Can Kittens Get Canine Parvo

Both viruses attack cells within the pet s bone marrow.

Can kittens get canine parvo. While not the same as canine parvovirus it is referred to as parvo due to the similar symptoms. In other words canine parvo cannot spread to cats. So while it is uncommon yes cats can get parvovirus from dogs. They can also get it from contact with an infected cat s urine feces and nose secretions.

Places where young puppies and kittens mix together such as pet shops can be a breeding ground for this transmission. Cats and dogs have their own separate species specific parvovirus strains. For example if a parvo outbreak in an animal shelter takes place there is the possibility of cross contamination. The parvo virus in dogs is very closely related to the virus panleukopenia.

Canine parvovirus is a highly contagious disease that can be fatal to dogs. As cats can catch certain strains of canine parvovirus any cats in this dog s household should be isolated and brought to the veterinarian for parvo testing. Cats can get parvo directly from contact with another cat who has it. Parvovirus is highly contagious and a mutated strain of canine parvovirus has been suspected of infecting felines.

Puppies aged six weeks to six months are most at risk. Cats are most susceptible as kittens from 4 to 12 weeks of age or even as unvaccinated adults. The virus that causes distemper in cats. People who handle an infected cat or an infected cat s bedding food or water dish can carry the virus to the next cat they handle.

Dogs can not get parvo from cats. Neither can mouse parvo spread to elephants or even humans. Most cats catch the virus through infected areas rather than from other infected cats as the virus can survive up to a year in the environment. While dogs cannot catch feline parvovirus the virus can mutate and be spread to cats.

The most widely accepted theory about how canine parvovirus suddenly erupted on the scene with such disastrous results in the 1970s is that it originated mutated from the feline panleukopenia virus or another type of closely related parvovirus. The cat strain called feline panleukopenia. There is some debate over whether cats can get parvo from dogs but the majority opinion seems to be no. First of all the fact that canine parvovirus can infect cats isn t that big of a surprise.

However there are some studies that have shown that a mutated strain of the canine parvovirus cpv can in fact infect cats.