Chlamydia infection is a dangerous condition that can cause severe symptoms in cats. How to recognize chlamydia in your house tiger, how to treat the disease and whether chlamydia in cats can be transmitted to humans, you can find out in our guide.
What is chlamydia in cats?
Chlamydophila felis is a bacterium that can affect the mucous membranes of cats. As the bacterium multiplies in its host’s cells, it spreads throughout the body.
How is chlamydia transmitted in cats?
Infection with the bacteria occurs via a so-called droplet infection or through direct contact with secretions from the mouth, nose, or eyes of an infected animal. The infection often goes unnoticed for a long time and only breaks out with symptoms when the cat’s immune system is weakened due to other infections.
How do you recognize chlamydia in cats?
If the disease breaks out, chlamydia leads to typical symptoms in cats, but these can initially be mistaken for a respiratory tract infection or conjunctivitis. If conjunctivitis recurs, you should definitely go to the vet and have your pet checked for chlamydial infection. The veterinarian makes the diagnosis with a swab of the conjunctiva, which is examined in the laboratory.
If left untreated, the cat can suffer severe consequential damage, including blindness.
Chlamydia: The symptoms of cats are as follows
- Unilateral or bilateral conjunctivitis, often chronic
- Eye discharge
- Puffy or red eyes
- Cold symptoms such as coughing and sneezing
- Elevated temperature or fever
- Inflamed mucous membranes in the mouth
- Lack of appetite and weight loss
- General malaise and weakness
- Increased susceptibility to further infections
How is chlamydia treated in cats?
If symptoms of illness occur, you should take your pet to the vet and initiate treatment before the illness becomes chronic and consequential damage occurs. If chlamydia is detected early in cats, the prognosis for your cat is good. The infection is treated in a targeted manner with antibiotics and cortisone in the form of tablets and eye ointments.
Save yourself and your cat suffering and pain and go to the vet.
Is chlamydia in cats transmitted to humans?
Diseases that can be transmitted from animals to humans are known as zoonoses. The dangerous chlamydial infection is one of these zoonoses because it is possible to get infected. However, the transmission is rare and particularly affects people with a weakened immune system such as the chronically ill, pregnant women, and children.
If people at risk live in your household, they should keep their distance from the sick cat and pay particular attention to everyday hygiene, such as regular hand washing.
How can you protect the cat from chlamydia?
As a preventive measure, you can have your house tiger vaccinated against Chlamydophila felis. Various vaccines are available from the vet for this purpose. Vaccination cannot completely prevent infection with the bacteria, but the symptoms in vaccinated animals are significantly weaker because the multiplication of the pathogen is reduced.
