Panleukopenia virus causes problems with kittens. How to prevent it in cats | Pet Peeves

Vaccine safety and efficacy are on everyone’s minds these days thanks to COVID-19. But vaccines have been a part of our lives for decades and often taken for granted. One such vaccine, given to children, protects us from rubella, or German measles.

The rubella virus is especially dangerous if contracted during pregnancy. It is known to cause deafness, cataracts, heart defects and mental retardation in unborn fetuses. There is at least a 20% chance of damage to the fetus if a woman is infected early in pregnancy. This is why it is so important to vaccinate our children for rubella.

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Many pregnant women are exposed through their other children. Not to mention, if vaccinated as a child, you carry the immunity into your child bearing years.

What is panleukopenia in cats?

Animals also experience viruses that can affect the unborn fetus. In cats, there is a virus called panleukopenia that, in a pregnant cat, can cause birth defects in the kittens.

Panleukopenia attacks the part of the brain called the cerebellum and keeps it from developing normally. The cerebellum is a region of the brain that is responsible for coordination of voluntary movements, balance and posture.

Although the kittens will look normal at birth, when they begin to walk, they will be very uncoordinated. They will stagger and fall over. They have what is known as intention tremors, which is when they aim to get somewhere, but the harder they try the more they shake and tremble.

Many cats that contract the virus while pregnant deliver stillborn kittens. If the kittens survive, they will have these distinctive tremors when they move. A kitten with cerebellar hypoplasia can live many years. They will always have the uncoordinated gait and will fall over it you look at them too hard, but they are not in pain and generally have a good life if kept in a safe area.

Panleukopenia is easily prevented by vaccine. It is included in the distemper vaccine that we give all cats and kittens. Vaccinations are a very important part of preventing many different types of viruses, so if you have a cat, even if it is inside only, make sure to get it the distemper and rabies vaccinations.

This article originally appeared on Northwest Florida Daily News: Panleukopenia causes kittens' birth defects; how to prevent it in cats