Keeping the cat quiet and warm Controlling secondary bacterial infections through the use of antibiotics Treating any oral ulcers or eye lesions with appropriate medication Cats with upper respiratory disease are generally not hospitalized unless their symptoms are severe due to the contagious nature of the disease. In severe cases, fluid therapy, supplemental oxygen, or a tube placed in the stomach for feeding cats who will not eat may be necessary. Most cats infected with feline rhinotracheitis virus or calicivirus will become chronic carriers of the virus. This means they will continue to be infected with the virus but not show any signs of the disease. Cats with calicivirus will shed the virus continually for years.
Vaccination is the primary way to prevent feline upper respiratory disease complex.
The modified live injectable vaccine is often a combination product which includes rhinotracheitis, calicivirus and panleukopenia , another viral disease of cats. Combination vaccines may also include feline leukemia virus and Chlamydia . Modified live injectable vaccines should be administered very carefully, so none of the vaccine gets into the eyes, nose, or mouth of the cat, otherwise the vaccine could induce clinical signs of disease. The modified live intranasal vaccine is manufactured differently so it is safe to give in the nose, although mild sneezing or nasal discharge could occur. It is recommended that this vaccine be used in limited situations in which there is a high but unavoidable risk of exposure.