What causes chronic upper respiratory tract disease?
Chronic upper respiratory tract (URT) disease is a relatively common problem in cats, and can have many causes. The most common form is termed chronic post viral or idiopathic rhinitis. In this condition viral infection (e.g. cat ‘flu – caused by feline herpes virus or feline calici virus) causes the initial mucosal damage; but the chronic signs relate to secondary bacterial infection of the damaged nasal passages. This may then lead on to chronic osteomyelitis of the turbinate bones (bacterial infection of the fine bones within the nose). More unusual causes include:- 1.Fungal infections. 2.Inflammation which can result in polyps of inflammatory tissue. 3.Neoplasia (cancer) which can be localized within the nose, or be part of more widespread disease. 4.Physical damage which can result from foreign objects getting stuck up the nose, facial trauma (e.g. from cat bites or car accidents), or be associated with severe dental disease. What are the clinical signs of chronic URT disease? The
