Can Kittens Get Canine Parvo

The virus that causes distemper in cats.

Can kittens get canine parvo. For example if a parvo outbreak in an animal shelter takes place there is the possibility of cross contamination. As cats can catch certain strains of canine parvovirus any cats in this dog s household should be isolated and brought to the veterinarian for parvo testing. The cat strain called feline panleukopenia. The parvo virus in dogs is very closely related to the virus panleukopenia.

While not the same as canine parvovirus it is referred to as parvo due to the similar symptoms. There is some debate over whether cats can get parvo from dogs but the majority opinion seems to be no. In other words canine parvo cannot spread to cats. Cats are most susceptible as kittens from 4 to 12 weeks of age or even as unvaccinated adults.

Neither can mouse parvo spread to elephants or even humans. So while it is uncommon yes cats can get parvovirus from dogs. Dogs can not get parvo from cats. First of all the fact that canine parvovirus can infect cats isn t that big of a surprise.

Puppies aged six weeks to six months are most at risk. However there are some studies that have shown that a mutated strain of the canine parvovirus cpv can in fact infect cats. Parvovirus is highly contagious and a mutated strain of canine parvovirus has been suspected of infecting felines. The most widely accepted theory about how canine parvovirus suddenly erupted on the scene with such disastrous results in the 1970s is that it originated mutated from the feline panleukopenia virus or another type of closely related parvovirus.

They can also get it from contact with an infected cat s urine feces and nose secretions. Both viruses attack cells within the pet s bone marrow. People who handle an infected cat or an infected cat s bedding food or water dish can carry the virus to the next cat they handle. Although it has be proven that humans can pass the parvo virus on to cats if they handled feces bedding or food dishes of an infected cat without washing their hands before handling healthy cats.

Most cats catch the virus through infected areas rather than from other infected cats as the virus can survive up to a year in the environment. Cats can get parvo directly from contact with another cat who has it. Cats and dogs have their own separate species specific parvovirus strains. While dogs cannot catch feline parvovirus the virus can mutate and be spread to cats.

Parvo attacks a dog s cells in their intestine meaning they become dehydrated and weak there is no cure but vaccinating a dog or puppy against parvo will protect them.