Feline panleukopenia – update on prevention and treatment

Introduction Feline panleukopenia is caused by feline parvovirus (FPV), which is a highly contagious virus affecting all members of Felidae. Severity of clinical signs depends on age, immune status, and concurrent infections. Clinical disease ranges from subclinical infection to a peracute syndrome with sudden death. Typical initial signs include fever, depression, and anorexia. Affected cats can initially present for vomiting and, with lower frequency, develop watery to hemorrhagic diarrhea. Atypical presentations are common, especially in adult cats. Infected cats die from complications associated with secondary bacterial infection, sepsis, dehydration, and disseminated intravasal coagulopathy (DIC). Mortality rates of 25%-90% in acute panleukopenia and up to 100% in peracute infections have been reported.