should I euthanize healthy kittens in a litter with panleukopenia?

[dorianscats]

I have a very sad situation on my hands: a litter of 6 week old foster kittens who seem to have panleukopenia.

I know that panleuk is EXTREMELY contagious, I know it's almost always fatal (half the litter has already died), and I understand that our home will be unsafe for unvaccinated cats/kittens for 12+ months. So I don't need education about any of that.

Obviously, the remaining three kittens have been VERY exposed to panleuk -- living in the same room with the kittens who got sick, sharing a litter box, etc. So I know that they will almost certainly all get sick.

My question is, are even the seemingly healthy kittens 100% doomed? The decision I need to make is whether to have them all euthanized now, or whether to wait to see if they get sick. It's a horrible decision and such a sad situation for my family.

 

[Furballsmom]

Hello - do you have a licensed/certified veterinarian you can speak with?

 

[fionasmom]

These are the kittens about which you have posted previously, correct? There is a TNR/rescue group involved in this as I am understanding. Have they left this decision up to you or are they assuming that the kittens will not survive and are not willing to go any further with care? I am not saying that panleuk is not extremely serious in kittens, but I also wondered if any vet had weighed in on this?

 

[dorianscats]

@ Furballsmom and @ fionasmom : The vet says to euthanize all of them. The rescue group is supportive of my decision on this. I have a hard time making that judgment for especially for the one kitten who appears to be most vigorously healthy -- big appetite, gaining weight, playful. Google offers no insights on whether there are ever kittens who are immune to panleuk -- fully exposed but never get sick.

At the moment (after a lot of soul-searching today) my conclusion is to test a kitten who is currently lethargic, and assuming it's positive, euthanize two who aren't very sick but aren't thriving, and wait and see how the one surviving very healthy kitten does.

 

[Meowmee]

I don’t know what should be done. Tg none of my kittens or cats ever had it. Here is an article about some who survived it. She gave the first two kittens to the bf experts to care for and they made it through. Maybe there is someone who has expertise in this who could save them. Hugs

Four kittens survive a severe, contagious illness, thanks to incredible first-time foster mom

Can kittens survive panleukopenia (also known as feline distemper)? Read about kittens who did, and the care and treatment they received.

bestfriends.org

.

 

[dorianscats]

Sadly, there is no funding to pay for medical care for formerly feral foster kittens. They either stay well, or if they get sick they die (or get euthanized).

 

[Meowmee]

Sadly, there is no funding to pay for medical care for formerly feral foster kittens. They either stay well, or if they get sick they die (or get euthanized).

That is awful. Maybe another rescue can help? Or a gofund me etc. try bf. Where are you? Ig has a lot of cat rescues who have pages there. It’s just a thought, of course but maybe someone else can take them on. Is it because they are formerly feral? Because obviously they’re not going to be feral anymore, they’re young kittens. They will be totally socialized if they survive.

Feline Panleukopenia - Feline Panleukopenia - Merck Veterinary Manual

Learn about the veterinary topic of Feline Panleukopenia. Find specific details on this topic and related topics from the Merck Vet Manual.

www.merckvetmanual.com

 

[fionasmom]

I had thought that if the rescue group was involved that they would not want to pay for further treatment. This is very standard in dire situations with a lot of groups, so I am not pointing the finger at them. They all have limited funds, even successful ones, and have to make these kinds of decisions to help those who might live to need a home.

Kittens have survived with a great deal of supportive care, although not a huge number. The number is slightly higher in older cats.

I also do not know what to tell you to do and I agree that Google does not have a lot of information about your exact situation. Your reasoning is sound as to a course of action. I would test the one kitten and probably keep the last one who seems healthy to see if there is some hope.

You are being very responsible about this very hard decision and are evaluating it the best you can...or the best that any of us could.

