Feline chlamydiosis is a disease that can be easily confused with conjunctivitis in cats, even if only at first. With contagion easily made possible by contact of the infected animal with other cats and people (chlamydiosis is a zoonosis and can also be transmitted to humans), care for the prevention of chlamydiosis is as important as treatment. Toto answer some questions and talk about the disease here, we talked to Dr. Luciana Capirazzo, the feline specialist veterinarian at Hospital Veterinário Vet Popular. See, below, what she told us.

Feline chlamydiosis: the cause and action on the animal's body

Just like other infectious diseases, chlamydiosis is caused by a bacterium - in this case, the Chlamydophila felis "This bacterium causes an eye infection that can be easily transmitted from one cat to another and, therefore, is more frequent in animals that live in groups," explains Luciana. At first, it leaves the cat with a red eye, but the symptoms do not stop there. "Symptoms of feline chlamydiosis include respiratory infection, red and swollen eyes, ocular and nasal discharge, sneezing and vomiting.In more serious cases, the cat may also have lesions such as ulcers in the eyeball region.

What to do when identifying the symptoms of feline chlamydiosis in your cat

Feline chlamydiosis is a serious disease that has a specific treatment, but which can be easily confused with other health conditions because of its common symptoms. In addition to conjunctivitis, the first possibility to cross the minds of guardians who find their cat with red eye, it can also pass for feline flu because of the apparent respiratory infection. The treatmentIf you make the wrong decision, it can make your friend's situation worse, which means you really only have one thing to do: "The ideal is always to go to the veterinarian, thus avoiding homemade recipes and the administration of medicines on your own", advises Luciana.

During the consultation, it is normal for the professional to examine your cat seeking to eliminate other possibilities of diseases with the same set of symptoms. Information about the number of cats that live with your friend is also very important and can be decisive in defining the condition. "To have a diagnosis, the veterinarian will perform a clinical examination and may also ask for someIn many cases, chlamydiosis is confirmed only with the analysis of the secretion of the infected animal.

How treatment of feline chlamydiosis works

After the diagnosis is confirmed, it's time to treat feline chlamydiosis: "Treatment should only be done with a veterinarian's prescription. It can count on antibiotics to prevent the reproduction of the bacteria and ophthalmic ointments. In addition to medication, it is important that the owner hygiene the animal, cleaning his eyes with clean gauze and moistened with water or serum ", explains Luciana. OAntibiotic treatment should be carried out for the entire period indicated by the veterinarian, even if your cat seems to be improving, as this is the only way to really fight the bacteria. Don't forget: while the animal is taking the medication, it will need to be isolated to ensure the effectiveness of the treatment.

The different forms of transmission of feline chlamydiosis

As we mentioned above, feline chlamydiosis is transmitted only through direct contact of a healthy animal with the secretion of an infected one, but this is not the only way of contamination: "Pregnant cats can transmit the disease to their kittens during and after childbirth", says the veterinarian. So, when adopting a kitten, try to find out about his mother's health history.If this is not possible, report this to your vet so that they can be examined and treated if they have been contaminated.

Feline chlamydiosis can be prevented: stay alert

Even though it can be found in many environments, the bacterium responsible for chlamydiosis only reproduces in the body of a host. Therefore, a good way to avoid contamination is to limit your cat's contact to known environments, with other animals that have the same care. In addition, keep the environment in which many cats live always clean and sanitized with sodium hypochloritealso helps to kill bacteria.

One of the vaccines for cats also plays a role in preventing chlamydiosis: this is the case with the feline quadruple vaccine, which contains the antigen for the disease. It is one of the mandatory vaccines for kittens and also protects against panleukopenia (also known as "feline distemper"), rhinotracheitis and calicivirosis. V4 has the first dose applied from 42 days of life of the cat.cat and further doses which should be applied at intervals of 21 days each.