Download Feline Calicivirus

Treatment
If you suspect that your cat is infected
with calicivirus, an immediate veterinary consultation is required.
As this is a viral infection, antibiotics
will not be effective as a treatment.
However, veterinarians may prescribe
antibiotics to your cat. The presence of
the virus makes your cats immune
system less capable of combatting
bacterial infections, so antibiotic treatment will prevent further illness.
Viral infections require veterinary
medical attention, and may be severe
enough to require hospitalization
If your cat is ill enough that it stops
eating or drinking, it may require hospitalization. Growing kittens are especially susceptible to dehydration and
nutritional deficiencies, and may require special attention.
The clinical course of an infection is
generally seven to ten days3.
Further Education
Please note that your family veterinarian is
your best resource for information about the
health and wellbeing of your cat or kitten!
Feline Calicivirus
A Veterinary Client Reference
Online resources
American Association of Feline Practitioners
www.catvets.com
Veterinary Partner
www.veterinarypartner.com
European Advisory Board on Cat Diseases
www.abcd-vets.org
For better feline health
Calicivirus
Calicivirus is one of the main causes of
upper respiratory disease in cats. The
severity of disease caused by this infection can vary greatly. An infected
cat may show no signs, or may acquire
a fatal disease4.
Signs to watch for in your cat2:

Sneezing, coughing, discharge
from the eyes or nose, oral or
nasal ulcers, fever,
hoarse voice
Risk Factors
Calicivirus is spread to
cats by contact with infected cats. Kittens are
most likely to become
infected with this virus,
as their immune systems have not yet fully
Speak with your
developed. For most inveterinarian
about creating
door cats, there is a low
a life-long
healthcare plan risk of infection unless a
for your cat to
new cat is brought into
ensure they
the house. Cats at the
remain happy
and healthy!
highest risk are those in
shelters and catteries,
where there is a high level of contact
between numerous cats.
The virus lasts up to 10 days in the environment2. In order to properly disinfect
contaminated bedding, bleach must be
added to the laundry detergent.
This infection does not spread to humans
or other species of animals3.
Prevention
Feline calicivirus is highly contagious, and
is acquired through contact with infected
cats or contaminated items such as bedding, toys, and water bowls. Therefore,
preventing exposure to infected cats and
thoroughly
washing any
contaminated
items with
bleach will
prevent infection in your
This viral infection will only infect
cats, and will not spread to humans
cat. Cats inor other animal species
fected with
Calicivirus are
contagious for up to one month after infection2.
There are very effective vaccines against
Feline Calicivirus. These are considered
essential, or ‘core’, vaccines for your cat. It
is recommended by the AAFP that the vaccine be given in a primary kitten series, as
a booster vaccine at one year of age, and
every three years thereafter1.
Primary kitten vaccine series of Calicivirus:

First vaccine given at six weeks
of age, then every 3-4 weeks
until 16 weeks of age.
It is very important to make an appointment with your veterinarian when
adopting a new kitten in order to develop a healthcare plan for your new family member. This plan should include a
vaccination protocol, as well as plans
for proper nutrition and behavioural
training.
Proper vaccination of your kitten is
key in the prevention of infectious
disease
Diagnosis
The characteristic clinical signs help to
narrow down the list of possible causes of illness in a sick cat. For a definitive diagnosis, veterinarians send samples from the sick cat to a laboratory3.
Laboratories are able to isolate the
virus from the samples and determine
its identity.
Identifying the cause of the disease
allows greater success in treating the
infection.