Whenever I take a sick cat to the vet, a handful of common cat diseases come up in the conversation.

Vets are very aware of cat diseases prevalent in Thailand. So whenever sick cats show up at the clinic, they naturally want to test for these viruses.

As a cat parent in Thailand, it’s good to be aware of these diseases and symptoms.

And to save you time scrolling the web, I’ve condensed all the information you need into one article.

Here are the 5 most common cat diseases I encounter as a cat parent and fosterer in Thailand and the ones I discuss the most with vets and other rescuers.

1. Cat Flu (Feline Calicivirus or Feline Herpes)

Cat flu is probably the cat virus I encounter the most in Thailand. Outbreaks of cat flu are common every year, caused by one of two viruses: Feline Calicivirus (FCV) or Feline Herpes (FHV).

Cat flu is not zoonotic but is incredibly contagious among cats, as it spreads via saliva and discharge from the nose/eyes. So, if you have multiple cats and one cat catches cat flu, your other cats will likely get it unless you separate them.

Cat Flu Symptoms

Feline Calicivirus and Feline Herpes are upper respiratory infections similar to the human flu.

Although there is a vaccine for cat flu (which covers both Feline Calicivirus and Feline Herpes), it is not that effective.

Similar to the vaccine for the human flu, it does not prevent cats from catching cat flu, but it may reduce the symptoms. What’s more, the virus mutates, further reducing the efficacy of the vaccine.

Cat Flu Treatment

Like human flu, there is no direct treatment for cat flu. You treat it by managing the symptoms and boosting your cat’s immune system.

Vets often prescribe vitamin supplements for immune support and antibiotics to prevent a secondary infection from occurring.

For healthy adult cats, cat flu is often not too severe. However, it can be fatal for young, unvaccinated kittens, older cats, and those with chronic health conditions.

To help the more vulnerable cats pull through, additional supportive care, such as nebulization, may be required. Learn more in my Cat Flu Supportive Care Guide.

2. Feline Panleukopenia (Parvo)

Feline Panleukopenia, also known as Feline Distemper or Parvo, is another highly contagious cat virus in Thailand.

It is most common among stray kittens as they have weak immunity and are unvaccinated.

Unfortunately, because there is no direct treatment for Feline Panleukopenia, it has a very high fatality rate, especially for young kittens and elderly cats.

American-based research has found that survival rates of feline Panleukopenia range from 20% to 51%. However, the survival rate is as low as 10% in young, unvaccinated kittens.

Because of this virus’s high mortality rate, vaccination is crucial.

According to some research, the combined vaccine has an 83.3% effectiveness rate against Panleukopenia.

Feline Panleukopenia Symptoms

The first sign of Panleukopenia is typically diarrhea. It might start as loose stools and worsen into watery or mucousy diarrhea.

Therefore, if you have a kitten or cat with watery or mucus diarrhea, I strongly advise you to take them to the vet ASAP for a parvo test.

Vets can test for parvo via a fecal sample. However, these snap tests are not always reliable.

The most reliable way to diagnose Panleukopenia is through a blood test. Panleukopenia causes a decrease in white blood cells in the body. Thus, the vet will look for a low white blood cell count.

Feline Panleukopenia Treatment

For a cat or kitten to have a chance of surviving feline distemper, you’ll need to admit them to a pet hospital for supportive treatment.

Cats may be able to overcome the virus if they are kept hydrated with IV fluids and their blood work is closely monitored.

If you’re caring for a cat who you suspect has feline distemper, check out the feline panleukopenia supportive care protocol I have used to save kittens from this disease.

3. Feline Infectious Peritonitis (FIP)

Feline infectious peritonitis (FIP) is a viral disease caused by the feline coronavirus (FCoV). It is one of the most common cat diseases, especially among stray kittens in Thailand, and has a very high mortality rate.

Interestingly, most cats in Thailand carry feline coronavirus (FCoV) but remain healthy unless the virus mutates into FIP.

FIP Symptoms

A cat that carries the coronavirus (FCoV) will typically not show any symptoms.

FIP manifests in one of two forms, known as wet or dry.

