Coping With Calicivirus

In October of 07′ me and my husband found a kitten (Little Girl ap. 4mnths) living in the engines of a car dealership on a main highway. We already had 2 cats (Spunk “brown tabby” and Tido “black cat” both males) 8 months old so were reluctent to bring home a third. We didnt wanna see the kitten harmed so we decided to take her home.

On Nov 5 we noticed the kitten was drooling and had very foul breath. We thought it was just something she had gotten into until we noticed ulcers on her tounge and around her mouth. We moved to a new house Nov 9 when we soon noticed one of our other cats “Tido” began drooling and developed ulcers on his tounge also.

Around mid Nov we admitted both cats to our local vet, we were told not to bring the cats inside they’de have to examine them outside, because if it was the Calici Virus and they were bought into the vet hospital the vet would have to close down for 6 months of quarenteen. Both cats were soon diagnoced with Calici (symptoms were mild fever, drooling, ulcers on and under the tounge, and foul breath) No hair loss, sores, upper respitory issues or drainage of the eyes in the two. Our vet proscribed Cefa-Drops and soon both cats recovered after being quarenteened and daily medication was administered.

In Dec i noticed our third cat “Spunk” had begun to form eye mucus and couldnt eat properly. Upon checking he had a rather large ulcer under his tounge and redness/irritation on his eye lids. He was taken to the vet Dec 19 07 and is currently undergoing treatment. 2mLs of the Cefa-Drops once daily. All three cats were very active before during and after the virus and are Pure Indoor only animals.

Tido and Little girl were the first to have visible symptoms (other than the random apearance/dissapearance of tiny bumps around the mouth of Spunk and Tido). Both had foul breath, Ulcers on the tounge which just looked like smooth pink spots on a cats rough tounge, excessive drooling and minur swelling of the gums and under the tounge. No other symptoms were apparent. Spunk Had mucus around his eyes with irritation and redness, and a rather large ulcer under the tounge (non on tounge like the others). Fever of 104 degress F, and mild dehidration. Color was good and seemed otherwise healthy. No signs of upper respitory infection, runny nose, hair loss, swelling of joints and limbs, or sores were present on any of the three cats.

We arent sure if Spunk and Tido were carriers to begin with and Little Girl just contracted the virus from the two soon after arriving. We bought the two males from a pet shop in VA and around month 6 both cats had small, almost unnoticable, ulcers around the outside of the mouth that came and went randomly. At the time we couldnt afford to take them to the vet so we ignored the problem in ignorance. If i were to guess both male cats, who are very healthy, carried the dorment virus until the not so healthy kitten Little Girl was introduced. She, not having as good as an immune system, contracted the virus where it multiplied and concequently infected the other two after a period of time. Thanks for Reading and if your cats have any symptoms of the Calici Virus contact your vet to see if they can be examined inside or have to stay outdoors to be looked at. This Virus is lethal according to our vet and our cats were lucky to pull through, were hoping Spunk is a strong fighter and will make it.