 

[Adelei]

My inclination would be to not euthanize and at least give them a chance. It's not a certainty that all will die from it. I have a nearly 7 year old boy right now that had it as a kitten. He and his litter of 4 got it when they were around 3 weeks old. One died. One came through it with shining colors. My boy and a sister had their cerebellum growth somewhat interrupted, leading to CH* - mine has a very mild case of it. He's a super energetic boy now and loves to play more than any other cat I've ever had. From the rescuer I know he and his siblings were all very sick for a while and it was not certain they'd pull through, but 3 out of the 4 did. This was all in China too, where veterinary care was ... lacking, to put it briefly. They also weren't allowed to euthanize in China, crazy as it seems - but that's probably why you would see cases like this, because they didn't put the cats down based on what they thought might happen, they just had to wait and see. When I brought him back to the US and tried to explain to my vet here that he didn't need the vaccine because he'd already had FPV, she didn't even understand what I was saying, despite me clearly saying "he had FPV when he was a kitten" - she thought I was saying he had gotten the vaccine and she kept trying to explain that the vaccine has to be given every few years. To me that shows how unusual it is for people in the US to let kittens try to work through it, that this vet can't even imagine that someone saying the cat previously had FPV literally means the virus and not just the vaccine. She was definitely shocked when she finally understood what I was saying. But anyway, I know that's not tons of experience to go off of, just my one cat, but I know of other kittens like that in China that survived it and I'm all for giving cats a chance if there's a possibility.

*Side note, just in case anyone jumps on this point - some people say CH can only happen when the mom cat has FPV while the kittens are in utero, however many veterinary researchers say that it can happen after birth as well. CH occurs when the cerebellum doesn't fully develop - and because kittens' cerebellums continue to develop for several weeks after birth, this can be interrupted even after birth. I personally believe that it's the same condition whether it happens pre- or post-birth, but even if someone believes it's different, it doesn't really matter because the symptoms are exactly the same. CH does not cause the cats any pain and they can live full and happy lives with it. All 5 of my cats have different disabilities and literally none of them have any idea that they're disabled.

 

[silent meowlook]

I personally would not euthanize the kittens that appear to be well.

 

[dorianscats]

@ Adelei That's an amazing story! The kittens who survived, did they get treatment like IV fluids, antibiotics, etc, or did they just get through it on their own?

 

[Adelei]

@ Adelei That's an amazing story! The kittens who survived, did they get treatment like IV fluids, antibiotics, etc, or did they just get through it on their own?

I believe they did get treatment. However, like I said, treatment in China isn't great. I'm not sure exactly what treatment they got, whether it was palliative care only or stuff like antibiotics. There was a bit of a language barrier between me and the rescuer, who only spoke Chinese. I got him when he was 4.5 months old, so he had already fully recovered.

 

[IzzysfureverMom]

I personally would not euthanized kittens that can lived a good life. If adaptations can be made for them to live a quality of life they can be wonderful pets. Having to use an elevated bowl or having to adapt a litterbox or a cat that is somewhat wobbly should not be a reason to euthanized. Cats with disabilities can often play and run like other. They don't know their disabled.

 

[dorianscats]

I personally would not euthanized kittens that can lived a good life. If adaptations can be made for them to live a quality of life they can be wonderful pets. Having to use an elevated bowl or having to adapt a litterbox or a cat that is somewhat wobbly should not be a reason to euthanized. Cats with disabilities can often play and run like other. They don't know their disabled.

This definitely was not a question of disability, simply a question of whether exposure means that 100% of them will die without treatment, or only 98% (or some other number less than 100%). The many vets I talked to seem to think it's close to 100% and pretty universally believe kittens should be euthanized. I was wondering if anyone here had seen kittens recover from it without expensive veterinary care.

 

[IzzysfureverMom]

The answer to do they 100% always die is NO. We had a litter of 4 little gray kittens here who all had Cerebellar Hypoplasia they all survived. They all they varying degrees of wobbliness but not to the point that quality of life was negatively affected. They all ran around like crazy. All four were adopted into good homes. These kitten did not received anything but routine vet care , vaccines etc. They also had a great group of volunteers who worked with them in exercising their legs, etc. They all had a more mild case of CH.Sadly it is true not all kittens with CH survive, but it is not 100 %. I have seen litters where they all died or where half died and thankfully sometimes they all live. I believe and fortunately some of my neighbors do as well in helping all cats have their best lives hopefully in their forever homes. My personal opinion is it is criminal to suggest all kittens with CH should be euthanized just because they have CH. Evaluations and decisions should be made on a individual case basis, but again this is my own personal opinion.

