My Nightmare

ameezers

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I posted this in the health forum as well, but because I am a breeder I suppose I should ask here as well.

I recently purchased a new kitten in the hope of retiring my current stud whom doesn't seem to be loving the stud life.

Kitten was placed into quarantine as soon as we brought him home. About a week after he arrived his right eye became swollen and red and a little goopy. He was still eating, drinking and playing normally, but I don't mess around with eyes!
I took him an after hours vet that gave me antibiotic eye drops and checked to see if there was anything in or on his eye but nothing was there. They told me to follow up with my regular vet or bring him back if he starts having any other issues or the eye doesn't start to get better.

Well the day after we started him on the drops one of my queens decided to follow me in his room. I swear I checked around me before I opened his door and no cats/animals were there. Next thing I know I turn around and they are nose to nose and before I can grab her she is licking his face!!
So in to a second quarantine room she goes. I called my vet, they said to keep her in quarantine and if she starts to show symptoms to bring her in. And sure enough, a week later her eyes are red rimmed, third eye lid is inflamed, however her eyes weren't really all that goopy. I took her into my regular vet, they gave me more eye drops and did respiratory PCR panel swabs wet and dry for the eyes and one of the throat and I brought him in the next day to have the same done to him. I am currently waiting on the results of the swabs. Hopefully they will be in early next week..

The breeder I purchased him from swears up and down she has never had any upper respiratory infections in her cats or issues with their eyes.

At this point I am pretty much praying that it's chlamydia. I know it will be a bitch to treat, but at least it is treatable!

I have been really anal about hand washing, I have a robe for each quarantine room so as not to carry anything out on my clothes because I have a litter of 6 week old kittens right now as well.

I honestly don't know what to do.. I am pretty much losing my mind!!! My cats are miserable because I have everyone quarantined away from each other as a precaution until I get the results back. Even though it's likely whatever he has/had she now has as well, my vet advised against placing them together. I try to spend as much time with every one as possible but its hard to be every where at once!)

I just don't understand it. They literally have no other symptoms except for the eye issues, which are clearly contagious! Don't URI's usually present with other symptoms like fever, lethargy, ulcers, sneezing, runny nose or coughing?
Especially in two different cats?

I am so sick waiting for the results. Now I am worried/wondering if I haven't done enough with the quarantine measures and I could unwittingly be infecting my other cats/kittens. Once the results come back I will probably need to test the other 4 cats plus kittens in my cattery to ensure what ever it is hasn't spread.. and at $230 a pop I am not looking forward to that vet bill as I have already spent over $1000 in less than a month for vaccinations and vet bills.

I know calicivirus and herpes aren't treatable and the cat will carry the virus for the rest of their life and potentially infected other cats.

My vet said if he has herpes as long as he isn't having an outbreak that he shouldn't spread it to the female during mating. But what if he is one of those cats that constantly sheds the virus? Is there any way to determine that?

I will not sell people potentially infected kittens. And I will be absolutely devastated if I have to spay/neuter all my cats and stop breeding because it one of the few things in my life that brings me pure joy (when I am not freaking out about potential contagious disease!)

I know it's a lot of what ifs but if any one has any words of wisdom or guidance it would be greatly appreciated.

I am sorry for the rant!
 

posiepurrs

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Since there are no other symptoms did the vet rule out conjunctivitis? Most common cause is herpes virus, which depending on which site you check, 80 to 98% of all cats have been exposed to. Good luck - it sounds like you are doing everything you can.
 
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ameezers

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My vet said it was conjunctivitis and was most likely caused by the herpes virus or chlamydia.

If the exposure to herpes virus is so high in cats, and from what I have read more prevalent in catteries and shelters; how do people continue to breed?

Do they test all incoming cats even if they show no symptoms?
Do they spay/neuter and rehome all cats carrying the virus?
Or do they only spay/neuter and rehome only the cats that show symptoms? Or reoccurring symptoms?
Do they continue to breed the cat(s) any way? And treat flareups?
 

lutece

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They literally have no other symptoms except for the eye issues, which are clearly contagious! Don't URI's usually present with other symptoms like fever, lethargy, ulcers, sneezing, runny nose or coughing?
Healthy vaccinated cats with good immune systems may not have any symptoms when they are exposed to herpes virus (or other virus or bacteria), or they may have just very mild symptoms. Vaccination for herpes virus (included in the standard FVRCP kitten shots) reduces the severity of illness by helping cats fight off the virus faster. Vaccination also helps reduce the chance of a cat becoming a chronic carrier.

