Connecticut

Veterinarian Warns of Swine Flu in Cats

A local animal hospital in Cheshire is warning residents about cats contracting the swine flu.

Two cats died from the swine flu in Connecticut last week.  According to a veterinarian at VCA Cheshire Animal Hospital, it is very rare for a cat to get the virus.

Dr. Deborah Goul has been a practicing veterinarian for the last 31 years and for the first time she’s had to treat two cats for swine flu.

Goul said swine flu is a virus that affects mostly pigs and people and can cause fever and respiratory problems.

“Very rare… but yes, yes, it can happen,” Goul said.

She said both cats that died had the same owner who brought them into the facility with concerns after one cat was having difficulty breathing.

The cat died early last week and soon after, the second cat – experiencing similar symptoms – was brought in and passed away.

Both animals had other pre-existing conditions.

”I think that these two kitty cats having underlying disease unfortunately their immune system probably wasn’t the best and made them more susceptible,” she said.

Similar to humans, pre-existing conditions make the cat more prone to any outside infection.

Dr. Goul said the owner of the cats was also recently sick himself.  While it is unusual for a disease to transfer from human to pet and vice versa, it can happen.

“The natural thing is to curl up with your beloved pet and ease your discomfort but if you think you have the flu, maybe that’s not the best idea and perhaps you, just like other people, should isolate yourself from pets and people,” she said.

There’s no treatment available to fight swine flu.  An infected cat just needs supportive care to get through the virus.

Doctors suggest keeping surfaces sanitized to prevent any chance of a flu virus from spreading.  Cat owner Megan Keeley says she’ll be doing more sanitizing to protect her feline friend.

“That’s something to watch out for because you don’t want to expose your cat to your germs,” said Keeley.

Dr. Goul said the moment you see any of those signs make sure you bring your cat to a local animal hospital.

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