 

[fionasmom]

If kittens survive panleuk initially, CH is a possibility. Given that handicapped pets can adapt, automatically euthanizing kittens with CH is premature and unnecessary unless it were to be a completely unmanageable case. However, I think that the question is more about panleuk.

This definitely was not a question of disability, simply a question of whether exposure means that 100% of them will die without treatment, or only 98% (or some other number less than 100%).

Kittens do survive, some on their own. The consensus is that it requires quick and intensive supportive care in order to give them the best chance.

How are the three kittens now?

 

[IzzysfureverMom]

Some articles that may help you:
Wobbly Cat Syndrome: An Interesting But Harmless Condition
From Tufts Veterinary
What is Cerebellar Hypoplasia? - Tufts Catnip
There is also a good article from Cornell Veterinary but I can't access at this time.

 

[Meowmee]

This definitely was not a question of disability, simply a question of whether exposure means that 100% of them will die without treatment, or only 98% (or some other number less than 100%). The many vets I talked to seem to think it's close to 100% and pretty universally believe kittens should be euthanized. I was wondering if anyone here had seen kittens recover from it without expensive veterinary care.

Last year someone on here- Nilo- saved two of her kittens who had had it, I posted on her post quite a bit. I don’t remember all of the details but you can search it. I think she was in Pakistan or India. I’m not sure. She said the veterinary care is terrible there. But she did take them to the dvm occasionally, and was on the phone etc. with them, but most of the treatment was done at home by her. I messaged with her a little bit, but I haven’t heard from her for over a year. I don’t know how old her kittens were when they had it and they had some other problems after but nothing major that I remember anyway. Here is the post:

Kitten at death's door from some infection/ ongoing issues and updates

5 month old male street kitten. Unvaccinated. Does not trust humans, never been touched by a human before today. Has not eaten or drunk water in over 60 hours. No strength to even stand up, for over 2 days. Vomited white mucous-like or acid-like substance about 10-12 times in the past 18...

thecatsite.com

Regarding the mortality rate for younger kittens under 2 months, it seems to be between 90-95%. The problem with percentages that you will read online is that not every kitten or cat etc. is going to follow that. So you can never really know what will happen.

I’ll give you an example when they did studies on rabies. they thought that there was 100% mortality in people. However, there was a study done in Peru I believe on people who had lived near an area where there were a lot of bats, and they tested some of them who had not been vaccinated for rabies. Some of them had antibodies to it so they believe they had some type of exposure but survived the virus.
A doctor who saved a child’s life who had rabies by putting her in an induced coma now believes that 25% of people who are exposed to rabies survive and we don’t know about all of them obviously because they never made it to the symptomatic phase or didn’t seek treatment but somehow survived it. Their immune system fought off the virus before it reached the fatal phase in most cases most likely. There are only documentations of about 6 to 7 people worldwide who have reached the CNS symptomatic phase who have survived that we know of.

So, there could be some kittens that are exposed to illness such as the panleukopenia virus and survive. It’s probably not as likely but it’s possible, in my opinion even probable because outdoor cats are going to be exposed to those viruses if they’re living outside yet we have overpopulation of cats and numerous kittens in feral colonies, and they don’t all die.

 

[dorianscats]

The answer to do they 100% always die is NO. We had a litter of 4 little gray kittens here who all had Cerebellar Hypoplasia they all survived.

But wait, did those kittens have panleukopenia? That is my question: without hospitalization, do kittens with panleukopenia ever survive?

 

[dorianscats]

Last year someone on here- Nilo- saved two of her kittens who had had it, I posted on her post quite a bit.

Nilo's story is, indeed, incredible! I read through the link you posted. She worked unbelievably hard to save those kittens!!! But based on her updates, those kittens also got a ton of veterinary care: antibiotics, blood tests, many many medications and vitamins. The veterinary care she got them would have costs thousands of dollars here, which was out of the question for the rescue group I was working with. So that leaves me still wondering if there's anyone who has seen panleuk kittens survive without extensive veterinary care. From what I've read, it seems impossible.