Approved for sale by Health Canada - No: NN.P6L3

Promotes and maintains healthy respiratory function and adaptation to seasonal and climatic changes.

Flu in animals? Never heard of it!

Actually, yes, we all know it as humans. But did you know that cats have their own flu, known by the dreaded name of Coryza?

Coryza or cat flu (or feline rhinotracheitis) is a serious disease, unfortunately very common and highly contagious among our companion cats. It can even affect cats that don't go outside!

Cat coryza is a viral respiratory disease, still very common in cats living in communities (pet stores, shelters, boarding kennels...), but also in cats and kittens, in groups or alone, in our homes.

(photo: Ocular discharge mucous – purulent -msd-animal-health.be)

It is an extremely contagious pathology between felines, without the need for contact between them. It is not contagious to humans, nor to dogs, although they can transmit the disease via shoes and paws. So your cat can be affected, even if it doesn't go outside!

Coryza is most often spread from one sick cat to another, via small germ-filled droplets circulating in the air after an infected cat sneezes. It should be noted that a cat that has caught coryza, even if cured, can remain contagious for several months or even several years! It is therefore a real threat to all other cats.

Coryza results from contamination by several viruses or bacteria, each generating different effects and symptoms in cats:

A Calicivirus: fever, fatigue, ocular and nasal discharge, and ulcers in the mouth leading to excessive salivation and loss of appetite. (photo: Mucous - purulent ocular discharge -msd-animal-health.be)

A Herpes group virus: nose and respiratory tract infections.

A reovirus: watery eyes.

Coryza causes many different problems depending on the cat's age and health. Kittens, whose immune systems are not yet fully developed, are most at risk. After an incubation period of 2 to 5 days, symptoms appear: While not all sick cats necessarily sneeze, respiratory signs (sneezing and coughing), eye and nose discharge, fever, loss of appetite, and reluctance to drink are the most common symptoms.

Respiratory tract infection can lead to serious complications such as pneumonia.

As for our canine friends, the flu virus is not the same as in humans, but the symptoms are similar: coughing, nasal discharge, fatigue, sneezing, fever, etc.

The dog flu virus (kennel cough) attacks their respiratory tracts. The infection is highly contagious and can spread from one dog to another via coughing, sneezing, barking, and saliva.

It is sometimes difficult to notice symptoms in a flu-stricken dog, but it is essential to act to prevent the disease from becoming complicated and causing other more serious illnesses like pneumonia. Here are the main signs to look out for:

• thick, yellow or greenish nasal discharge;
• a persistent or unusual lack of appetite;
• tremors or chills when it's not cold;
• lethargy;
• an increase in body temperature, fever;
• dry, sticky, or bright pink gums;
• glassy eyes and/or ocular secretions;
• a persistent cough;
• disordered and constant sneezing.

For dogs, we also note the extremely contagious kennel cough, found in dog gatherings (shelters, sports events, pet shops, etc.), which is characterized by a strong, dry, and hoarse cough, very often accompanied by a need to vomit or expectorate. The general condition is sometimes altered with fever.

As for horses, the flu also exists!

Influenza is the most contagious viral respiratory disease in equids. It affects horses, donkeys, and their crosses.

The causative agent is a virus (influenza type A) similar to the human flu virus, but no transmission of horse flu to humans (or vice versa) has been observed.

The virus is mainly transmitted through respiratory secretions. An infected horse transmits a very large amount of virus by sneezing. It is not very resistant in the external environment; transmission occurs between horses in contact with each other, or via the groom and the equipment used.

SYMPTOMS

Incubation period: 2 to 5 days.

The disease can affect most of a stable's population within hours, with:

• high fever: rectal temperature 40 to 41°C, dullness, anorexia;
• serous nasal discharge (translucent, non-purulent) in the first few days;
• cough, occasional to convulsive, which can be painful.

In adult horses, mortality is almost zero; when it occurs, it is most often due to bacterial superinfections. Young foals, however, can die from pneumonia complications.

HOLIPULMO

Support of the anti-inflammatory, immune and respiratory response to viral attacks.

In selecting the ingredients for HoliPulmo, Martine Jourde, our chief Homeopath, with 40 years of experience, considered several factors such as the synergy between remedies to enhance their effectiveness, and an approach based on traditional Chinese medicine.

"Our homeopathic solutions cannot, under any circumstances, replace veterinary advice."