How to Diagnose and Treat Chlamydiosis in Cats
Check your cat’s eyes., Pay attention to your cat’s breathing., Look for a runny nose., Listen for sneezing., Track your cat’s appetite., Take your cat to the vet., Get an x-ray for your cat., Order a blood test., Administer oral antibiotics., Use...
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Check your cat’s eyes.
If you notice that your cat’s eyes look watery, it might have chlamydiosis.
You might also see some discharge from your cat’s eyes – usually green or yellow – that’s thicker than normal cat eye discharge.
If you notice this symptom, your cat might have chlamydiosis, but it might also have a condition that affects its eyes., If you notice that your cat is having difficulty breathing, it might have chlamydiosis.
This can manifest as loud breathing, or you might notice your cat extending its neck to breathe.
Your cat might also cough if it has chlamydiosis.
This can also be the symptom of other serious conditions, so you should take your cat to the vet if you notice these issues., Healthy cats’ noses are sometimes a little cold and wet.
If you notice that your cat has a runny nose, however, this might be a sign it has chlamydiosis.
At the very least, it indicates that something is wrong and you should take your cat to the vet., One of the most common signs of an upper respiratory infection is sneezing.
Cats sneeze from time to time, but if you notice your cat more often than normal, it might have chlamydiosis., If you notice that your cat is not eating as much as it usually does, it might have chlamydiosis.
Lack of appetite is a serious symptom in cats, regardless of the cause, so if you notice this, you should take your cat to the vet immediately., If you notice any of the above symptoms in your cat, take it to the vet and explain all of its symptoms.
If your vet suspects that your cat has chlamydiosis, they will take a swab of the discharge (from your cat’s eyes, usually) to determine the cause of its illness.
Even if the underlying cause of your cat’s symptoms is not chlamydiosis, a swab will help your vet figure out the best course of treatment for your cat., Because an upper respiratory infection mimics the symptoms of pneumonia, your vet might order an x-ray to eliminate one or the other as a cause of your cat's symptoms.
This will allow your vet to look for liquid in the lungs – the most obvious sign that your cat has pneumonia., The bacteria that causes chlamydiosis sometimes comes up during a blood screening.
Your vet might order one for your cat to be sure about the diagnosis of chlamydiosis., If your vet determines your cat does have chlamydiosis, they might prescribe antibiotics.
These can Include tetracycline or doxycycline.
Make sure you follow the directions for administering the drugs to your cat and ask your vet any questions you might have about the medication., If your cat is experiencing quite a bit of eye discharge as a result of chlamydiosis, your vet might prescribe antibiotic eye drops.
As with oral antibiotics, you should follow the directions your vet gives you very carefully., If your vet prescribes antibiotics, you will notice improvement in your cat’s health.
However, you should continue to administer treatment for at least ten days after your cat’s symptoms clear up.
The bacteria that causes chlamydiosis could still be in your cat's body, even if it isn't exhibiting symptoms., Although the medication your cat is taking might take a while to start working, you should pay attention to whether your cat is improving at all.
If it's not, there might be another underlying issue, or your cat might need different medication.
If you're not noticing any improvement, take your cat back to the vet., Chlamydiosis is incredibly contagious.
Because of this, it’s best to keep an infected cat away from other animals.
Move its litter box and food and water bowls into a separate room if possible, and keep it quarantined from other animals in your home., Cats can spread chlamydiosis to humans.
People the most at risk from upper respiratory infections can become infected after interacting with cats that have chlamydiosis.
You should keep children, the elderly, and pregnant women well away from cats with chlamydiosis., Chlamydiosis spreads easily from cat to cat.
If you have more than one cat and one gets chlamydiosis, take preventative measures.
Ask your vet for doses of preventative antibiotics to give to your other cats.
This will prevent the spread of the disease to the other cats in your household., Just as cats can pass upper respiratory infections to humans if they have chlamydiosis, so too can humans give their cats chlamydiosis if they have upper respiratory infections.
If you’re sick, try to stay away from your cat as much as possible until you’re feeling better.
Have someone else feed your cat if possible, and try to avoid touching it. -
Step 2: Pay attention to your cat’s breathing.
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Step 3: Look for a runny nose.
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Step 4: Listen for sneezing.
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Step 5: Track your cat’s appetite.
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Step 6: Take your cat to the vet.
