Introduction

Bordetellosis is a highly contagious bacterial disease of cats that causes respiratory symptoms, especially in kittens and other cats with underdeveloped or weakened immune systems. Cats exposed to Bordetella bronchiseptica are much less commonly affected clinically than are dogs. Some cats are carriers of the bacteria and periodically shed it without showing any clinical signs. Other cats may show only mild symptoms, while some - especially very young kittens – will develop severe and life-threatening bronchopneumonial disease.

Symptoms of Feline Bordetellosis

When affected cats develop clinical signs of infection with Bordetella bronchiseptica, they typically are characterized by fever, sneezing and nasal and ocular discharge that last less than 2 weeks. Cats also tend to develop swollen submandibular lymph nodes and may become lethargic, intolerant to exercise and stop eating. Coughing is an inconsistent sign in cats but is the most common sign in dogs. When cats do develop a cough from this disease, it typically is moist and productive and is accompanied by breathing difficulty. These signs can appear together or separately and frequently are progressive, especially in immunocompromised animals.

Bordetellosis symptoms often progress rapidly in cats that are fighting other underlying medical conditions such as feline leukemia, feline immunodeficiency virus or other upper respiratory infections such as viral feline herpes. Kittens can die in as little as 12 hours after their initial symptoms appear. Death is usually the result of secondary bacterial infections that thrive on the kitten’s weakened immune system. While the clinical manifestations of so-called “kennel cough” in cats may not seem particularly serious, the infection is very contagious and should be treated immediately.