Breeders can produce healthy cats with strong immune systems by:
  • Avoiding inbreeding.
  • Selecting healthy cats for breeding that appear to have strong immune systems.
  • Keeping numbers low; this reduces stress on the cats and makes it easier to contain outbreaks of illness when they occur.
  • Keeping each mother and her litter isolated from all other cats until the kittens are fully vaccinated.
  • Isolating sick cats and newcomers to the cattery; this reduces exposure to virus, bacteria, and other pathogens.
In order to avoid inbreeding, breeders need to work with each other to exchange breeding stock, and this inevitably means that you will sometimes bring in viruses. Do not freak out. As a responsible breeder, of course you don't want to overwhelm your cats and kittens with virus and bacteria, but you also do not have to maintain a perfectly sterile laboratory environment where your cats and kittens are never exposed to any virus. Even if you don't show your cats, your cats and kittens will inevitably be exposed to things when they visit the vet office for vaccinations and checkups, and after they leave your cattery. Exposure to viruses and bacteria is a part of life. Your goal is to raise healthy kittens with healthy immune systems.

It doesn't sound like either of the affected cats are very ill? They should be able to recover from the conjunctivitis. Maintain reasonable isolation and keep an eye on your other cats, but don't drive yourself crazy. As long as your adult cats are vaccinated they should be able to handle a little exposure to virus. Focus on keeping your young litter of 6 week old kittens isolated with their mother. If mom was vaccinated, the young litter is probably still protected by her maternal immunity, but that immunity will wane, so have the kittens vaccinated on schedule.
 
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ameezers

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Thank you lutece lutece

Up until this point we have been lucky enough not to have any real health issues with our cats. *knocks on wood* Neither cats with the conjunctivitis acted like they were sick, (still eating, drinking and active) which I am thankful for!

All my cats (and dogs) are up to date on vaccinations, however my queen that caught the eye issue from him wasn't due to have her booster until August. Now I am wondering if that combined with the stress of having to quarantine her (she is a VERY social cat, and not happy about this situation) weakened her immune system enough to show symptoms.
I had her boosters done today now that her eyes are cleared up, as I didn't want to wait just in case!

My cats have all been vaccinated for chlamydia, however the new kitten wasn't.

Mom was vaccinated about a month prior to breeding, and kittens are scheduled to be vaccinated at 8 weeks, do you think would it be in their best interest to do it earlier even if they are isolated just in case?

I have read that it is advisable to have high risk kittens put on an alternate vaccination schedule however I am not sure that this applies here. I will also talk to my vet when she calls to give me the results
 

1 bruce 1

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I can't offer much information to help you with this situation.
But!
First, I'd just like to say that your dedication to your current stud's overall happiness first is admirable :wave3:
Second, whenever we have a breeding program of any kind, at some point things will take a downward slump and the great luck we've had for years will be not so good.
I'm no cat breeder and am not up to code on what it takes to do that responsibly, but it sounds like this should be viewed as a bump in the road that you're taking seriously and handling very well, and will get past it with no problems. You're working with your vet, doing quarantine, and making sure everyone is as protected as they can be.
Some members here haven't had any luck with it, but we have (with eye and immune related problems) used L-lysine and were very satisfied.
 

lutece

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I don't think your situation would be considered high risk for the kittens unless something changes for the worse. In your situation I would proceed with a normal vaccination schedule starting at 8 weeks. With an 8 week start, you only need 3 sets of shots (8, 12 and 16 weeks). Of course, discuss with your vet!
 
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ameezers

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Thank you for your help :)

I am still waiting on the results hopefully will get them tomorrow!
 
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ameezers

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Finally got the results!

His tests came back positive for mycoplasma, but negative for everything else (Thank god!). The vet said he can come out of isolation. She mentioned ordering in a special antibiotic eyedrop just in case there are any more instances, however the tobramycin drops she gave us initially cleared everything up.

My girl came back negative for everything. The vet said it's likely that he infected her but her body was able to clear it.

I researched the crap out of herpesvirus, calicivirus and chlamydia while waiting for the results; but mycoplasma never really came up on my radar as it doesn't seem to be a common cause of conjunctivitis in cats.

Has any one ever dealt with this issue?
My understanding it is a bacteria, however I cannot find if it's likely to come back or not of if there is anything special I should do? Other than thoroughly cleaning his isolation room?
 

lutece

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Here's an article on mycoplasma in feline respiratory infection.
http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/download?doi=10.1.1.1009.7562&rep=rep1&type=pdf
"Mycoplasma species are considered commensal bacteria of the conjunctiva and the upper respiratory tract of cats, and hence their role as a primary pathogen is difficult to determine."

From reading this article, I don't think I would worry about the mycoplasma now that the conjunctivitis has resolved. I would just proceed as you normally would, cleaning the room, keeping your litter of kittens isolated, and maintaining a low stress environment for everyone.
 
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