Wet FIP occurs when fluid builds up in the abdomen or chest. If fluid is present in the abdomen, the cat will develop a pot-bellied appearance; if fluid is present in the chest, the cat will have difficulty breathing.

In dry FIP, there is no fluid accumulation; instead, one or more organs develop severe inflammation. This is commonly the eyes (causing severe eye problems) or the brain (causing seizures).

FIP Treatment

I want to point out that there is no definitive test to diagnose FIP.

What’s more, because FIP is so common in Thailand, vets can misdiagnose it (this happened to one of my cats who had an eye infection!)

Up until very recently, FIP has been an incurable disease. So typically, supportive treatments are used to extend the cat’s life and reduce symptoms.

However, in the last few years, a medication known as GS441524 has been developed that is proving to be effective against FIP.

For example, in this 2021 study, researchers monitored 393 FIP cases. Most owners (88.2%) reported noticeable improvement within one week of initiating the therapy, and at the time of the survey, 96.7% (380 cats) had survived.

However, as it’s a very new drug, GS441524 has not yet been approved by the FDA and is, therefore, difficult to find (and expensive).

4. Feline Leukemia (FeLV)

Feline leukemia is one of the most common cat diseases worldwide.

In Thailand, stray cats are at risk of contracting FeLV as the disease spreads through fighting.

Moreover, kittens born from a mother with leukemia are also likely to contract the disease via her breast milk.

Unlike in humans, feline leukemia is not a type of cancer but a virus. However, as it is currently incurable, it often leads to cancers or tumors.

There is a vaccine to protect against FeLV, but it is not a core vaccine in Thailand. However, as the FeLV vaccine has an 80% to 93% efficacy rate, it is well worth getting if you let your cat go outside.

Feline Leukemia Symptoms

Many cat parents (and vets) struggle to diagnose leukemia in cats as the symptoms are very general (associated with many diseases).

One of the most common ways cat parents learn their cat has leukemia is because they have recurrent infections relating to the bladder, skin, or upper respiratory tract.

Feline Leukemia Treatment

Unfortunately, there is currently no specific treatment to eliminate FeLV from the body.

However, some cats with a robust enough immune system can eliminate the virus themselves.

Research suggests that 20-30% of cats who come into contact with FeLV will clear the virus before it spreads throughout the body, which is known as abortive infection.

It is also possible for cats to eliminate the virus after it has spread into organs or bone marrow. This is known as regressive infection and affects 30-40% of cats who come into contact with FeLV.

That means 30-40% of infected cats have a progressive infection, where the immune system cannot eliminate the virus, and so it spreads to lymph nodes and organs.

There is no cure for cats with progressive infection, but you and your vet can manage the symptoms with:

• Antiviral drugs
•  Vitamins
•  Treating FeLV-related symptoms like anemia

5. Feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV)

You might not have heard of Feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV) as it is commonly referred to as cat HIV or cat AIDS.

The feline immunodeficiency virus damages and weakens the immune system, making the cat vulnerable to secondary infections.

As one of the most common cat diseases in Thailand, FIV is one that many vets want to test for when trying to diagnose a sick cat. According to some studies, FIV is more common in cats in Thailand than FeLV.

In 2021, FIV was detected in 5.8% of healthy cats in North, Northeast, and Central Thailand, while FeLV was detected in 4.2%.

One reason for this might be the low efficacy rate (around 56%) of the FIV vaccine.

FIV Symptoms

Like FeLV, the symptoms of FIV are often very general.

FIV Treatment

Like FeLV, there is no cure for FIV. So vets will give supportive care to extend the infected cat’s life as much as possible.

Their life expectancy can vary based on many factors, but one study found that FIV-positive cats live for an average of 5 years after diagnosis.

Supportive care mainly includes keeping the infected cat free from other health problems, which can exacerbate the FIV. But your vet may also prescribe:

• Antiviral drugs
•  Immune support supplements

Final Thoughts On Common Cat Diseases In Thailand

While these five cat viruses are common in Thailand, this is not a definite list by any means.

Note that I have not included age-related health problems or diseases common worldwide, such as kidney disease or cancer.

Finally, to learn about other feline illnesses, check out my article on common cat infections in Thailand, from bacterial to fungal to parasitic.