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Step 7: Get an x-ray for your cat.
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Step 8: Order a blood test.
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Step 9: Administer oral antibiotics.
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Step 10: Use antibiotic eye drops.
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Step 11: Continue treatment for at least four weeks.
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Step 12: Return to the vet if your cat doesn’t improve in six weeks.
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Step 13: Keep your cat isolated.
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Step 14: Keep your cats away from certain people.
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Step 15: Treat all the cats in your home.
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Step 16: Stay away from your cats if you’re sick.
Detailed Guide
If you notice that your cat’s eyes look watery, it might have chlamydiosis.
You might also see some discharge from your cat’s eyes – usually green or yellow – that’s thicker than normal cat eye discharge.
If you notice this symptom, your cat might have chlamydiosis, but it might also have a condition that affects its eyes., If you notice that your cat is having difficulty breathing, it might have chlamydiosis.
This can manifest as loud breathing, or you might notice your cat extending its neck to breathe.
Your cat might also cough if it has chlamydiosis.
This can also be the symptom of other serious conditions, so you should take your cat to the vet if you notice these issues., Healthy cats’ noses are sometimes a little cold and wet.
If you notice that your cat has a runny nose, however, this might be a sign it has chlamydiosis.
At the very least, it indicates that something is wrong and you should take your cat to the vet., One of the most common signs of an upper respiratory infection is sneezing.
Cats sneeze from time to time, but if you notice your cat more often than normal, it might have chlamydiosis., If you notice that your cat is not eating as much as it usually does, it might have chlamydiosis.
Lack of appetite is a serious symptom in cats, regardless of the cause, so if you notice this, you should take your cat to the vet immediately., If you notice any of the above symptoms in your cat, take it to the vet and explain all of its symptoms.
If your vet suspects that your cat has chlamydiosis, they will take a swab of the discharge (from your cat’s eyes, usually) to determine the cause of its illness.
Even if the underlying cause of your cat’s symptoms is not chlamydiosis, a swab will help your vet figure out the best course of treatment for your cat., Because an upper respiratory infection mimics the symptoms of pneumonia, your vet might order an x-ray to eliminate one or the other as a cause of your cat's symptoms.
This will allow your vet to look for liquid in the lungs – the most obvious sign that your cat has pneumonia., The bacteria that causes chlamydiosis sometimes comes up during a blood screening.
Your vet might order one for your cat to be sure about the diagnosis of chlamydiosis., If your vet determines your cat does have chlamydiosis, they might prescribe antibiotics.
These can Include tetracycline or doxycycline.
Make sure you follow the directions for administering the drugs to your cat and ask your vet any questions you might have about the medication., If your cat is experiencing quite a bit of eye discharge as a result of chlamydiosis, your vet might prescribe antibiotic eye drops.
As with oral antibiotics, you should follow the directions your vet gives you very carefully., If your vet prescribes antibiotics, you will notice improvement in your cat’s health.
However, you should continue to administer treatment for at least ten days after your cat’s symptoms clear up.
The bacteria that causes chlamydiosis could still be in your cat's body, even if it isn't exhibiting symptoms., Although the medication your cat is taking might take a while to start working, you should pay attention to whether your cat is improving at all.
If it's not, there might be another underlying issue, or your cat might need different medication.
If you're not noticing any improvement, take your cat back to the vet., Chlamydiosis is incredibly contagious.
Because of this, it’s best to keep an infected cat away from other animals.
Move its litter box and food and water bowls into a separate room if possible, and keep it quarantined from other animals in your home., Cats can spread chlamydiosis to humans.
People the most at risk from upper respiratory infections can become infected after interacting with cats that have chlamydiosis.
You should keep children, the elderly, and pregnant women well away from cats with chlamydiosis., Chlamydiosis spreads easily from cat to cat.
If you have more than one cat and one gets chlamydiosis, take preventative measures.
Ask your vet for doses of preventative antibiotics to give to your other cats.
This will prevent the spread of the disease to the other cats in your household., Just as cats can pass upper respiratory infections to humans if they have chlamydiosis, so too can humans give their cats chlamydiosis if they have upper respiratory infections.
If you’re sick, try to stay away from your cat as much as possible until you’re feeling better.
Have someone else feed your cat if possible, and try to avoid touching it.
About the Author
Donald Stokes
Experienced content creator specializing in practical skills guides and tutorials.
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