Cat diseases

[Debby]

Okay, this is a new one to me...but a friend of mine who has house cats, told me of a disease some of her cats have had....it's called clymedia....I'm sure I spelled that wrong.

Anyway, it is the same name as the human sexually transmitted disease, and I guess it's similar, except it starts out in the cats eyes....puss, and matter and their eyes stick shut...and my friend took her kitten to the vet and he said that that is what it was, and that if left untreated it could kill them, because it will move and settle into their lungs.

I guess it is highly contagous, because the vet wouldnt even let my friends daughter pet his cat that was in the office, because he said, honey your kitten is sick and if you pet my cat you could transmit it to him. wow. scary.

I'm not sure how they get this disease, but i guess it is relative to the human Clymedia. But cats cannot transmit it to humans or vice versa.

Has anyone ever heard of this? I never had, and If any of my information is wrong, please correct me, because I am only going on the information her vet gave her, and I'm certainly no expert. She is treating her kitten with antibiotics and eye ointment. Just curious if anyone has heard of this or has any helpful comments.

[Edited by Anne on 11-26-2000 at 12:56 PM]

[Anne]

I looked it up in the Cornell Book of Cats. Here's what I found.

Chlamydia is a micro-organism that causes conjunctivitis (eye infection). This is one cause of the quite common eye infections you see in kittens and cats. Chlamydia can also take the form of a respiratory infection (that's what the vet probably refered to).

About it being contagious to humans - I read that the respiratory version of Chlamydia can cause eye infection in humans. It is very contagious between cats, like the vet said. I'm not sure it's very similar to the human form of Chlamydia. Probably of the same family of micro-organisms.

Tell your friend it's very important to follow the antibiotics treatment all the way and not stop in the middle of it, even if the cat seems better.

That's what I've got (I'm no expert either - it's all in the books...)

[Debby]

Thank you Anne, I will tell her. I keep trying to get her to join us, her name is Shannon and she's a real animal lover too. So maybe I can convince her to join us soon!! Thanks for the information!

[Harriet]

There is a vaccination for Chlamydia. It is mixed in with your regular Upper respiratory vaccines. You have to ask for it as it is not routinely given with the annual booster.

[Debby]

Thank you Harriet, for that information, I didn't know that...I will have to ask for it next time.