Introduction
There is no one test available for upper respiratory infection in cats, and so a diagnosis is most often based upon the cat’s symptoms and history. In some cases, additional tests may be performed to ensure that the cat does not have an underlying medical condition that could be contributing to the symptoms.
Diagnosing URI
Cats with upper respiratory infections often have common symptoms which can include sneezing, runny nose, discharge from the eyes, and lethargy. When a cat comes into an office with these types of symptoms, a veterinarian will begin by asking questions about the cat’s history.
- Does the cat live in a multi-cat household?
- Does the cat live outdoors?
- Has the cat been vaccinated against upper respiratory infection?
- Has the cat recently been adopted from a pet store, breeder, or shelter?
If the cat’s history points towards a high risk for upper respiratory infection, and the symptoms are consistent with this type of infection, a veterinarian will usually use this information to make the diagnosis.
Checking for Underlying Conditions
Cats with compromised immune systems are also at a high risk of developing upper respiratory infection. Cats that have conditions such as feline immunodeficiency virus and feline leukemia virus are prone to repeated upper respiratory infections. Many veterinarians test cats with upper respiratory infection symptoms for these viruses. In addition, veterinarians may also run a complete blood check to ensure that no other underlying medical condition is causing the symptoms or contributing to the upper respiratory infection.
In rare cases, a swab of the cat’s saliva or nasal fluids may be cultured to try to isolate which virus is causing the upper respiratory infection. However as the treatment for these infections is often the same, regardless of which virus caused the infection, most veterinarians do not feel that this information is needed.