a day and drip Mastiette forte into the nose after rinsing with dioxidine.
• drip floxal drops into the nose and eyes
• nasal drops - in dexamethasone eye drops, pour 2 ml of gentamicin + 0.5 novocaine Into an insulin syringe, break off the needle and inject. it is useless to drip only to inject.
• dexamethasone (in injections)+gentamicin + novocaine is a good mixture, it is prepared in proportions of 1/1/2 ml, it is possible in the eyes and nose, but drugs with dexamethasone are not recommended for a long time, 3-5 days
• Sextaphage (polyvalent purified piobacteriophage). International name Pyobacteriophage (Pyobacteriofag) Indications: Purulent-inflammatory diseases of the ENT organs, respiratory tract and lungs (sinusitis, otitis, sore throat, pharyngitis, laryngitis, tracheitis, bronchitis, pneumonia, pleurisy); surgical infections (purulent wounds, burn, mastitis, abscess, phlegmon, carbuncle, hydradenitis, panaritium, paraproctitis, bursitis, osteomyelitis); urogenital infections (urethritis, cystitis, pyelonephritis, colpitis, endometritis, salpingooophoritis); gastrointestinal infections (gastroenterocolitis, cholecystitis, intestinal dysbiosis); purulent-inflammatory diseases of newborns and infants (omphalitis, pyoderma, conjunctivitis, gastroenterocolitis, sepsis); generalized septic diseases. For prevention - treatment of postoperative and freshly infected wounds, as well as for the prevention of nosocomial infections according to epidemic indications
• the composition of mastiete forte includes prednisone, dripping it into the eyes with reno is easy to get ulcers. Acyclovir eye ointment helps much better (and costs a penny) or Zovirax eye ointment (expensive) or Poludan (eye drops) + tetracycline ointment + any drops from a / b, at least the same levomycitin.
• If there is already damage to the cornea, then + korneregel or solcoseril (ocular) or balarpan. The nose should be washed with dioxidine 0.5% (warm, warm in the hand) - it is not necessary to dilute with water and drip drops of Isofra into the nose (they are with a / b)
• Doxycycline is given in a course of 3 weeks, and preferably dorin, then 5-10 days.
• amoxicillin - 1 ml / 10 kg 1 r / day n / a
• claforan for severe respiratory problems, I successfully use it even for choking newborns
• a course of Sinulox and azithromycin instead of sumamed.  Azithromycin is a dose of 1/8 tablets (which are 250 mg each). 1 hour before meals or 2 hours after meals once a day. 5 days is enough.
• green snot is a purulent phenomenon. more than a week is already sinusitis = sinusitis. Antibiotics are mandatory + vasoconstrictors in the nose + an antibiotic in the nose. vasoconstrictor he prescribed nazivin, first after him the kitten began to choke with snot, what had accumulated in 2 months in flakes was leaving. Vasoconstrictor is mandatory! it relieves swelling and helps to remove pus from the sinuses. and after it in 15-30 minutes - to drip an antibiotic (we were prescribed the usual drops of albucide, you can still cipromed, levomycetin, gentamicin, drops with lidase, dioxidin, but not all at once, something one). After I read about human sinusitis, I began to instill it like this - before instilling, it is necessary to clean the nasal sinus (slightly press the nostril or suck everything out of the nose with a tube), then we put the animal on its side, the patient's nostrils down - and lying down, we inject the drug from an insulin syringe with a broken needle, in this position the pus departs more easily, we wait a little and let the animal sneeze, wipe the snot that leaked out to him. after 30 minutes, albucide is also used. 4 times a day.
• If the cat is definitely sick or during pregnancy it turns out that she is definitely a carrier, then the scheme of early weaning of kittens is applied: from birth to the opening of the eyes, vitafel-globulin is dripped into the nose every three days (we drip a day, we skip two or three), from the moment the eyes are opened, 0.5 ml of vitafel-globulin is also dripped into the eyes, at the age of 2 weeks, 0.5 ml of vitafel-globulin is repeated at 3 weeks, 1 ml at 4 weeks. In two weeks you vaccinate. Weaning and complete isolation from the mother no later than 4 weeks of age. Are you afraid to vaccinate at 6 weeks, then prick two more weeks once and vaccinate at 8 weeks. Revaccination is not canceled
• Doreen showed me how to breed vetas a long time ago. 1 bottle per 100 ml of novocaine. Never, no bumps! An excellent drug, but not for every case, of course. Low toxicity allows it to be used both during pregnancy and nursing. The bottle with the solution should be stored in the refrigerator for no more than 7 days (just the usual course). The dosage in this form is 1 ml per 5 kg of weight, but I usually inject a little more.

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