Introduction
Symptoms of bordetella in cats are similar to upper respiratory infections. Cats with weakened immune systems, and kittens with undeveloped immune systems, can be more severely affected by the disease.
Cats that are exposed to the Bordetella bronchiseptica bacteria do not all react the same way. Some cats carry the bacteria, and periodically shed it, without showing any symptoms at all, some cats show only mild symptoms, and some cats, and especially kittens, develop moderate to severe symptoms.
Symptoms of Bordetella in Cats
When symptoms do appear, they often begin with dry cough that sounds very similar to hairball hacking coughs. The symptoms can also include:
- Sneezing
- Nasal discharge
- Fluid that drips from the eyes
- Fever
- Swollen lymph nodes
The symptoms may appear together, or only one symptom, such as a cough or nasal discharge, may be the only noticeable symptom that occurs. They may also continue to progress to a wet cough and lung sounds, (lung sounds refer to wheezing or congestion noises when the cat is breathing). How quickly the symptoms develop, and how severe they become, depends on the cat’s immune symptoms.
Bordetella symptoms can progress rapidly in cats that are also fighting other underlying medical conditions such as feline leukemia, feline immunodeficiency virus, or additional upper respiratory viruses such as feline herpes. Kittens can be affected severely by the Bordetella bronchiseptica bacteria, and in some cases they can die in as little as 12 hours after the initial symptoms appear. Death is usually the result of a secondary bacterial infection, such as pneumonia, which takes advantage of the kitten’s already weakened immune systems.