Cat and kitten owners in Wyndham are being urged to vaccinate their pets against the feline panleukopenia virus.
Dr Thurid Johnstone, a lecturer in small animal medicine and specialist veterinarian at the University of Melbourne U-Vet Werribee Animal Hospital, said the illness (also known as feline parvovirus) was highly contagious.
Last month, the RSPCA Victoria and Victorian division of the Australian Veterinary Association issued a warning about the virus, after it was detected in two stray kittens found in the greater Melbourne metropolitan area.
Dr Johnstone said it was important for cat owners to ensure their animals were vaccinated against the illness, which can affect a cat’s immune and gastrointestinal system. The disease can be fatal.
She said symptoms of feline panleukopenia included vomiting and diarrhea. Cats with the disease could “become very sick, very quickly.”
She said that the vaccination provides excellent protection from the disease and most kittens could have it from six weeks of age, followed by boosters.
Dr Johnstone said the disease could be
spread through feaces, particles on a cat’s fur or if a cat licked a food bowl it shared with another cat.
Humans could also unknowingly bring the virus into a home after coming into contact with particles on a surface, their clothes or shoes, she said.
“This virus can survive up to 12 months in the environment and is very resistant to physical cleaning and many common household disinfectants,” Dr Johnstone said.
She said for this reason, vets recommended cats who only lived indoors should also be vaccinated for the illness.
