Can Kittens Get Canine Parvo

A paper published in 2010 describes two cases of kittens diagnosed with canine parvovirus.

Can kittens get canine parvo. The cat strain called feline panleukopenia virus fpv is a significant disease threat amongst the feline community but it cannot be transferred to canines. Canine parvovirus commonly shortened to parvo is a highly infectious disease which has spread all around the world. Places where young puppies and kittens mix together such as pet shops can be a breeding ground for this transmission. Kittens should be vaccinated between 9 to 12 weeks.

Feline panleukopenia is an extremely contagious virus that kills cells in the intestines lymph nodes fetuses and bone marrow attacking red and white blood cells. What are the symptoms. While dogs cannot catch feline parvovirus the virus can mutate and be spread to cats. The virus that causes distemper in cats.

Pregnant female cats can be vaccinated using a special vaccine that will be safe for the kittens. Cats who receive veterinary care for their parvo have a better chance of surviving than those who do not. At animalwised we discuss the effectiveness of canine vaccinations and how resistance can build. Unlike the original canine parvovirus type 2 cpv 2 cpv 2 variants have gained the ability to replicate in vivo in cats but there is limited information on the disease patterns induced by these variants in the feline host.

Since dogs are regularly vaccinated against parvo can a vaccinated dog get parvovirus. Vaccinate your cats and kittens and be sure to keep up with these vaccinations. You may also. The parvo virus in dogs is very closely related to the virus panleukopenia.

This is why recent reports of parvovirus increases in dogs are a real concern. However kittens and juvenile cats usually 3 5 months old are susceptible to a different form of parvovirus called feline panleukopenia or fp for short. Because there is no cure for parvo vaccinations are of the utmost importance. Overall up to 90 percent of cats who get parvo and are not treated will die.

Cats and dogs have their own separate species specific parvovirus strains. Whilst it s rare and unlikely it can happen. There is a theory that canine parvovirus originated as a mutated strain of the feline panleukopenia virus. But parvo can also be transmitted by fleas that have fed off of an infected cat which is why it s very difficult to prevent your kitten from being exposed to this deadly disease.

Both viruses attack cells within the pet s bone marrow. In other words canine parvo cannot spread to cats. Adult cats who get parvo have a better chance of surviving than kittens. According to a 2012 study of canine parvovirus in asymptomatic feline carriers researchers found that is parvo is contagious from dogs to cats and vice versa.

However once your cat gets parvo survival rates are grim.