Wearecommittedtocaringforyourpet–whilemaintainingthehighestlevelofsafetyforourAssociatesandpetowners.Wethankyouforyourcontinuedpatienceandsupport. Learnmore aboutourCOVID-19responseandguidelines.ReadMoreWhatisfelinechlamydialconjunctivitis?Felinechlamydialconjunctivitisisaninfectioncausedbyabacterialorganism(calledChlamydophilafelis).Themostcommonsignsofchlamydiaincatsinvolvetheeyesortheupperrespiratorytract(noseorthroat),andonlywheninfectionisnottreateddoesitspreadtothelungs.Thisbacteriahasalsobeenreportedtoinfectthegenitaltractandjoints.Howdoesacatbecomeinfectedwith chlamydial?Becausechlamydialivesinsidecellsofthebodyandisnotabletosurviveforlongintheenvironment,spreadofinfectionreliesondirectorclosecontactwithaninfectedcat.Followinginfection,theincubationperiod(thetimebetweeninfectionanddevelopmentofclinicalsignsofdisease)isbetweenthreeandtendays.Whichcatsaremostatriskforthisdisease?Youngcatsandkittensareespeciallyvulnerabletothisinfection,althoughchlamydiacanbedetectedincatsofallages.Itisoneofthemostcommoncausesofinfectiousconjunctivitisincats.Whatclinicalsignsdoesacatinfectedwith chlamydiadevelop?Thebacteriaprimarilyinfectstheconjunctiva,whicharethedelicatemembranesliningtheeyelidsandcoveringtheedgesoftheeyeballs.Theinfectioncausesinflammationknownasconjunctivitis.Innormalcats,theconjunctivaisnotreadilyvisibleandhasapale,salmonpinkcolor.Incatswithconjunctivitis,theconjunctivabecomesswollenandred,makingitmorevisible.Thenictitatingmembraneorthirdeyelidintheinnercorneroftheeyemayprotrudepartiallyacrosstheeye.Oneorbotheyesmaybeinvolved.Affectedcatsinitiallydevelopawaterydischargefromtheeyesthatquicklybecomesthickerandisusuallyayelloworgreenishcolor.Theeyesareuncomfortableandcatsoftenkeeptheaffectedeye(s)closed.Manycatsremainbrightandotherwiseappearnormal,butsomemaydevelopafeverorlosetheirappetite.Afteroneortwodays,snifflesandsneezingmayalsooccur.Inkittens,theinfectionmayspreadtothelungsandcauseafatalpneumonia."Affectedcatsinitiallydevelopawaterydischargefromtheeyest