DISTEMPER OF CATS 577 



Prevention.— Animals with distemper should be isolated 

 and kept from healthy young dogs. Thorough disinfection 

 of all utensils, bedding, rooms, etc., should be attended to 

 promptly. 



Preventive inoculation has proved of value in a large 

 number of cases and is highly recommended. 



DISTEMPER OF CATS. 



Definition.— An acute contagio-infectious disease found 

 more commonly in young cats. Older animals are less often 

 affected, probably due to either an acquired immunity (hav- 

 ing had the disease in a mild form) or to a greater natural 

 resistance against the infection. The disease in cats is not 

 nearly so common as in dogs. 



Etiology.— According to the best information obtainable 

 it is produced by the same causes as canine distemper. 



Pathology.— The pathological lesions are principally those 

 found in canine distemper, except that the disease seems 

 to be confined mainly to the respiratory and digestive 

 tracts. In the respiratory form there is an inflammation 

 involving the nasal passages (rhinitis), larynx (laryngitis),- 

 the bronchi and bronchioli (capillary bronchitis), and the 

 lungs (bronchopneumonia). The digestive tract shows 

 catarrhal inflammation. The mucosa is covered with a 

 heavy mucous exudate which in some cases is mixed with 

 blood (hemorrhagic catarrhal gastro-enteritis) . Some of the 

 other organs (kidneys, liver and heart) show degenerative 

 changes. 



Symptoms.— The initial symptoms are those of inappe- 

 tence, depression, vomiting in some cases and moderately 

 high temperature (103°-104° F.). When the respiratory 

 passages are primarily affected the animal will sneeze fre- 

 quently, there is a discharge from the nose which is at 

 first thin, but later becomes thicker and glutinous. This 

 will collect around the nasal openings and in some cases 

 occlude them completely. 



Conjunctivitis is a very prominent symptom. At first 

 the discharge is serous, but later it becomes mucopurulent. 

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