Overview
Meningitis in cat is a serious disease that requires aggressive treatment . luckily , meningitis in hombre is rare . But statistic are no comfort for preferred parents whose cat is suffering .
Initially , the signs of intellectual meningitis in cats are vague — tiredness , exit of appetency , hiding — the same symptom of almost every computed tomography illness . This is why it is of import to have your cat evaluated by a veterinarian . The preferably meningitis can be diagnose and deal , the more likely a good termination is for your cat .
What Is Feline Meningitis?
Meningitisis inflammation of the layer of protective tissue paper that cover the brain and spinal cord . That tissue is called the meninges . The suffix - itismeans inflammation . Often if there is puff up of the meninges , there is also swelling of the brain it protects . ignition of the mentality tissue paper is calledencephalitis . Together , inflammation of both the brain and meninges is calledmeningoencephalitis . If the spinal cord tissue paper is also involved , it ’s calledmeningoencephalomyelitis .
Many of the causes of feline meningitis are infectious . Therefore , qat who drop sentence alfresco are at highest risk for meningitis . Those who are unvaccinated and live out-of-doors are at highest risk for contagious meningitis . There are no breed or sexual urge conflict in peril , although there does appear to be a genetic sensitivity for the autoimmune ( non - infectious ) form of the disease . Meningitis is not directly familial between hombre , although those who apportion an surroundings are also likely to portion out exposures to organisms that cause meningitis .
What Causes Meningitis in Cats?
There are many infectious causes of meningitis in cats , including bacterium , viruses , fungus , parasites , tick - borne diseases , and individual - celled being called protozoa . In bozo , bacterial meningitis is more rare than the other infectious line . Other brain upset in cat can be triggered by these same types of pathogen . Meningitis may also be triggered by some types of chemical substance or toxin . The final category of causes of meningitis in khat is machine - immune disease . Sometimes , despite symptomatic examination , a suit for feline meningitis can not be determine . These cases are considered idiopathic , mean no cause is know .
Types of Meningitis in Cats
There are several types of meningitis in bozo , including :
machine - immune : An overreaction of the resistant scheme causes inflammation of the meninges . This type of meningitis can usually be treated with corticosteroid drug .
Bacterial : Bacterial meningitis is more common in livestock than pets .
Fungal : Fungal meningitis can be localized to the Einstein and spinal cord or can be a result of disseminated infection , meaning the fungus is found all over the dead body .
Viral : This is the most common cause of meningitis in computed tomography . Feline Infectious PeritonitisandFeline Leukemia Virusare both known to pass on the mind and cause meningitis . Viral meningitis carries a grave medical prognosis — it is in the main a calamitous disease .
Protozoal : Protozoa are single - celled organism . They can arrive in the meninges through the nose , ears , bloodstream , or loose wounds . Protozoal meningitis can sometimes be effectively treated with antibiotic drug .
Parasitic : Parasites ( for exampleroundworms , bot flies , etc . ) can find their way into the meninges and cause localized inflammation and/or infection . Parasitic meningitis is typically treated with parasiticidal medications as well as antibiotics .
Idiopathic : When no causal agency of meningitis can be found , it is called idiopathic . Unfortunately , idiopathic meningitis has a inadequate prognosis .
What Are Signs of Meningitis in Cats?
The symptoms of meningitis in cats motley wide from minimum to severe , from slow onset to speedy patterned advance , and from specifically neurological to non - specific whole body signs .
The most common signal of meningitis are fever , neck pain , muscle cramp , and stern pain that is hard to focalise . More specific foretoken include a head controversy , walking in roofy , and loss of balance . Other house admit lethargy , blindness , abnormal movements , palsy , behaviour change , seizure , and comatoseness .
The signs of meningitis depend on the location of the swelling , whether around the mentality , cerebellum , spinal cord , or multiple locating . The symptom do not disagree between the causes of meningitis , which is part of what makes diagnosis difficult .
To recap , here is a leaning of signs of meningitis in Caterpillar :
Diagnosing Feline Meningitis
The diagnosing of meningitis in cat starts with a thoroughgoing history and physical exam . Bloodwork and X - rays are utile to harness out the presence of other more common sickness and injuries . The specific test required to diagnose meningitis are evaluation of the cerebrospinal fluid ( CSF , the fluid that goes around and through the learning ability ) and an MRI to confirm the presence of inflammation . These tests may be ordered when bloodwork and hug drug - rays of the body appear to be normal but a Arabian tea has persistent or reform-minded neurologic signs .
Cat Meningitis Treatment Options
The treatment for meningitis in cats depends on the cause . Whether antibiotic , antiviral drug , antifungals , or antiparasitics are required is found on the results of the CSF depth psychology . The success of treatment depend on the case and how quickly treatment is initiated . It can vary wide . Some cats return to normal with treatment , while other guy get no relief from handling or may even aggravate .
Auto - immune and idiopathic contour of meningitis are treated with steroid medicinal drug . All shape of meningitis in cats require supportive tending : fluids , course aid , and botheration control to give the specific medicine sentence to take effect . Sometimes these cats can be regale at home , but most African tea with meningitis require at least some amount of hospital care until their symptoms can be managed .
Prognosis for Cats With Meningitis
Immune - mediated , check mark - borne , and protozoal bod of meningitis have the best likeliness of a confirming outcome , although overall the prognosis for any type of meningitis in cats is still guard . The other form of meningitis , such as bacterial , fungal , and viral , extend a short medical prognosis . Getting your cat into the veterinary surgeon at the first polarity of a problem can go a farseeing way to helping them get in effect .
Cost to Treat Meningitis in Cats
The cost to name and treat meningitis in cats depart but it is a significant fiscal investment due to the monetary value of symptomatic testing and hospitalization insurance . An MRI and CSF analytic thinking can be $ 3,000-$6,000 . Hospitalization is in the range of $ 1,000-$3,000 per day . Some bozo may only call for a few days while other cats may necessitate weeks in the hospital to adequately manage their pain .
How to Prevent Meningitis in Cats
While there is nothing a pet parent can do to prevent meningitis specifically , keep your cat indoors and up to date on vaccinum significantly reduces the risk of meningitis .
