Sporotrichosis in cats is one of the most serious diseases that can affect felines. It quickly evolves to the disseminated phase, causing serious risks to the kitten's life. Caused by a fungus present in vegetation, feline sporotrichosis has as its main symptoms sores on the cat's nose and throughout its skin. Despite the complexity, sporotrichosis is curable with specific treatment.Some special care in everyday life can still help prevent the cat disease sporotrichosis. We talked to veterinarian Frederico Lima, from Rio de Janeiro, to learn more about the disease.

What is sporotrichosis in cats and how does transmission occur?

Many people have heard of sporotrichosis in cats but are not sure what it is. It is a serious disease caused by a fungus of the genus Sporothrix. It likes to stay in areas with a higher concentration of organic matter. Therefore, the presence of the kitten in these places is the main way of contagion of the disease of sporotrichosis cat: "The contact of cats with organic matter, such as trees and flowers, is aof the main ways of contracting the disease, as well as bites or scratches from a cat with sporotrichosis, "explains the veterinarian.

The fungus that causes sporotrichosis in cats enters the animal from wounds present on the skin. Therefore, transmission usually occurs when the animal has an injury and comes into contact with the fungus, usually in these places of greater vegetation. Feline sporotrichosis is considered a zoonosis, that is, the cat can pass it on to humans. Normally, a contaminated cat passes sporotrichosis bythrough scratches or bites.

What are the stages of development of feline sporotrichosis?

Usually, feline sporotrichosis begins with a few lesions on the skin. Over time, other signs on the body begin to appear, marking the worsening of the disease. Thus, we can separate some phases according to the severity of the problems that the cat with sporotrichosis presents:

• Localized phase (initial phase): Feline sporotrichosis usually starts with a few bruises on the skin. "The disease manifests itself with small skin lesions, like wounds, called ulcers," explains the veterinarian.

• Lymphatic phase: as it gets worse, the lesions start to affect not only the outside of the skin, but also the lymphatic system

• Widespread phase: "The kitten has lesions all over the skin, in addition to the bulging of the nose, which we call the clown nose. In this case, the cat will have nasal discharge, decreased appetite, weight loss and other signs. This form of the disease, called disseminated, is usually fatal ", says the specialist.

Cat nose sore is one of the main signs of feline sporotrichosis

The symptoms of feline sporotrichosis are very noticeable as they mainly affect the animal's skin and are therefore very visible. The bruise on the cat's nose, for example, is one of the most striking signs of the disease - often even called "cat's nose disease". Lesions all over the skin that do not heal and can become serious ulcers are also among the most common symptomsPictures of the disease will help you understand how these lesions manifest themselves in your cat. Be on the lookout for any signs or behaviors that may indicate sporotrichosis in cats and go to the vet as soon as possible. See the most common symptoms:

Abscesses

Sore on the cat's nose

Minor wounds

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Bumps

Ulcers

Secretions

Anorexia

Apathy

Difficulty breathing

Fever

Is sporotrichosis curable?

Although it is a serious disease, which leaves the cat with a swollen nose and all the skin damaged, there is good news: sporotrichosis is curable. The veterinarian explains that most cases can be cured, although there is still a risk that the pet will not resist. "Today we [veterinarians], in our clinical routine, have managed to cure most patients. Of course, the animal that arrives a lotFeline sporotrichosis can lead to death, especially in cats that are treated late or incorrectly, without monitoring by a veterinarian, "he explains.

For this reason, the treatment of the cat disease that causes sores on the body needs to be followed to the letter. It consists mainly of the application of antifungal remedies. They are the best way to how to treat cat nose sore correctly, in addition to the others caused by sporotrichosis on the cat's paw and the entire length of the skin. But Frederico states that in some cases they may be necessary"The veterinarian will determine the best treatment during the consultation and evaluation," the veterinarian emphasizes.

How to prevent feline sporotrichosis?

The best way to keep your kitten free of feline sporotrichosis is with prevention. As the disease is usually contracted in open environments of organic matter, it is essential to prevent its access to these places. "The main way to prevent sporotrichosis is to keep the kitten indoors so that it does not have contact with felines contaminated by the disease," explains the specialist. Therefore, theCat neutering is a great protective measure, as it reduces the number of escapes. The prevention of sporotrichosis in cats is even more important because it is a zoonosis. Great care is needed to prevent the disease from passing to a person: "The best way to avoid contagion is to wear gloves when you come across an infected kitten or have to treat the feline itself. It is also important to take care of your cat.have a good hygiene of the environment, using chlorine to clean the place. Finally, it is necessary to try to administer the medicines in a safer way, such as next to the food, to avoid contamination of the tutor ", explains the specialist.

If you have more than one pet, it is necessary that the cat infected with feline sporotrichosis is isolated in a separate environment. If the kitten dies, Doctor Frederico reminds that it is necessary to cremate, not bury: "when buried, the soil will also be contaminated, since the fungus lives in organic matter. This would be a source of infection for new cats, who may have contactThe second measure is to clean the environment well to eliminate fungi. An effective way is with the use of diluted chlorine ", explains the veterinarian.